Te Hiku Claims Settlement Bill

I move, That the Te Hiku Claims Settlement Bill be now read a first time. I nominate the Māori Affairs Committee to consider the bill. To my friends from Te Hiku o Te Ika—the tail of the fish—welcome to this House. It is a real pleasure to welcome you at Parliament today in repayment of the manaakitanga that you have extended to me over many years in my visits to your rohe. Your journey to settlement has, of course, been much longer than that, and I have really been honoured to play a part in these final stages.

Can I begin by acknowledging the new member of Parliament for Te Tai Tokerau, Kelvin Davis. I thank him very much for being here today, notwithstanding the family bereavement that he has suffered, and on behalf of the Government I extend our sympathy to his wife.

Can I also acknowledge in the gallery today ambassador Shane Jones. It is great to see him back here. I want to acknowledge the great help that he provided to me over a number of years in the north. I do not think we would have got to this stage without a few quiet chats with “His Excellency” the ambassador from time to time. So it is great to see him back here.

As we embark together on the next phase of the relationship between Te Hiku iwi and the Crown, I certainly hope that our guests feel welcome here today. When your ancestors and the Crown signed the Treaty in Kaitāia in April 1840, Panakāreao famously stated that the shadow of the land could go to the Queen, with the substance remaining with Māori. As we know, by the following year he was very concerned that the Crown would have the substance of the land, and so, sadly, it came to pass.

Te Hiku leaders, however, have always been vigilant in monitoring the Treaty relationship, and in taking action when required. They have a long history of petitioning, challenging, and protesting against injustice. The abiding image that we all have is that of Dame Whina Cooper leading the land march from Te Hāpua. It is something all New Zealanders are familiar with. It signifies a turning point in our history. So I want to acknowledge the work of her eldest son, Joseph (Hohepa) Cooper, that generous and kind rangatira who has worked to guide Te Rarawa though negotiations over the last 14 years.

Every step of this journey has been made possible by the work of those who came before us. I have made the following statement to Te Hiku iwi in the past, but I want to it say again today so that it is written into the parliamentary record that we are, together in this House, continuing on a pathway to justice that was first laid by Matiu Rata, one of the many great leaders who have hailed from the far north. He was instrumental in the establishment of the Waitangi Tribunal, and next year it will be 40 years since that tribunal was established. This contribution to the Treaty settlement framework is still so very important today. Mr Rata spent many years in this House working on behalf of all Māori and as an advocate for the people of Te Hiku o Te Ika. It is really a great honour to stand in this House today and acknowledge his work for his nation. His legacy lives on in the spirit of chieftainship that remains very strong in this most northerly part of our land.

Negotiating a settlement makes the Crown recognise the harms inflicted on the people of Te Hiku and the hurt that has been carried over many generations. I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge that the people of Te Hiku have endured some truly hard times as a result of the Crown’s breaches of the Treaty. The collective actions and omissions of the Crown left all Te Hiku iwi with insufficient land for their needs, undermined their economy, and frayed the social fabric of the far north. This caused many to leave their rohe, and left those who stayed with too few opportunities. It impacted on the ability of Te Hiku whanau, hapū, and iwi to pass on language, tikanga, and mātauranga to younger generations.

As we enter into the final stage of settling their grievances, I want again to acknowledge the injustices of the large-scale loss of the best and most productive lands; the Crown’s surplus land policy; the impact of land laws in the 19th and 20th centuries, which diminished tribal authority; and the resultant hardship that permeated through this area of our country. I want also to acknowledge each and every member of Te Aupouri, Te Rarawa, Ngāti Kuri, and NgāiTakoto—past, present, and future. The Crown’s breaches have affected, and will affect, all members of the iwi of Te Hiku. This has been a journey towards redressing those wrongs. It has been a journey towards the meaningful recognition by the Crown of the mana of Te Aupouri, the mana of Te Rarawa, the mana of NgāiTakoto, and that of Ngāti Kuri.

Today, with the reading of the settlement legislation, we take the first stage in the final part of the journey. We walk on this path together, in acknowledgment of our shared history, and we move forward together toward our shared future. This bill will give legislative effect to the agreements that have been breached between the Crown and Te Aupouri, Te Rarawa, NgāiTakoto, and Ngāti Kuri.

I want to take some time today to acknowledge those who have been instrumental in those four settlements. I look to those who led the iwi negotiating teams over the last 14 years, and I apologise if I inadvertently omit the names of some who should be mentioned. But I particularly want to mention the late Matiu Īhaka, George Wītana, Winiata Brown, Raymond Subritzky, Gloria Herbert, Haami Piripi, Paul White, Rangitane Marsden, and Harry Burkhardt. Thank you very much for the huge contribution you have made. You only have to mention those names to see that the future of the north is in very, very good hands. They have been ably supported by many, many others during this time. Acting as the interface between the Crown table and the people is no easy task. Negotiating these settlements has really been a test of leadership, of resilience, and of endurance. We here in this House know the importance of representing constituents, and my colleagues and I have been very impressed by the way these great leaders have always had the interests of their people at the forefront of their strategy.

The package will be examined in great detail by the Māori Affairs Committee. It is so important that I mention some of the cultural redress—for example, the leaping place of spirits, Te Rerenga Wairua, will be returned to Māori ownership, an event that is hugely significant. The important connection Te Hiku have with Te Oneroa-a-Tōhe as a place of custom, spirituality, and sustenance is recognised in this settlement, and I am really excited to see the establishment of a unique and meaningful governance arrangement for that most important part of New Zealand.

There is a lot more that I could say because this is a piece of legislation that brings together four settlements. Ngāti Kahu are not ignored; their day, I hope, will come, but in the meantime adequate safeguards are provided for them. It is so good to have the representatives of these great iwi here today; I acknowledge them.

Can I conclude by acknowledging Pat Snedden for his great work over many years as my negotiator. He did a fine job. I am sure he will be watching this debate today with great interest, and we send him our best wishes. I particularly want to acknowledge the Office of Treaty Settlements staff. I never normally mention individuals, but it would be remiss of me were I not to mention Maureen Hickey, who has been working on this for so many years, and is utterly and completely dedicated to the task at hand.

With those comments, as I say, it is almost an injustice to say so little about such an important settlement. I commend the bill to the House.

Ko Ngāti Kuri, Te Aupouri kia kotahi mai tātou katoa mai i Te Rarawa. Ngāi Takoto, Ngāti Kahu kia kaha mai rā. Āwhinatia e tātou ngā uri o Muriwhenua kia whiwhi ai i ngā taonga nei o ngā tūpuna. Mr Speaker, ko ēnā ngā rārangi kupu o tētahi waiata e pā ana ki tērā wāhanga o te motu, arā, ko Te Hiku. E tika ana kia mahuetia aua kupu i te mea, e akiaki ana i ngā iwi kia kaha ai, kia whakakotahi ai, kia whiwhi ai i ngā uri, i ngā taonga o ngā tūpuna. Nā reira, ka mihi ake ahau ki a koutou i tae ki raro i te tuanui o tēnei Whare ki te whakarongo ki tēnei, te pānuitanga tuatahi o tēnei pire mō Te Hiku. Nā reira, tēnā koutou ōku tuākana, ōku tēina, tuāhine mā, tēnā koutou.

