Te Awa Tupua (Whanganui River Claims Settlement) Bill

I move, That Te Awa Tupua (Whanganui River Claims Settlement) Bill be now read a first time. I nominate the Māori Affairs Committee to consider the bill. This is a truly historic day because today, after all these years, this House will debate Te Awa Tupua (Whanganui River Claims Settlement) Bill for the first time. I warmly welcome to Parliament all representatives of Whanganui iwi. They were here 2 years ago to initial the deed of settlement, and now our common goal of bringing recognition to the great Whanganui River has brought us back together.

There are a number of people who have been pivotal in reaching this point, so it is sad that they are unable to be here. First and foremost, I mention Sir Archie Taiaroa. He is one of those key people whom I have acknowledged in the past. We cannot forget that his vision for Te Awa Tupua is why we are here today. He always proposed that the river be addressed first, for it is the river that unites the people of Whanganui. There are so many people who have passed on since this process began that I can recognise only some of them this morning. From the trust board, I acknowledge Martha, Lady Taiaroa; Hikaia Amohia; Joan Akapita; Michael Pōtaka; William, or Barney, Haami; and Dardanella Metekīngi-Mato. I acknowledge particularly the former board member Waimaria Erueti, who passed away in 2011. Her son Kiwa witnessed my signature at the signing of the deed of settlement in 2014. I welcome Kiwa and Waimaria’s mother, Evelyn, to Parliament, and I have to say I am delighted that Kiwa is going to be my Youth MP in July.

Although our first negotiations did not come to fruition, I acknowledge those who were members of the 2002 negotiating team, Piripi Haami and Meena Williams, and I also acknowledge the leadership of the collective iwi of Te Awa Tupua, whose support continues to be pivotal. Our recent meeting with the leadership of the iwi demonstrated once again that it is the river that brings us together, and I look forward to working with the iwi to implement the framework, for of course there is a lot of work to be done.

I acknowledge the leadership within the regional and district councils, whose support has enabled a settlement that is appropriate and fit for the purpose, and I particularly acknowledge the presence here today of Annette Main, who has been such a wonderful supporter of this particular exercise. I acknowledge her work as the Mayor of Whanganui—thank goodness she was the mayor when we were dealing with this issue. I acknowledge the lead Whanganui iwi negotiator, Gerrard Albert, who led the negotiations and is now leading his people in the post-settlement world. I pay particular respect to John Maihi and Te Tiwha Puketapu.

I acknowledge the Office of Treaty Settlements and all the key agencies that have worked so very hard on this issue. I particularly want to thank John Wood, my chief Crown negotiator, for his outstanding work. He is a great New Zealander. I particularly want to make a special acknowledgment of Amber Duncalfe. Amber was an official from the Department of Conservation. Sadly, she passed away late last year, but I welcome Amber’s parents and sister to Parliament. She had a key role to play within the negotiating team for both the Whanganui River and the Tūhoe settlements, and she was, and remains, greatly respected by the negotiators for the work that she did. She made a lasting contribution to the innovative inclusion of conservation and natural resources within Treaty settlements.

Finally, I welcome back to the House the great Tariana Turia. She is here for the first reading of her iwi’s bill. She secretly loves it when I call her great.

Kelvin Davis made a very valuable contribution to the previous debate, and I was particularly intrigued by his comments about what he tells those people who moan about Treaty settlements. He tells them to learn something about the facts. Of course, he is absolutely correct, not only in relation to the previous debate but also in relation to this one, because it is very important for all of us to understand the facts here.

The constant position of Whanganui iwi for well over 150 years was that they never willingly relinquished possession or control of the Whanganui River and all things that give the river its essential life. For generations they have pursued justice in respect of the river. Their claim has been persistently maintained and advanced since the first petitions to Parliament in 1873 and 1887. Numerous further petitions and submissions followed over the next 125 years. The endless quest for justice was brought home to me when I saw the long list of legal counsel who have supported the iwi in their cause, beginning in the Native Land Court in 1938 with the late Chief Judge Morison, and continuing today with the likes of Jamie Ferguson, Peata Williams, and so many others. I particularly want to place on record one of their counsel, the late George Barton, who represented them in the Court of Appeal, it was, as far back as 1962. George was a very close friend of both Jamie Ferguson and mine, and a great New Zealander.

