Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More
Parliament

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | Video | Questions Of the Day | Search

 

Maori Voices in Parliament Still Strong

Maori Voices in Parliament Still Strong After 140 Years
Dr Pita Sharples, Maori Party Co-leader 4 August 2008


The importance of Maori representation in Parliament was set out clearly and powerfully in the first-ever speech by a Maori MP, according to the Maori Party.

“140 years ago today, my whanaunga Tareha Te Moananui, M.P. for Eastern Maori, rose to address the House,” said Maori Party Co-leader Dr Pita Sharples.

“Noting first things first, Te Moananui began by saying, in Maori: ‘I am the the first Maori who has stood up in the presence of your assembly to speak what I have thought and decided to say in your presence’,” said Dr Sharples.

“He recognised the significance of Maori people having the right to say whatever they wanted to say in Parliament,” said Dr Sharples. “He went on to explain why, and then he used the opportunity to place several vital issues on the floor of the House – issues which the nation still wrestles with today.”

“He emphasised the importance of goodwill and co-operation, but Te Moananui also said: ‘My thoughts and the thoughts of Maori people are not similar to the thoughts of the Europeans, they lie in a different direction’. This is the very reason the Maori Party was formed – to bring Maori perspectives into debates on issues and legislation that affect the whole country,” said Dr Sharples.

“The particular issues he raised concerned claims by Maori who were not tangata whenua being accepted by the Native Land Court, and that laws for impounding wandering stock were not enforced fairly as between Maori and Europeans.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

“The question of proper ownership of ancestral lands has come back to haunt us through the Treaty settlement process, in which the Crown deals with large natural groupings of claimants, and seeks fairness as between claimant groups – by allocating the lands of one claimant to another,” said Dr Sharples. “We will hear these claims again as we consider legislation to settle the CNI and Te Arawa deals.”

“Te Moananui was aggrieved that he had not been able to impound stock wandering onto his lands. He said ‘When I thought to have a pound myself, I was taken to court; so it has occurred to me to propose to you that when you make a law, you should make it for me as well as for yourselves. It has been laid down in the Scripture, and also by your own law, that there should be one law for both of us.’

“You can’t help thinking of the Foreshore and Seabed debacle as you read that, whereby tangata whenua were denied their rights under domestic and international law to have their customary rights recognized, and instead racist and discriminatory legislation was passed to confiscate aboriginal title without compensation.

“In one respect at least, things have improved. Te Moananui spoke in Maori, as did most of those who followed him, including Metekingi Te Rangi Paetahi from Western Maori, Frederick Nene Russell from Northern Maori, and John Patterson from Southern Maori, but the only record we have is in English.

“The record also tells us, that while an interpreter was organized at the last minute to translate Te Moananui’s speech, the commitment to te reo was so insignificant that the four Maori MPs always struggled to make a difference”.

“These days, as the Maori Party once again normalises the use of te reo Maori in Parliament, we not only have interpreters for the benefit of those who do not understand Maori, but Hansard records speeches in Maori as well as in English.

“Over 140 years of Maori representation in Parliament, there have been many ups and downs, but there is a lot to celebrate today,” said Dr Sharples.

“For one thing, Maori people are still here today, with a distinctive culture and world view, and a right to express ourselves, in our own language, alongside our Treaty partner in Parliament.

“Under MMP, and with a Maori Party in Parliament to be the authentic and independent voice of tangata whenua, we have opportunities that our tipuna never did, to advance towards tino rangatiratanga.

“These things are precious, and we must protect them and use them to our best advantage, in the spirit of co-operation and goodwill that Tareha Te Moananui set out 140 years ago.”


ENDS

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines



Gordon Campbell: On Dune 2, And Images Of Islam


Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture tends to be hostile to Islam when we’re sitting in the dark, with popcorn.
Any number of movie examples come to mind, beginning with Rudolf Valentino’s role (over a century ago) as the romantic Arab hero in The Sheik...
More


 
 


Government: One-stop Shop Major Projects On The Fast Track

The Coalition Government’s new one-stop-shop fast track consenting regime for regional and national projects of significance will cut red tape and make it easier for New Zealand to build the infrastructure and major projects needed to get the country moving again... More

ALSO:


Government: GPS 2024: Over $20 Billion To Get Transport Back On Track
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has released the draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport, outlining the Coalition Government’s plan to build and maintain a transport system that enables people to get to where they need to go quickly and safely... More

ALSO:

Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.