[Let us from Te Rarawa be united, Ngāti Kuri and Te Aupouri. Work hard to ensure this too Ngāi Takoto and Ngāti Kahu. We must help our kin of Muriwhenua to receive these ancestral possessions for them. Those are some lines from that song pertaining to that part of the country, in other words Te Hiku. It is appropriate that those words are retained because they urge the tribes to be strong and to remain united to ensure that descendants receive possessions from their ancestors. So I pay a tribute to you collectively who have arrived here under the roof of this House to listen to this, the first reading of this bill about Te Hiku, and so my accolades to you collectively my elder and younger siblings, and sisters. Well done.]

I started off with the words of a song that is in fact sung at most schools up in the Te Hiku area. It urges the five tribes to be strong and to be unified so that they may reap the treasures and the benefits of their ancestors. I think it is just an appropriate way to begin the speeches for the Te Hiku claims. The five iwi up in Te Hiku have a rich, intertwined culture, history, and whakapapa. Much of that history is still alive and we live it every day up there. I have to state for the record that I am not from Te Rarawa, NgāiTakoto, Ngāti Kahu, Te Aupouri, or Ngāti Kurī. I am from Ngāpuhi. It is just a signal that we have shared whakapapa, because I descend from Tōhe.

Tōhe was our tupuna who lived up in Kapowairua. The story has it that he and his servant Ariki marched down Te Oneroa-a-Tōhe, or Ninety Mile Beach, as he went in search of Rāninikura, his girl, in his older years. His iwi implored him not to go because he was so old that they did not think he would make it back. He said to them: “Mehemea ka mate ahau kapohia taku wairua.” [Should I die, grab up my spirit.]—“If I should die, then grab my spirit as it passes by.” Hence the name Kapowairua—Spirits Bay. So he walked down Ninety Mile Beach and got to Ahipara and named it Whārō because “whārō” means to measure with your arms. He asked his servant to measure how far the tide had gone down. He carried on, swam the Hokianga Harbour, got to a place called Baylys Beach, which is called Rīpiro, and there he actually passed away. One of the stories of the naming of my hapū of Ngāti Manu is because there, as he was dead, lying on the beach, seabirds ate his eyes. So that is my connection to Te Hiku, through whakapapa. As I say, many parts of the country might not realise how we are still immersed in our history and our whakapapa, and it is not something separate that happened a long time ago.

One of the stories that we tell up there is of a warrior from Te Aupouri. His name was Te Houtāewa. Apparently he was 7-foot tall, broad, had the longest stride on him, and, if you listen to Te Aupouri, he had a good sidestep and a fend. One of the things that he liked to do was to antagonise Te Rarawa down at the southern end of the beach. Apparently he could run the length of the beach in between the tides. He used to run down there and pinch a couple of kits of kūmara, put them under his arms, and run back, antagonising, teasing, and tormenting his pursuers. They could never catch him. I remember Shane Jones telling me that he believed that he was created in Te Houtāewa’s image. Earlier this morning we listened to Te Kawerau ā Maki and my colleague Peeni Henare said that the kūmara has got a lot to answer for in terms of creating tension between tribes, but also in terms of soothing the peace as well.

Anyway, roll on 200 years, and one day there I am in the capital of Te Aupouri, a place called Te Kao, in the changing rooms of the rugby club, wearing the colours of Te Rarawa, about to go and do battle against Te Aupouri, our traditional foe. Our captain at the time, a young fellow—everyone knows him; Gibbon Harrison—is there extolling us to rise to great heights and to get out there and basically lay our bodies on the line for Te Rarawa against the old foe Te Aupouri. He got himself so worked up, and he said: “Let’s get out there and let’s teach them not to steal our kūmara!”. Well, we went out there and we got soundly thrashed. That is an example of how the deeds of our ancestors are not something separate. They are not something that happened years ago. Our ancestors still walk with us and we still carry them with us.

I was at the signing up in Ngātaki earlier, some months back now, where the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, the Hon Chris Finlayson, acknowledged the misdeeds of the Crown and gave an apology, and it was quite lengthy. It was an extensive apology. It was actually very emotional listening to the extent of what was done, not just to Ngāti Kurī. Well, at that stage it was Ngāti Kurī , but what happened to Ngāti Kurī was the alienation, the disempowerment, and the disenfranchising that occurred to all the iwi up there. I am glad to see that we are here now acknowledging it and trying to make reparations and move forward.

There are five iwi up there, but, really, the main acknowledgments go to four. I was contacted by the negotiators from Ngāti Kahu. They asked me to read some stuff out on their behalf. I said to them, look, the process is that we will do the first reading and then we have got the select committee consideration. That is when people can come forward and lay out their views as to why they disagree or agree with the whole process. They said: “Yes, we know the process; we just don’t have any faith in it.”, and they asked whether I would please read out, just for the record, some of their objections. I have two documents that I will table after. Bear the indulgence, because this is a time for celebration, but I just have to acknowledge that Ngāti Kahu are not quite so happy.

They ask that Part 14 be removed from the bill. Part 14 refers to the Ngāti Kahu Accumulated Rentals Trust. They want it removed from the Te Hiku Claims Settlement Bill before it goes to its first reading. I received this on 18 July. That was not possible, so here I am now making this request on their behalf. They want to leave the Ngāti Kahu accumulated rentals from the Aupōuri State Forest Crown forest licensed lands and the Crown Forestry Rental Trust. They spell out in some detail the prejudices they believe they have suffered. Like I say, I will not read it out now; I will table it for the record. They also object vehemently to the bill vesting some 12,000 hectares of land exclusively in other iwi. Whether you agree or disagree, I was requested by them just to state their objections for the record.

I am somebody who likes to see these claims settled so that we can move on, be positive, and ensure better outcomes for our people. Therefore, with that, I just acknowledge, again, everybody here. I would also like to thank the Minister for allowing his officials to brief me. I agree with what he says about Maureen Hickey. I tried to throw some curly questions at her; she had the answer for every one. So I just acknowledge Maureen. E ōku whanaunga i takahia mai i Te Tuarā o Te Ika, mai i Te Hiku tae noa ki konei ki Te Upoko, huri rauna i Te Whare, tēnā koutou katoa.

[To all my relatives throughout the House who traversed the Back of the Fish from the Tail until you eventually arrived here at the Head, I doff my hat to you.]