The Wai 167 claim was filed by members of the trust board on behalf of all Whanganui iwi in 1990 and was heard by the Waitangi Tribunal in 1994. Progress was made in 2011 and in 2012, when the Crown and Whanganui iwi signed two important documents. The record of understanding and the Tūtohu Whākatupua set out the key elements of Te Awa Tupua upon which these negotiations have grown. On 5 August 2014 the vision was realised, when we signed the deed of settlement at Rānana on the banks of the river. The signing came after Whanganui iwi carefully considered the settlement package and voted overwhelmingly to support it. In addition, all those who look to the river have expressed their support for the settlement. I thank them for their support, and I acknowledge Sir Tumu here today. Since that memorable day, the Crown and the iwi have continued to work together to refine the deed of settlement into the Te Awa Tupua bill. It has been a long road to its introduction, and at times it has not been easy. However, I am proud that the bill we are debating here today is practical, it is workable, and it provides a platform for the Crown and Whanganui iwi to move together in partnership.

The redress provided for in the bill has both novel and exciting aspects, and I can barely touch on them in the available time. The river is going to be recognised in law as Te Awa Tupua, an indivisible and living whole, from the mountains to the sea, incorporating its tributaries and all its physical and metaphysical elements. The Crown will no longer own the riverbed but the Crown will still have a role to play, and we have developed this concept of the role of Te Pou Tupua, where both the Crown and iwi will appoint two guardians, and that will be the face of Te Awa Tupua and will symbolise our partnership through the Treaty. This is an exciting project for both the Crown and iwi, and to support it there will be a $30 million contestable fund to support activities to promote the health and well-being of Te Awa Tupua. There are numerous other aspects of the bill that will need to be considered very closely by the committee. Finally, the settlement includes the payment of $81 million to Whanganui iwi in recognition of the settlement of their claims to help advance the future health and well-being of the river and its people.

There is so much more that one could say about the bill but I am getting that look, so, Mr Assistant Speaker, I commend the bill to the House.

Ā, tēnā koe e Te Māngai o Te Whare, otirā, korōria harerūia ki a koe e Ihoa ngā mano. Tūāuriuri, whāioio, kī tonu te rangi me te whenua i te nui o tōna korōria, ā, tihei mauri ora! Mai i Te Rakiura ki Te Tonga, whiti atu ki Te Wharekauri ki te rāw’iti, toro atu ki te uru, piki ake ki Te Reinga, ki Te Tai Tokerau, ngā kokonga e whā o Te Motu o Aotearoa, tae atu ki Te Awa Tupua e rere nei.

E ngā w’ānau i raro i te kapua pōuri, kei te hīkoi i roto i te ātaarangi o ngā whārua o te mate, mauria mai rā ō koutou pare kawakawa kia tangihia i te wā iti nei. Tēnei te tangi apakura e aku parepare, aku w’akaruruhau, e te mūrau o te tini, te wenerau o te mano, kua maunu ki te waka o aituā, kua huri kāweka i ngā rangi, i ngā wiki, i ngā marama kua ta’a ake nei. Ko koutou ērā e taka’i ana i te ara tukutuku o Poutama, kia eke ki ngā rire o ngā rangi ki te karanga o Te Runga Rawa, e moe, e moe, e moe! Ā, kāti mō tēnā.

