New Zealand settles Maori land claim

New Zealand iwi (Māori kinship group) Ngāti Maru signed a deed of settlement with the Crown on Feb. 26, resolving its historical Treaty of Waitangi (Te Tiriti o Waitangi) claims. Ngāti Maru is the last of eight iwi in Taranaki, a North Island region, to settle its land claims under the treaty. The Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, Andrew Little, announced in a statement that the iwi, which comprises 2,800 registered members, will receive financial and cultural redress as part of the settlement, including an apology from the Crown. The financial redress is valued at NZD$30 million (about USD$20 million). The agreement also includes the vesting of 16 culturally significant sites to Ngāti Maru.

Little explicitly addressed the Treaty breaches, which include "the Crown's unjust and indiscriminate confiscation (raupatu) of half of the iwi's land in 1865," combined with Compensation Court and Native Land Court decisions that devastated the iwi's "mana, welfare, economy, and socio-cultural development."

The Compensation Court and Native Land Court were established in 1864 and 1865, respectively. The Compensation Court, which has since been abolished, heard "claims by loyal Māori for monetary compensation or the recovery of their land" amidst significant land confiscations (raupatu) on part of the Crown perpetrated against Māori iwi. The Native Land Court, now reorganized as the Māori Land Court, was a tangible representation of colonization given that it only permitted judges to name 10 owners of pieces of land—a system completely inconsistent with Māoritanga, the traditional system of tenure, which can see "owners" of one particular piece of land reach hundreds of thousands. All landowners above the 10 cap were dispossessed of their ownership by the Native Land Court.

Little also addressed that between 1879 and 1881 at Parihaka, a locality in Taranaki, Crown "military forces imprisoned members of Ngāti Maru for participating in a peaceful resistance campaign."

Little added:

As a result of the Crown’s acts and omissions Ngāti Maru have been left virtually landless, and their people displaced and dispersed. While no redress can ever fully compensate for the destructive and demoralising effects of Crown actions, I hope this settlement will allow Ngāti Maru to realise their aspirations for a vibrant economic and cultural future, and restores a relationship based on mutual trust, respect, and cooperation.

The settlement is one of many that the Crown has entered into. As of August 2018, 73 settlements had been passed into law, comprising a NZD$2.24 billion financial value. The settlements, although redressing only part of what was taken from iwi through Crown colonization, are seen as symbolic of the Crown's modern effort to honor its obligations as a partner to the Treaty of Waitangi.

From Jurist, March 1. Used with permission.

Note: Under the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi, which established the nation of New Zealand, Māori headmen agreed to recognize British sovereignty in exchange for guarantees of Māori rangatiratanga (chieftainship or authority).

Maori protests break out in New Zealand

Thousands of protesters in New Zealand took to the streets Dec. 5 after the new government released its plans for policy regarding Maori rights and The Treaty of Waitangi in New Zealand.

The protests occurred after Te Pati Maori (the Maori Party) called upon its members and sympathetic New Zealanders to protest the morning of the new parliament being opened as the new government was being sworn in. After the October electiony, the National Party and its right-wing coalition proposed major policy changes regarding the rights of Maori. Chief among these policies is the removal of co-governance systems that were brought in by the previous government, a reduction in government agencies' use of Te Reo Maori (the Maori language) and a redefinition of the treaty of Waitangi for a "more modern" setting.

The Treaty of Waitangi was created by the British Crown and Maori, promising certain rights and privileges to the Maori people. These guarantees were codified in the Treaty of Waitangi Act of 1975.

New Prime Minister Christopher Luxton defended the decision to change the treaty guarantees. King Tūheitia of the Maori people has called a national hui (meeting) of the iwi (tribes) to hash out the united stance that the Maori should take on the matter. (Jurist)

New Zealand: Maori protest changes to Waitangi treaty

Māori protesters marched to Waitangi to oppose the Treaty Principles Bill, allowing changes to the "principles" of the Treaty of Waitangi (Te Tiriti o Waitangi)—New Zealand's founding document—ahead of Waitangi Day, the national day of New Zealand which celebrates the signing of the Treaty.

The Association of Consumers and Taxpayers (ACT) proposed a referendum to redefine the "principles" of the Treaty of Waitangi. While the referendum was not included in the coalition agreement, the National and New Zealand First parties have agreed to introduce a Treaty Principles Bill that would be further reviewed by a select committee. (Jurist)