Ā, tēnā koe e Te Mana Whakawā. Ō tātou mate tuatini e takoto mai ai i runga i ō tātou marae maha, papa kāinga, i roto i ō tātou whare, kua ūhia rātou ki ngā taumata kōrero e tika ana hei poroporoaki i a rātou, ā, otirā, ki a koe e te parata Kelvin me tō whanau, e tika me mihi atu ki a koe. Ā, anō nā kai te kāinga ētahi e takoto mai rā i runga i ō rātou marae. Nā reira, e tika me poroporoaki ki a rātau katoa. Nā reira, me kī pēnei, tukua rātau kia okioki i runga i tō rātou moenga roa. Tēnā rā koutou mā kua wehe ki tua o te ārai. Haere ki ngā ringa mahana o Te Atua. Haere atu rā ki te kāinga ō tātou katoa. Anō nā, ko tātou te hunga ora, te hunga tūtuki i ō rātou nā wawata. Tēnā tātou katoa.

[Thank you, Mr Speaker. To our many deceased lying there upon our numerous courtyards, settlements, and in our homes, eloquent and appropriate farewell tributes have been accorded to them and indeed to you fellow colleague Kelvin Davis and your family. It is apt that you are acknowledged. And, of course, there are some at home lying in state on their courtyards. Therefore it is proper that all of them are paid a farewell tribute. Allow them all to sleep their long sleep. Farewell to you who have gone beyond the divide. Go forth to the warmth of the Lord’s arms and to the home for us all. And here we are once again, the living, the ones to fulfil their aspirations. Acknowledgments to us all.]

I have to admit that as I have sat here today I have felt a little emotional about the things I have been listening to. I have to admit that it feels a little strange and a little foreign. I stand here as a young—young, I will say that one more time—new member of the House. I am facing you but our people are behind me. I want to acknowledge you—kia ora rā. Kia ora rā, koutou e noho kai muri nei, kai te tiro atu ki mua kia kite koutou i ngā pouaka whakaata rā. [Thank you, as well those of you sitting behind me, looking at those television sets ahead there.]

I have felt a little emotional as these things have been read because I acknowledge that although this process has taken some 30 years to arrive at this point, how many of our ancestors have lost their lives throughout the tribulation that has been impacted upon them?

I want to pay tribute to those who began the journey here and those who have gone before us, those who started with the vision to begin this long process and who now live in the memory and the presence of their children who represent them here today. Tēnā koutou.

This day is my first in the House to fully feel the impact of the Treaty injustices from this side of the ledger, as a representative of Parliament. I am no longer looking on. All of us in this Chamber are now implicated in the harsh realities of the Treaty impacts that endure in the hearts and minds of our people. I need look no further than the first pages of the bill to see that tragic reality articulated in the text of the apology. I am going to read this—i roto i Te Reo Māori koa:

“Te whakapāha a Te Karauna ki ngā uri o Ngāti Kuri, ki ngā mātua tūpuna, ki a koutou kei konei i tēnei rā, ki ērā kāore anō kia whānau mai. Koia tēnei ko te whakapāha a Te Karauna. E whakatakoto here kore ana Te Karauna i tōna whakapāha mō ōna hapa, mō tōna hē, ki te kore ōna i āta whakamana, whakarangatira hoki i a Ngāti Kuri. He āhuatanga mātāpono kore tēnei waihoki ka noho a Ngāti Kuri anō, he kanohi kitea kore i roto i ngā kōrero, i ngā whakapapa o te ahurea i Te Hiku o Te Ika.”

[The apology by the Crown to the descendants of Ngāti Kuri, the ancestors, those of you present here today, and those not yet born. This indeed is the Crown’s apology. It sets out unreservedly the Crowns apology for its wrongdoings, failures, and lack of recognition and respect towards Ngāti Kuri. This aspect was not principled and, furthermore, Ngāti Kuri was without representation in the discussions about the cultural heritage of the far north.]

What does it do to the hearts of a people and the hopes of a people to be rendered invisible? How does a people cope with the cruelty of being unable to act as tangata kaitiaki over your own taonga, to be prevented from taking up your responsibility and your rights of kaitiakitanga over your wāhi tapu? How do an iwi reconcile the conundrum of being tangata whenua without whenua, of coming from the very land that has been stripped away by the confounding effects of successive flawed land legislation?

These were acts of legislation stealth that robbed Ngāti Kuri of their rights to their traditional tikanga and rangatiratanga, having the effect of leaving them marginalised on their ancestral land. It is soul-destroying. It hits at the very heart of our nationhood to know that one partner to the Treaty, the Crown, acted in a way to the other, the iwi, that caused them to suffer the loss of tribal authority, of social cohesion, of traditional knowledge, and left them unable to develop economically.

Today this bill starts off a new journey, but a journey that nevertheless must be grounded in the knowledge that Ngāti Kuri suffered significant population losses and that the people were found floundering in poverty, poor housing, and deep distress over successive generations as a direct result of Crown action. Te Aupouri, Ngāti Kahu, Ngāti Kuri, Te Rarawa, and NgāiTakoto will never forget. We in this House must never forget. We will be able to move forward together only if together we confront the atrocities of our past. In Māori legend this land forms the tail of the fish that Māui hauled up from the great depths of the ocean. Elders from Muriwhenua sometimes say that although the head of the fish is here in Wellington, it can go only where the tail will allow.

I have been thinking about the wisdom of the philosopher Isaac Newton: “If I have seen further than others, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” In this cause there are many giants: Dame Whina Cooper—whose korowai, worn in the Land March, is on loan to us here in Parliament and lies just down the hall in a glass case—Matiu Rata, Dame Mira Szaszy, Merimeri Penfold, and too many others to mention, whose efforts have for ever etched their names in our collective memory. This moment is dedicated to all those who watch over us in spirit, who inspire and encourage us to seek further, to be bold and courageous for their mokopuna.

This bill gives effect to the covenants that have been reached between the Crown, Ngāti Kuri, Te Aupōuri, Ngāti Takoto, and Te Rarawa. There are specifics pertinent to each iwi. These recognise the soul-crushing misfortune set upon them at the hands of the Crown. Other speakers have taken us through that trail of torture. We have heard about the corrupt intent of the Crown and private purchasing that alienated Ngāti Kuri from over 70 percent of their ancestral land by 1880. We acknowledge the injury caused to Te Aupouri as a direct result of the 1840 Taylor transaction, taking 60,000 acres of land through forced seizure.

We think of the harsh impact for generations of NgāiTakoto finding themselves a virtually landless people, having lost all interest in approximately 155,000 acres of ancestral land. For Te Rarawa the crime of the Crown forced upon Marāea Te Awaroa Heke—arrested, jailed, and never compensated for merely protecting the boundaries around her own hapū lands. The kuia died before the court took the action it should have. To add insult to injury, the block was further subdivided, taken by the Crown as an esplanade for public use. I want to return to the actual text in this bill: “Mā roto atu i tēnei whakaaturanga e whai ana Te Karauna i te huarahi hei whakatika i ōna hē kua whakaae nei a ia ki aua hē, otirā, e taea ai i nāianei te whai i te huarahi o te whakatau hoahoa o te whakakotahi anō.”