Nō reira, e Te W’are tēnā tātau, ōtirā, e tika hoki kia tuku mi’i atu ki a koe e Te Ariki e Tumu. Tēnei te mi’i ake ki a koe tēnā koe! Oti noa, ki a koutou, ki a tātau ngā ‘apū me ngā tupuna ro’e o te awa o W’anganui, anei au tuku mi’i atu ki a koutou ngā paerangi, ngā poutama, ngā hau. Ngāti Hāua, Ngāti Kura, Ngāti Pāmoana, Ngāti Patutokotoko, Ngāti Peketūroa, Ngāti Rangi, Ngāti Ruakā, Ngāti Tuera, Ngāti Tupo’o, Ngāti Uenuku, Hinengakau, Tamaūpoko, Tupo’o, Tama’aki, Uenuku. Tēnei te mi’i ake ki a tātau katoa. Tēnei a’au tō koutou w’anaunga e tuku mi’i atu ki a koutou, ki a tātau ngā uri o Te Awa Tupua, nau mai, ’aere mai ki Te W’are Pāremata nei.

’Aere mai ki te pānuitanga tuata’i o tēnei pire hei whakatau tēnei kerēme mō Te Awa Tupua, tēnā koutou. Kua roa te wā, kua rongo tātau i te kōrero o Te Minita. Neke atu i te 150 ngā tau kei te haere tēnei kerēme. Ka ’uri aku w’akaaro ki a rātau i tuku tēnei kerēme i te tuata’i. Ki a Kaiw’are Kiriona, Tanginoa Tapa, Te Kira Taina, Tonga Tume, Hōhepa Hekenui, Hēnare Keremeneta, Te Rama W’anarere, Hekenui Whakarake, Tītī Tihi, Pongātu Tau, Taka-i-te-iwa Anderson, Kahukiwa Whakareke. E tika ana kia tuku mi’i atu ki a rātau.

Ka w’akapiri ’oki aku w’akaaro, aku mi’i ki te mi’i o Te Minita, me tōna whakahua i ngā ingoa e mōhio ana tātau; ki a Hikaia Amohia, nāna i tuku atu te kerēme i te tuatahi. Tā Te Atawhai Taiaroa, me pē’ea te mihi ake ki a ia. Ki a Rangiti’i Ta’upārae, Matiu Māreikura, Niko Tangaroa, Koro Pestel; ki te pāpā Te Anga Tipa, rātau katoa. Hoi anō, e tika ana kia tuku atu te reo poroporoāki ki a rātau, nō reira, e ’oki, e moe, e moe. Oti noa i runga i ngā kupu ā kui mā, ā koro mā: “Ripi, ripia, hae, haeā! Ripi, ripia, hae, haea, turakina! Paranitia atu koko o te ngāngara kai tangata, uē, ā! He a’a te to’u o te ringaringa! He kawakawa tuku ki raro ki a ope rā! He toro ki a ko te w’akatau o te mate, uē, ā, uē ā!”. Ā, nō reira aku w’anaunga tēnā tātau.

[Greetings to you, Mr Assistant Speaker, and at the same time, glory and hallelujah to Jehovah of the inumerable thousands. Heaven and earth is filled with the greatness of his glory, behold the breath of life! From Stewart Island in the south across to the Chatham Islands in the east, stretching forth to the west, ascending to Cape Reinga in the north. These are the four corners of New Zealand, including Te Awa Tupua flowing here.

To the familes clouded by sorrow, walking in the shadow of the valley of death, bring forth your wreaths of mourning to be mourned at this brief moment. I mourn and lament my fortifications and havens, and the dread of the multitude and envy of thousands who have departed on the conveyance of mishap over the past days, weeks, and months. You are the ones going up the stairway of Poutama to the extremities of the heavens, at the call of the Almighty above; rest, sleep and slumber! Let us leave that there.

