Land loss has heavy effect on Ma¯ori life
Financial loss, harm to the environment, a loss of customs and connection to culture are some of the negative effects an iwi says it has suffered as a result of land being taken by the Crown.
Week seven of the Manawatu¯ ki Porirua inquiry finished in Feilding last week, where members of the Nga¯ ti Raukawa iwi confederation outlined their claims to the tribunal.
The confederation claims the historic sale of thousands of hectares of land between Ka¯ piti and Manawatu¯ was done illegitimately, leaving the iwi as one of the most landless tribes in New Zealand.
Last week in Feilding was the last week of hearings in the northern part of the area. The inquiry moves south to Horowhenua for the remaining five weeks, resuming next month.
Pene raupatu, or confiscation by the pen, has been the overall thrust of the inquiry, where iwi dispute the sale of two blocks of land and allege the Crown influenced a Native Land Court ruling supporting the deals in 1869.
The land taken from the iwi spans from Kimbolton to O¯ taki.
Many iwi say they were non sellers and the signatures on the land deals were not taken legitimately.
The confederation, which has about 30,000 members in Manawatu¯ , Horowhenua and Ka¯ piti, describes the purchase of about 97,000 hectares as one of the most fraudulent in New Zealand history.
Financial compensation is sought, along with the restoration of original Maori names for streets, lakes and reserves.
Crown land is also expected to be returned to iwi.
Dennis Emery of Nga¯ti Kauwhata, the chairman of Te Hono ki Raukawa Council, which is one of the main claimant groups, was happy with how the hearings had gone so far.
‘‘We’re very pleased and it’s taken us so long to do that. There’s been a lot of hard work and a lot of anxiety for us. We’re very pleased with the way it’s gone.
‘‘The reaction we’re getting from the judge and the tribunal, what we’ve picked up, is very supportive, even the Crown lawyers.’’
He said the iwi had been waiting 30 years to be heard.
Starting in February last year, the first seven weeks of hearings have been at Hato Pa¯ ora College north of Feilding; Parewahawaha Marae in Bulls; Te Tikanga Marae north of Halcombe; Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom in Foxton; twice in Feilding; and one week was held online.
At every turn iwi members have outlined the negative effects colonisation and land loss have had on Ma¯ ori.
Land loss meant iwi lost an important connection to their land, while native wildlife, land and waterways have suffered from pollution, which has meant Ma¯ori have lost their ability to gather food.
They have also described the loss of their language, fragmenting of wha¯ nau through urbanisation and being cut off from their ancestral land.