[Through this notification the Crown will have a process to follow to rectify its failings, which it has accepted, and will indeed make it possible now to settle totally and amicably.]

In this House today, with the enduring impact of the settlement to come, the Crown seeks to begin the process of reconciliation. The Crown hopes that by recognising the impact and the injury of injustice we can begin a renewed and enduring relationship, an invigorated relationship, based on mutual dignity and respect.

As a nation we must look, eyes wide, upon the knowledge that the spiritual relationships of the people of Te Hiku, with their ancestral maunga, takiwā, and awa, have been adversely affected. Te Hiku, our utmost respect is accorded to you and your leadership; to your whānau, so willingly, so generously, so bravely in the process of settlement. Respect is accorded to your whānau, your negotiators, and your people for incredible tenacity, endurance, and courage to get to this stage.

Nō reira, ōku pou, ōku rahi, koutou e hui mai nei i roto i tēnei Whare, koutou, ōku hoa o te takiwā rā, tēnei te mihi atu ki a koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātau katoa.

[Therefore to you my pillars and greatness who have gathered here in this House and to my colleagues on that side, I acknowledge, commend and salute you and us all.]

I seek leave to table two letters from Te Rūnanga-a-Iwi O Ngāti Kahu, outlining their concerns with the bill.

Leave is sought for that purpose. Is there any objection? There is no objection.

Documents, by leave, laid on the Table of the House.

Tēnā koe. Reo Māori e kara. “Ruia, ruia, tahia, tahia, kia hemo ake te kākoa, koa! Kia herea mai i te kawau korokī, kia tātaki mai i roto i te pūkoro koro, whaikoro! Te kuaka, he kuaka mārangaranga! Tahi manu i tau atu ki te tāhuna, tau atu, tau atu, tau atu!”. Tihewā mauri ora e te Whare! Kāti, ko Māmaru te waka, ko Parata te tangata o runga. Ka moe a Parata i a Kahutianui ka puta ko Ngāti Kahu i whakataukītia: “Ko Maunga Taniwha te maunga, ko Tokerau te moana, ko Māmaru te waka, ko Parata te tangata.” Ko Kurahaupō te waka, ko Pōhurihanga te tangata. Ka moe a Tūwhakatere i a Tūterangiātohia o Ngāti Kurī rāua ko Tūpōia o Ngāti Kahu, ka puta a Ngāi Takoto. I whakataukītia: “He iti pīoke tere ki waho o Rangaunu, he au tōna.”

Ko Māmari rāua ko Ngātokimatawhaorua ngā waka, ā, ko Nukutawhiti rāua ko Ruanui ngā tāngata o runga. Ka moe a Tarutaru i te ngātātara e puta mai ana i tana rua, i a Ruapounamu, ka puta ko Te Rarawa kai whare e! Ko Māmari te Waka, ko Ruanui te tangata, nāna ko ana mokopuna a Whēru rāua ko Te Ikanui, ē, ko Te Aupōuri, ē! Ko tōna whakataukī: “Ko Te Atua ki te rangi, ko Te Aupōuri ki te whenua.” Ko Kurahaupō te waka, ko Pōhurihanga te tangata. Ka moe a Pōhurihanga i a Maieke, ka puta ko Ngāti Kurī, ē! Mai i Te Tīheru o Mātaatua, tae noa ki Kapo Wairua, ko Ngāti Kurī Matakakā, Ngāti Kurī Matamomoe, mai i a Muriwhenua, tamāhine a Pōhurihanga rāua ko Maieke, ka puta ko ngā uri kei ngā iwi e rima o Te Hiku o Te Ika, tēnā koutou katoa.

I mua mai i taku kuhunga mai ki Te Whare nei, ko aku pāpā ko Hone Harawira rāua ko te Hōnore Shane Jones ngā uri o ēnei iwi e kōrerotia nei ki roto i tēnei pire. Tae mai ki tēnei wā, ko au anake te mema o tēnei Whare, e whakapapa atu ana ki te katoa o ēnei iwi. Ka puritia e au i aku whakapapa mō te pānuitanga tuatoru o te pire nei. Ki reira au hora ai i taku pānga ki ngā tūpuna, nā rātau nei ngā ingoa kei runga i tēnei pire. I tukuna ko mātou koutou, e whakatau ki roto i tēnei Whare e ōku rangatira, e ōku tini whanaunga. Ahakoa kua wātea mai te nuinga o ngā tūru kei roto i tēnei Whare, ka tukuna atu te reo aroha, te reo mihi ki a koutou, nā, ko tō koutou mokopuna tēnei e mihi atu nei, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātau katoa.

[Thank you. I will speak in the Māori language. “Scatter, scatter, sweep on, sweep on, let us not be plundered by our foe and be plundered! The rope has stretched out and fastened to the cormorant’s throat from the sheath, let us rejoice! Moving along, move along, let us rejoice! Godwits rise up here, there, and fly off. One lands on the beach and others follow!”. Behold the breath of life! Mamari is the canoe, Parata is the commander. Parata married Kahutianui and begat Ngāti Kahu, uttered in the proverb: “Maunga Taniwha is the mountain, Tokerau is the sea, Māmari is the canoe and Parata is the captain.” Kurahaupō is the canoe and Pōhurihanga is the commander. Tūwhakatere married Tūterangiātohia of Ngāti Kurī and Tūpōia of Ngāti Kahu and begat Ngāi Takoto, giving rise to the aphorism “A swift small shark off Rangaunu, great is its wake.”

Māmari and Ngātokimatawhaorua are the canoes, Nukutawhiti and Ruanui are the commanders on board. Tarutaru married the fish emerging from its cave, Ruapounamu, and begat Te Rarawa, consumer of houses indeed! Māmari is the canoe, Ruanui is the man, and from him came his grandchildren Whēru and Te Ikanui, and behold, Te Aupōuri was begat! Its proverb is: “As God is to heaven, so is Te Aupōuri to land.” Kurahaupō is the canoe, Pōhurihanga is the man. Pōhurihanga married Maieke, and behold, Ngāti Kurī was begat indeed! From The Bailer of Mātaatua as far as Spirits Bay are Ngāti Kurī Matakakā, Ngāti Kurī Matamomoe, and, from Muriwhenua, daughter of Pōhurihanga and Maieke, came the descendants from the five tribes of Te Hiku o Te Ika, so acknowledgments to you all.

Before I came into this House, my uncles Hone Harawira and the Hon Shane Jones were the relatives of these tribes referred to in this bill. However, I am the only member of this House at this point in time who can recite a genealogy to all of these tribes. I will hold back my genealogical connections until the third reading of this bill. I will make my connections public then to the ancestors whose names appear in this bill. We were given the privilege to formally welcome you my esteemed elders and myriad of relations, and despite the vast number of empty seats in this House, a loving and welcoming voice is extended to you collectively. Although many of the seats of the House are vacant, I extend my sincerest regards and acknowledgments to you all, and I address you as one of your own grandchildren. I salute you all collectively, greetings to you and salutations to us all. There, then, it is I your grandchild extending this official welcome to you, so welcome and salutations to you collectively and to us all.]