So acknowledgments to us all, the House, but at the same time it is fitting that I acknowledge you, paramount chief Tumu. I acknowledge and greet you! Furthermore, I greet you and we subtribes, ancestral regions of the Whanganui River, the horizons, genealogies, and winds. Ngāti Hāua, Ngāti Kura, Ngāti Pāmoana, Ngāti Patutokotoko, Ngāti Peketūroa, Ngāti Rangi, Ngāti Ruakā, Ngāti Tuera, Ngāti Tupo’o, Ngāti Uenuku, Hinengakau, Tamaūpoko, Tupo’o, Tama’aki and Uenuku, I acknowledge you all. I, your relative, extend this greeting to you and to us all, the descendents of Te Awa Tupua, welcome, welcome to this House.

Welcome to the first reading of this bill that will settle this claim for Te Awa Tupua. Well done to you. It has been a long time. We heard what the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations said, that this claim has been going on for more than 150 years. My thoughts turn to those who made this claim in the first place, Kaiw’are Kiriona, Tanginoa Tapa, Te Kira Taina, Tonga Tume, Hōhepa Hekenui, Hēnare Keremeneta, Te Rama W’anarere, Hekenui Whakarake, Tītī Tihi, Pongatū Tau, Taka-i-te-iwa Anderson, and Kahukiwa Whakareke. It is fitting that they are acknowledged.

I also append my thoughts and congratulations to the Minister for his pronunciation of the names we are familiar with; to Hikaia Amohia, who submitted the claim the first time; to Sir Te Atawhai Taiaroa—how many more accolades can we heap on him; to Rangiti’i Tahupārae, Matiu Māreikura, Niko Tangaroa, Koro Pestel, and Uncle Te Anga Tipa—all of them. So it is only fitting that we accord them a farewell tribute, so rest, slumber, sleep. Furthermore, and in the words of our elders, men and women: “Slash and cut up, slash and cut up, overturn it, brand the head of the monster that consumes man, uē-ā! What is that in the hand? It is the mourning wreath to be handed to that entourage as a tribute of death over yonder, uē-ā!”. So my appreciation to us, my relatives.]

The Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations has spoken about Te Pā Auroa nā Te Awa Tupua. This provides a framework for moving forward. I am very pleased about the nature of this framework. It provides seven principal elements that encapsulate the way that we all feel about Te Awa Tupua in a way that honours the awa in its rightful manner. I want to add my mihi to those who have taken responsibility for bringing this bill to this House today.

It has been a long journey for those who have been directly involved with bringing this bill to the House, so I acknowledge every single one of the negotiators for their tenacity in transferring the understanding, the knowledge, and the mauri of the awa into a bill that fairly reflects the way that we feel about the awa. It could not have been an easy journey. I can only imagine from my experience the battles that went on behind the closed doors to bring this to fruition so that it can come here to this House—this House that decides laws and brings new laws and settlement bills like this into law.

Not that we ever needed a law for the Te Awa Tupua. Te Awa Tupua is ingrained in our hearts and in our minds. I think that this piece of legislation, with its framework that has a human face for our awa, is charged with the responsibility of ensuring that the health and well-being of Te Awa o Whanganui—Te Awa Tupua—is able to be maintained, not so much for us here today but for future generations.

I do want to acknowledge the rangatahi who have journeyed here to Parliament to witness this. They have a responsibility for future generations to remember this day and the last 150 years, and that this is but a means to give the full recognition of Whanganui iwi as well as the awa itself in the days to come. Nō reira, kāore e roa tēnei tū, otirā, e tika ana kia tuku mi’i atu ki a rātau mā, rātau katoa, i hara mai Te Awa o W’anganui ki Te W’are Pāremata. Nō reira, e mi’i ana a’au ki aku w’anaunga i runga i ēnei kupu nei: e rere kau mai te awa nui, mai i te kāhui maunga ki Tangaroa, ko au te awa, ko te awa ko au.

[This delivery therefore is not a long one, but at the same time it is fitting that I pay a tribute to them, my relatives, all of them who came from the river of Whanganui to Parliament, and I do so with these words: the mighty river flows from the mountain cluster to Tangaroa, the sea; I am the river and the river is me.]