Tēnā koe, Mr Assistant Speaker. It is with great trepidation that I stand to address this House and this bill today, for I stand in front of my people from the far north. I know full well that should I falter, when I return home it will be a swift kick up the bum. I want to acknowledge them today. I also want to take this opportunity to acknowledge the many who have already been mentioned this morning.

I want to start by taking our minds back to the Muriwhenua claim. I acknowledge the battleground that is the claims process. In our history, we acknowledge the warriors of the past. My tuakana Kelvin has spoken of Te Houtāewa. We acknowledge the great deeds of Māori warriors in our history. Sadly, however, the greatest battle of my generation—and certainly of the generation before me and the generation before that—has been that of the battle of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. I want to acknowledge Matiu Rata. I want to acknowledge Rima Edwards, McCully Matiu, Jeb Brown, Te Rima Pētera, Sana Murray, Glass Murray, Simon Snowden, Mere Patrisovich, and Musa Erstich. These great tupuna of mine—indeed of ours—paved the way forward for Muriwhenua. Indeed, although the clothes might be different on the body, in our discussion of the bill on the Table today they certainly paved that pathway for us all here.

My tuakana Kelvin Davis spoke of the rich history of the many tribes of Te Hiku o Te Ika. He spoke of our tupuna Tōhe and his daughter Rāninikura. The reason for these stories is so that the names of those places are not lost to future generations. As I discussed this morning in the Te Kawerau ā Maki Claims Settlement Bill, it shows the mana whenua of the tribes of the north and their domain.

I want to look now to the settlement process, and, of course, to the bill in front us today and the cultural redress afforded by this bill to the people of Te Hiku o Te Ika. I want to reiterate and, indeed, echo my words this morning about tino rangatiratanga. Tino rangatiratanga is prescribed to us by our ancestors who put their sacred marks on Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Tino rangatiratanga, as prescribed in Te Tiriti o Waitangi, is not co-management. Tino rangatiratanga, as prescribed in Te Tiriti o Waitangi, is not mackintosh coats put over a Māori taonga. I use the term “maketō”, or “mackintosh”, because it is that of a Pākehā nature and is not a korowai. It is tino rangatiratanga that the people of Te Hiku are looking towards. May this bill be a step in the right direction for the people of Te Hiku o Te Ika—tēnā koe.

I want to speak very briefly about the commercial redress, for it would be remiss of me not to acknowledge that the commercial redress, as it is set out in this bill in its first reading, does not meet but a fraction of the injustices suffered by the people of Te Hiku o Te Ika. I want to put that on the record, so that it can be a stake in the ground when future iwi and generations look towards settlement for themselves—so that they look towards a brighter, more prosperous future, moving on from the small fractions and piecemeal offerings that are being offered to our people today.

I want to look towards the future, and, in typical Māori fashion, I want to look towards the future by acknowledging the past. A young man by the name of Luke Tipene was murdered recently. Today his body is to be returned to his people and put back into his whenua of Te Rarawa and Ahipara. I want to acknowledge that young man, for it was with him in mind that our ancestors fought hard for the rights of Te Hiku o Te Ika. I am saddened that he will not be able to take part today and, indeed, enjoy the fruits of the labours of our ancestors, as described in the many reports and history relating to Te Hiku o Te Ika.

I want to conclude by touching on some of the proverbs that we hold dear in Te Hiku o Te Ika, as a cautionary tale to my many whanaunga from the far north. He rāngai maomao ka taka ki tua o Nukutaurua, e kore a muri e hokia—a shoal of maomao that shall pass the bluff of Nukutaurua shall never return. This has been used to lament the loss of ancestors and loved ones. However, in this context I wish to put this to my people of Te Hiku o Te Ika, who, on their journey, should not forget to look to the past for inspiration. Do not forget to look to the teachings, the genealogy, and the lessons left to us by our ancestors.

Finally, I want to acknowledge the many people in the House today who speak passionately on this bill in its first reading. Can I assure my whanaunga from Te Hiku o Te Ika that you will continue to hear my voice and, indeed, the voices of Mr Kelvin Davis and others in this House pertaining to this bill. Kāti mā tēnei wā. [That is enough for now.] It is true what my whaea, the member of this House Marama Fox, mentioned about the tail and the head of the fish, and how the tail indeed dictates the direction the fish may travel. Today the tail is indeed wagging the head. Tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.

Tū a Te Kahukura, tūtū Te Heihei! Tū a Te Kahukura, tūtū Te Ruki! Te Kahukura uta, Te Kahukura tai! Te Heihei, Kahukura mai, Te Heihei, Kahukura atu! E tū mai rā koe e te tihi o Kahukura e! E mai e, mai e, mai e te tipua? Mai e, mai e, mai e te tawhito? E haere mai i a koe, i a Whakahōtunuku, i a Whakahōturaki? Ko tōu manawa, ko tōku manawa! Ko Tāne tā i hea? E tūturu mau kia whakamaua ka tina, haumi e, hui e, tāiki e! Ā, tēnā rā koutou pou waitaka o tō tātau Matua Tīpuna. Ā, tēnā koutou o ngā iwi o Te Hiku, ko Ngāti Kuri, NgāiTakoto, Te Rarawa, Te Aupouri. Nau mai me ngā wawata, me tauiwi kia whai hua, kia whai tika. Ā, nō reira e piki mai, kake mai, hōmai te wairua. Nō reira, e mihi, e mihi, e mihi atu ki a koutou katoa.

[Arise Kahukura, standfast Te Heihei. Arise Te Kahukura, standfast Te Ruki! Te Kahukura inland, Te Kahukura shorewards! Te Heihei, Kahukura here, Te Heihei, Kahukura there! Rise up before me you the summit of Kahukura behold! Where are you from the demon and the ancient? Are you from Whakahōtunuku or Whakahōturaki? Your heart is my heart! Where is Tāne’s one from? Hold fast to it, secure it, draw together and affirm! Acknowledgments to you particularly our Lord’s creators and you the tribes of Te Hiku, Ngāti Kuri, Ngāi Takoto, Te Rarawa and Te Aupouri. Welcome with the aspirations and non-Māori so that it bears fruit and it is proper. So come aboard, mount up and give us the spirit. I therefore commend, acknowledge and salute you all.]