Pōkarekare ana ngā ta’ata’ha o ngā wai o W’anganui,

Tika rere mai i waenganui e

Ko au tēnei te aorererangi nei i runga i te kapua

E titiro nei ki te tira hoe waka

Pōkarekare ana ngā wai o W’anganui, korikori ana te mouri tipua,

Ko au tēnei, ko koe tēnā e ngā mokopuna,

E rukuruku nei i ngā wai te puenga ake he tipua.

Ko te taurahere ki Te Rangi.

Pōkarekare ana ngā wai o W’anganui, korikori ana te mouri tipua,

Ko au tēnei, ko koe tēnā e ngā mokopuna,

E rukuruku nei i ngā wai te puenga ake he tipua.

Ko te taurahere ki Te Rangi.

Ko te taurahere ki Te Rangi.

[The waters of the Whanganui agitate along the banks

As it flows directly from the centre

I am this aircraft up in the cloud

Looking down upon the team of canoe paddlers

The waters of Whanganui ripple, the ancestral deity stirs

This is me, is that you, oh grandchildren,

Diving about in the waters from whence a deity emerged

As the link to the heavens.]

E hika mā, tēnā koutou!

[Well, friends, that was well done!]

Well, whānau, I greet you. It is as if the awa itself has flowed right into Parliament today, not only here in the gallery, but also overflowing into the foyer outside and into the big room with the great big TV—I am not sure what it is called. I greet you. Tēnā koutou.

Well, that is just about my time up, but I do have a speech. I want to talk about the awa, Te Awa Tupua, which forms an indivisible whole from the mountains to the sea. I acknowledge the inalienable interconnection between the iwi and the hapū of Whanganui and the Whanganui River—I practise my “whangas”. E rere kau mai te awa nui nei mai i te kāhui maunga ki Tangaroa.

[This great river flows directly from the mountain cluster to Tangaroa, the sea.]

Today we recognise the perseverance, the discipline, and the faith of Hinengakau, Tamaūpoko, Tupoho, Tamahaki, Uenuku, the tūpuna rohe groups of the Whanganui iwi. There is a whakataukī amongst the people of the river: “Kauaka e kōrero mō te awa, kōrero ki te awa.”

[Do not talk about the river, but rather to it.]

Today then I want us to remember and to reflect and to refresh our thoughts with those who have the care, the protection, the management, and the use of the Whanganui River in accordance with the kawa and tikanga maintained by the descendants of Ruatipua, Paerangi, and Haunui-ā-Pāpārangi. Te Kuia Peeti was one of the many who recalled the river of their childhood at Kaiwhaiki. She said she could swim before she could walk: “From morning to night we would swim and learn about ourselves and surrounding environment. As youngsters, our bodies were developed in the water. Limbs were stretched and pulled. We learnt fleetness of body and mind. … The river was our playground.” The people of the river told the tribunal that the teardrops of Ranginui are the source of their being, the artery of their one heart: “The awa is a healer, a kāpata kai, a highway, and a protector. It is the rope that binds all the whānau together from the mountain to the sea.”; te taurāwhiri o Hinengākau—the plaited rope of their tipuna Hinengakau. The kōrero was consistent: the river is the beginning; it ties the people together like the umbilical cord of the unborn child.

Matiu Mareikura explained to the tribunal: “The river is ultimately our mana, our tapu, our ihi, our wehi, all these things make up what the river means to us. It is our life cord, not just because it is water—but because it is sacred water to us. Our people go to the river to cleanse themselves, they go to the river to pray, and they go to the river to wash. They go to the river for everything [for everything] leads back to the river. And the river, in return, suffices all our needs.”

I have taken this time to traverse the power of the tupuna awa Whanganui because it is at the heart of this bill. Today our memories are focused on the original nine trustees of the Whanganui River Māori Trust Board, who in December 1990 brought the Whanganui River claim on behalf of Te Āti Haunui-ā-Pāpārangi. Their sacrifice and devotion is now recorded in this House, and so we mihi to the vision of Hikaia Amohia, Archie Taiaroa, Raumatiki Henry, Kevin Amohia, Hoana Akapita, Te Turi Ranginui, Brendan Puketapu, Michael Pōtaka, John Maihi, and Rangipo Mete-Kīngi. In doing so we honour the generations of inequities, of enquiries, of petitions, and of court cases dating back to 1873; those who brought their awa tupua into this House.