I rise to support the first reading of the Te Hiku Claims Settlement Bill. I want to highlight some of the important things that this bill actually includes. First of all, the hallmark of this bill is the fact that the legislation will see one of the largest returns of land to Māori ownership. The place we call the tail of the fish is steeped in historical, cultural, and spiritual significance. It is the spiritual link to the ancestral home of Hawaiki. It is the land walked by Kupe. The settlement legislation provides for some unique and special arrangements that recognise the importance of these lands. The karakia timataka that I did, the prayer—ko Tūtehounuku Korako ahau. Ko Auraki Mauka, Ko Waitaki te awa. Ko Kai Ngāi Tahu, Kāti Māmoe, Waitaha ngā iwi. [I am Tūtehounuku Kōrako. Auraki is the mountain, Waitaki is the river, Ngāi Tahu, Kāti Mamoe and Waitaha are the tribes.]

In quoting that second part of where the spirits depart from—where I live, in the Port Hills of Rāpaki o Te Rakiwhakaputa, there is a mountain there called Te Tihi o Kahukura. On that mountain is where we farewell our spirits because from there they head north to Te Rerenga Wairua. That karakia is “Yonder the Rainbow”.

Yonder the rainbow brightly gleams,

Yonder the rainbow vaporous gleams,

The rainbow is ashore, the rainbow at sea,

I want to acknowledge today the whānau and the iwi for your tenacity and for your hope and dreams. They are coming to fruition. My iwi, Kāi Tahu, have been on that journey. It is a journey where you have fair wind and foul wind, but as long as you keep your head on the horizon and looking towards it, the waka will come to the landing. This will surely happen to you. The important connection Te Hiku iwi have with Te Oneroa-a-Tōhē as a place of customs, spirituality, and sustenance is recognised in this settlement, just like the wāhi tapu in Te Wai Pounamu, so I salute you. Te Hiku will have increased decision-making powers over conservation lands, under the korowai for enhanced conservation. That, to me, is about tino rakatirataka.

Finally, alongside the significant cultural sites, it is actually about the key commercial assets. As we as an iwi have found, once the redress has happened you will have the opportunity to be able to exercise your economic benefits within your own lands. Nō reira, if I could finally congratulate the Office of Treaty Settlements on the work that it has done on this claim. Also, I want to acknowledge our colleagues te Roopu Reipa and New Zealand First—kia ora, Pita—for the collegial work that we all do for the sake of Māori. This is a true reflection today. I commend this bill to the House.

Nō reira, e Te Hiku, ka mihi, e mihi, e mihi atu ki a koutou katoa. Kia ora.

[Therefore I commend, acknowledge, and salute you all Te Hiku. Thank you.]

Ā, tēnā koe, Mr Assistant Speaker. Kei te mihi nui ki a koutou ngā manuhiri ki tēnei Whare i te rā nei, tēnā koutou katoa. Ki te mana o ngā iwi o Te Hiku o Te Ika, ngā kaitiaki o Muriwhenua, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.

[Thank you, Mr Assistant Speaker. I extend a huge acknowledgment to you collectively, the visitors to this House today, greetings to you all. To the power of the tribes of Te Hiku and the guardians of Muriwhenua, accolades and congratulations to you collectively and thank you to us all.]

I am pleased to take a call on behalf of the Greens to lend our support to this important bill, to this very substantial bill. Running to some 700 or so pages, its sheer bulk and heft reflect the importance of the agreements, of the undertakings, that are contained within it.

On Sunday afternoon I was fortunate to be at quite a large celebration of the birthday of a local identity in the Kaitāia area. He lives on a hilltop just a couple of kilometres out of Ahipara. From his home we were looking north and somewhat to the west, along Te Oneroa-a-Tōhe, seeing in the distance the landscapes, the headland at Houhora, and of course further north to Te Rerenga Wairua. Clearly I have connections to the north, and long may they continue, but I think no one could stand and look at that landscape and not be moved by the power of that landscape, by the beauty of that landscape, and by the significance of that landscape. It would be an unfortunate human being indeed who could look at that view and not think it was something very special, something unique, and something very precious. Clearly, it is most precious of all to the people in whose care it has been for a very long time, and whose care it will continue to be in. This bill does advance the possibility and the opportunity for the mana of that land, for the kaitiakitanga of that land, and for the ongoing care and sustenance of that land to be returned home to the hands of those who hold it most dear.

We have heard a number of times already references to the very well-known ngā whakatauāki, referencing the fact that the head of the fish is here in Wellington and the tail is in the far north. One can wonder, of course, at the collective wisdom that has been contained in the head, specifically in this institution, over many decades, given that it has taken so long for a settlement to be advanced that will be found at least satisfactory to the people of the far north. The first appeals based on the relationship in Te Tiriti date back to the late 19th century, within a few decades of the signing of the Treaty—over 100 years of toil, of effort, to bring the situation to a level of fruition, to advance another step in this House today. As others have done, we must acknowledge the ongoing commitment, the work, and the absolute belief of those people, past and present, who have worked so hard to bring this bill to the House, to bring the settlement, the agreement, to the stage it has reached. Of course we all look forward to having this resolved swiftly, in order that the redress can be made real and that the financial and cultural redress will be satisfied.

The point is that the tail of the fish must be moving in order for the whole creature to move forward. For a very long time there has not been a great deal of energy in the far north. It has been a depressed region—some would say a repressed region—and these settlements are part of restoring the energy to that place, because without it this country will not prosper, and there is a long history of that. The energy, in this case, will be represented in part by the financial redress, which in total is to the effect of some $100 million—a small amount in terms of what was taken, what was lost, but at least it is a basis to allow the innovative, the hard-working, and the creative people of the far north to build their own future on, to create their own future for themselves and for the following generations, which is, after all, what these bills are about.

Reading through the bill, it is substantial. I appeal to people who may have no particular interest in this specific settlement but who are New Zealanders—be they Māori, Pākehā, tauiwi, or whatever they may be—to even read just the summary of the apologies. It is important that people read and understand why these settlements are necessary and important. Much of that is contained in the apology. I expect very few people will read the whole 700 pages, but simply to engage with some of the history and the Crown’s apology does reflect the significance of these moments, of these settlements. The Crown’s mana was seriously diminished in its failure to honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi. People often believe that yes, Māori were alienated from their land, lost their language, and their tikanga was disrespected, but at no point was the loss of mana to Māori to the extent that it was to the Crown. The failure to respect and honour the articles of Te Tiriti did diminish the honour of the Crown. Indeed, it is to restore that mana as much as anything that these settlements are necessary and important.

The Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations mentioned the importance of leadership, and I must acknowledge, as others have, Minister Finlayson, who has displayed significant leadership in this and other settlements. I think I am right in saying that he has overseen more settlements than any other Minister, and that is to his credit. I must also acknowledge the obvious sincerity that he brings to his concern to see these settlements advanced.

But leaders, of course, are nothing without followers. It is the challenge of leadership in the north, as elsewhere, to maintain the integrity of the community of whānau, hapū, and iwi as the steps towards a better future are made. We do have that leadership in the north—there is no question of that—both in our mātua and in some of our younger leaders coming through. It is in their hands that the future will lie, but it is important that these bills are acknowledged and accepted and that the communities feel part of the settlement, or else they will not succeed as much as they might. That is the ongoing work both of the leadership within the iwi and hapū and of us, particularly those MPs from the north, who have a responsibility to participate in some of that as well. Certainly, as a Green MP in the north, I am entirely committed to seeing the success of these settlements.

It is only through individuals and collectives—the Government, local government, communities generally, iwi, hapū—and through a combined acceptance that these are good settlements, they are necessary settlements, and that they will succeed to the extent that is possible. We need long-term sustainable outcomes. Māoridom does not think in terms of years but in terms of generations, and in these settlements we need to be thinking in similar terms. The horizon is not 3 years or 6 years or a decade; it is multiple generations into the future, and that should guide our decision making and our actions at this point and from this point forward to ensure that we acknowledge the past, heal the hurt that was done, and give Māoridom a base to determine its own future. That is the essence of rangatiratanga—self-determination—and it cannot be done in a vacuum. As the lands are returned, as the financial redress is made, as the cultural redress is determined, we can look forward to a future that we can collectively be proud of. Kia ora.

Ā, tēnā koe, tēnā anō tātou Te Whare. Ē aku rangatira, aku whanaunga karanga maha o Te Tai Tokerau e kī nei tēnā pito, arā, ko Muriwhenua ēngari i raro o te kaupapa o te pire nei, Te Hiku nā reira, nau mai, haere mai. Kei te tū ake ki te tautoko i ngā mihi i mihingia e waku tuākana ki te whakatau i a koutou ki Te Whare nei, kia kite atu i a koutou i te urunga mai o tā koutou pire, i whakapāha Te Karauna ki wana mahi ki wā tātou mātua tūpuna, nā reira, nau mai, haere mai.

[Thank you and greetings once again to us, the House. To my chiefs and my relatives of many callings of Northland, which that end say is Muriwhenua but under the policy of this bill is Te Hiku, I welcome you, so welcome. I rise to endorse the tributes my seniors accorded you when they welcomed you to this House and to acknowledge your presence here at the arrival of your bill whereby the Crown apologises for its action against our ancestral grandparents. So welcome, welcome.]

It is a pleasure to be able to stand in this House at this time as part of the introduction and the first reading of the Te Hiku Claims Settlement Bill. In so doing I recognise all the iwi of Te Hiku. Can I say that when I came into this world I came at a time when we were as children reminded that there were five iwi of Te Tai Tokerau. But it would seem to me that what we should have been told is that there are five iwi of Muriwhenua, and today this bill recognises that. Can I say that it is part of this whole claims process that the recognition of the five iwi in Te Hiku, known to some of us as Muriwhenua, has come to fruition and is recognised by the Crown in this legislation.

In so doing I stand with some sadness because I am old enough to remember some members of Muriwhenua who were responsible and who were recognised as leaders of their time and have since passed on, and as part of that leadership we had the Te Aupōuri Māori Trust Board. And when I talk about the Te Aupōuri Māori Trust Board I am mindful of Jack King, Walter Te Pania, Ricki Ētana, Mānuera, including George Wītana, Haki Campbell, Rima Edwards, Matiu Wiki; all who have passed on; all who are descended from or related to those who gave their lives in defence of this country. It is appropriate that we have the grandson of a child of Muriwhenua who returned, leading the Māori Battalion back to these shores. At this stage I want to recognise the sole surviving member of A Company. Nā reira e Hare, ahakoa horekau koe kei waenganui i a tātou i te rā nei, e noho tonu koe ki te wā kāinga. Tēnei te mihi atu ki a koe mō tō kaha. [Therefore, despite your absence amongst us here today Hare, you remain at home. I salute you for your stamina.]

I make mention of Mr Charlie Pētera, the sole surviving member of A Company of the 28th Māori Battalion. I see in the bill that there is reference to Te Rerenga Wairua, and we have heard today from various speakers of the significance of that area to Māori. It is where the spirits depart this world. I know that Mr Pētera would like to see the establishment or the erection of a memorial to the 28th Māori Battalion soldiers who gave their lives in defence of our country. I am hoping that as a consequence of this bill and the co-management—and not tino rangatiratanga as my tuakana said, but the co-management—that consideration and approval be given to that notion.

We have talked about leadership, and I have to acknowledge those who have been responsible for bringing this bill to this House at this time. I know from my experience that that has not been an easy and simple journey. I can recall my father telling me, when I was elected as chairman of that great iwi in the north, Ngāti Hine—when I became chairman of the rūnanga, he said: “Boy, never forget to look behind you from time to time, because if there’s no one behind you, then you’ve got to ask yourself who you are leading.” For those who have brought this bill to this House at this stage, whether or not you carry on the task of leading your people is something that your people will determine. But I acknowledge the endeavour—the sacrifice—that you have made to bring this bill to this stage.

A feature of all these settlements is the lack of recognition by the Crown of the iwi of the time and their entitlement to protection under the Treaty of Waitangi. This bill goes a long way towards addressing a lot of the issues confronting the people of Te Hiku. I am mindful of Rima Edwards, who some years ago had applied to the Government to have the name of Ninety Mile Beach revert to its original name, Te Oneroa-a-Tōhe, and that was declined. Yet throughout this bill that name has been recognised, and so I am mindful of the work that Rima did in this area.

I am also a little bit saddened that my whanaunga, both Hone Harawira and Shane Jones, are not in the House to be able to talk to this bill. I know that, without any doubt, both were very passionate about seeing this bill come to fruition. And although they would have been approached by those who do not support the bill in the way that it has been presented, at least they knew that they had representation in this House.

I do not want to go through the historical account, but the fact that the history has been recognised, and is now within this bill, means that it will go on record and provide for generations to come a record of the efforts that their ancestors have made to rectify what has always been rightfully theirs.

At this time I am mindful of the Rev. Kīngi Īhaka and the waiata “Toro Mai Tō Ringa”, the extension of your hand. Without any doubt the people of Te Hiku have done that to the Crown. They have extended that arm, knowing full well that this settlement will go nowhere near to fulfilling their entitlement. I think that, like all other iwi who come to this House seeking a settlement, the people of Te Hiku know that they are not able to get their full entitlement, but having said that, I commend this bill to the House. New Zealand First will certainly be supporting its referral to the Māori Affairs Committee. I hope that those who feel that they have not had their concerns heard will take the opportunity of exercising their rights through the select committee process to bring their concerns to the House.

Nā reira e tātau mā, koinā nō ngā kōrero mō tēnei, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, kia ora mai anō tātou.

[There you are my collective, those are the sentiments about this, so acknowledgments and congratulations to you collectively, and my appreciation to us all once again.]

Ā, tēnā koe, Mr Assistant Speaker. Otirā, tēnei ahau e tuku mi’i atu ki a koutou ngā iwi o Te Hiku o Te Ika, ki a Ngāti Kuri, NgāiTakoto, Te Rarawa, Te Aupouri. Anei ahau he uri o Ngāpuhi, o Ngāti Kahu anō hoki e tuku mihi atu ki a koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou. Otirā, e mi’i atu a au ki a koutou ngā kaikōrero katoa e tuku atu ō koutou kōrero kei rō Te Whare nei.

[Thank you, Mr Assistant Speaker, but at the same time I acknowledge you collectively, the tribes of the Tail of the Fish, Ngāti Kuri, NgāiTakoto, Te Rarawa, and Te Aupouri. Here I am a relative of Ngāpuhi and of Ngāti Kahu as well extending a greeting to you collectively. Acknowledgments, accolades, and salutations. Indeed I acknowledge you all, the speakers.]

I just want to start off by first acknowledging all of the iwi in the House today who were involved in this bill. I want to echo the words of the previous speaker, matua Pita Paraone, about the extension of the hand in this case. I remember that when I was part of my iwi Ngāti Apa’s claim the then Minister in charge of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, Mark Burton, said these words: “Every iwi that settles their claim performs an act of generosity to New Zealand.” In support of what the member Pita Paraone has just said, I would like to repeat those words and apply them to the iwi involved in this bill—ngā iwi o Te Hiku.

Today, I also think it is important to recognise the considerable effort that has gone into this major bill, which involves many parts. I understand that it is one of the biggest bills to ever come to the House. I think that acknowledgement of the Crown and of all the iwi negotiators for bringing this settlement together needs to be made, and I do that today. I also acknowledge all of us who have whakapapa from Tai Tokerau. So far I am the fifth speaker in this debate of around 10 speeches with whakapapa from Tai Tokerau, and maybe there is one more coming; I am not sure. If so, then the majority of the speakers today have been from Tai Tokerau.

I think that is something to be celebrated, because one of the frustrating things about sitting in the gallery, and I have been there when a settlement bill has gone through the House, is that you do not get to reply. I know that quite often there will be some people sitting in the gallery who would love to reply—notwithstanding the former member the Hon Shane Jones, I am sure. From this bill—which will be split into five different bills, I understand—each one of the iwi will have their own settlement bill, and then their own settlement legislation.

I want to turn my attention to two features of this bill—namely, the cultural redress and the collective redress elements. The collective redress elements surely must have taken a lot of discussion for four iwi. I know what it is like to get one iwi to agree on something at home in my hapū and iwi, but this gets four iwi to agree on collective redress elements, such as the Crown forestry licensed land, and the arrangements that are in this bill, which will set out quite clearly the arrangements for its future management and the benefits derived from that Crown forest land.

Also, I want to mention—and it has been mentioned before, as well—the arrangements for Te Oneroa-a-Tōhe Board. Each of the iwi will participate on that board, along with local authorities, with 50 percent representation from iwi and 50 percent representation from local bodies, but with decision making having a requirement of a 70 percent agreement. That, to me, tells me that the people who have negotiated this settlement are determined that there will be a very clear decision-making process, and that consensus—for want of a better word—would probably be best to describe the overall function of that board, at a 70 percent majority.

I also want to mention te korowai and the collective arrangements around that part of the bill, as well. It will also require cooperation from all of the participants for that to work. So I congratulate the iwi of Te Hiku on their determination to use that part of this bill and this agreement for the future benefit of their people. That is also the case for the social development and well-being accord, which, in a similar vein, is part of that collective of working together in unity. So I want to acknowledge that as well.

There are always fish-hooks, as I like to call them, in such legislation. I just want to record that with regard to the relationship agreements within the bill, where the Crown says that it will have a taumata rangatira hui each year between the iwi and the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, there is an “or”, and I get worried when there is an “or” in these arrangements—“or” the ministries themselves. I think it is really important to have it recorded that those meetings with Ministers—with the decision makers—are at the highest level, because my experience tells me that when officials, and not Ministers, sometimes turn up to the meetings, they are not the decision makers. So I would encourage the Government to make sure that it is indeed the Ministers who turn up to those meetings.

There is a host of cultural redress items, including—and I counted—81 properties to be transferred to Ngāti Kuri, Te Aupouri, NgāiTakoto, and Te Rarawa. Some of these properties are shared, but I think—along with such things as statutory acknowledgments, protocols, fisheries advisory committees, geographic place name changes, and a host of other mechanisms—that it does mean that that cultural reconnection can be a real thing for the iwi involved. Although I have whakapapa from the north, I have spent my entire life in Te Tau Hauāuru, with my mother’s people. I was happy to have a story relayed to me by one of my colleagues, Kelvin Davis, about Murimotu Island, which both Ngāti Kuri and Te Aupouri have interests in. I was told the story of Tūmatahina, a great warrior and chief who found himself, along with his people, under siege on Murimotu Island. He asked his people to weave a long flax rope, which they then used to guide themselves to the mainland, with each one of them stepping in the footsteps of the person ahead of them, hiding the fact that all of them had left the island. Through this action, Tūmatahina saved the lives of his people.

That story is about the tenacity of a great leader. It is about survival, it is about unity of purpose, and it is about protecting the future. I think that in a modern sense this bill and the work completed by ngā iwi o Te Hiku o Te Ika highlights the iwi’s tenacity, their unity of purpose, and their desire to protect the future for their mokopuna.

Nō reira, e Te Mana Whaka’aere o Te Whare nei, tēnā koe, otirā, e tuku mi’i atu anō ki a koutou ngā iwi o Te Hiku o Te Ika, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou.

[Thank you, Mr Assistant Speaker of this House, and my acknowledgments indeed to you the tribes of the Tail of the Fish. Thank you collectively and congratulations.]

I commend this bill to the House.

Tēnā koe, Mr Assistant Speaker. I am pleased to stand to take a very short call on the first reading of the Te Hiku Claims Settlement Bill. Ngā whānau me ngā hapū, ngā iwi o Te Hiku, nau mai, haere mai i tēnei rā, te rā whakahirahira mō ngā iwi o Te Aupouri, NgāiTakoto, Te Rarawa me Ngāti Kuri.

[Welcome to the families, subtribes, and tribes of Te Hiku today, a wonderful one at that for the tribes of Te Aupouri, Ngāi Takoto, Te Rarawa, and Ngāti Kuri. Welcome.]

Today is the start of a great celebration, the light at the end of the tunnel that each of the iwi has travelled. It is one that began with many of your tūpuna and will conclude with your mokopuna now and into the future. This legislation will see the return of one of the largest blocks of land to Māori ownership, as one of my colleagues outlined before: the spiritual link to our ancestral home of Hawaiki, Te Rerenga Wairua, and Te Oneroa-a-Tōhe, or Ninety Mile Beach, and many other places of cultural significance. I could go on and on, but I will stop for now and speak a little bit more at the later stages. So for now I am pleased to commend this bill to the House. Kia ora.

Bill read a first time.

Bill referred to the Māori Affairs Committee.

Waiata