After the hearings at the marae up and down the river in 1998, the tribunal declared, on page 385 of their report—you can look it up—“Contrary to some popular opinions New Zealand was not colonised on the basis that rivers were publicly owned. The right of ownership was based on universal principles of law, principles guaranteed in the Treaty of Waitangi.”

I know my time is running short, so I am going to cut straight to the words of Te Kuia Peeti: “To my sorrow my own children and mokopuna have not grown up in this environment, but what we had as children is no longer there. What we thought was unchangeable and immutable, the river, [has] undergone changes which we never dreamt of. Our beautiful safe swimming places have all gone. Because so much of the water was taken away, and therefore it made it inhospitable for the fishlife to live, it was not uncommon for us to see dead [fish] floating down the river. Where once stood strong trees all along the river, we now have very serious erosions on our bank.

“Where once the birds were plentiful and we could recognise their cries, or squawks, we hardly see them at all now. Where once we had crystal clear water flowing up and down our marae, this is now a very rare occurrence.”

And I finish with this, her words. “In fact, the river is filthy dirty most all of the time, that is our friend, tupuna, our whanau, has been desecrated by bad farming practices. Where once we had a healthy waterway, we now have a sick river …”.

What you have returned to you is not what was taken, but I acknowledge the strength of your people to restore it in its own entity. He pai te mihi atu ki a koutou kua hui mai nei i tēnei rangi, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, kia ora mai tātou katoa.

[It is so wonderful to acknowledge you collectively who have assembled here today; greetings and congratulations and my appreciation to us all, thank you.]

Tēnā koe, Mr Assistant Speaker; ā, tuatahi māku e mihi kau ana ki a koutou ngā hapū i ’hakahuangia ōu koutou ingoa, nā koutou i tau mai nei ki raro i te tuanui o tēnei tō tātou Whare, Te Whare o Te Motu. E Te Ariki, e Tumu, tēnā rā koe. Te Kahurangi a Tariana, tēnā rā koe. Rau rangatira mā, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, nau mai, haere mai, whakatau mai. E Te Awa o Whanganui, tēnei tētahi uri o Taumārere, e mihi kau ana ki a koutou. Mōhio ana tātou ki ō tātou awa awa, ka rere atu ka tae ki te moana, ā, kei reira ngā awa awa katoa o te motu, o te ao, e tūhonohono ai rātou ki a rātou. Nā reira, e pēnei ana a Taumārere, e honohono ana ki a koutou ki Te Awa o Whanganui.

E ngā tini mate kua rongo hoki i ngā ingoa maha i ’hakahuangia i roto i Te Whare i tēnei rangi, rātou i whakapau i o rātou kaha kia tae ki tēnei wā, ka mihi atu ki a rātou. Kore e taea te whakahuangia i ngā ingoa katoa i te mea, kua rongo ahau i te kōrero a Te Minita i te tau 1873, kua tae tētahi petihana ki tēnei Whare, mai i taua wā i te tohetohe, i te whawhai koutou o Te Awa. Nā reira, ka nui ngā mihi atu ki a koutou, ngā uri ō rātou mā kua tae ki tēnei wāhi ki te whakatutukitanga o taua moemoeā ō rātou.

[Tēnā koe, Mr Assistant Speaker. First of all, I acknowledge you, the subtribes whose names were mentioned, you who have arrived here under the roof of this House of ours, the House of this country. Greetings to you, paramount chief Tumu; and Dame Tariana, greetings. Acknowledgments, leaders of a hundredfold; salutations, welcome, welcome. To the Whanganui River, this descendant of Taumārere welcomes you. We know that when our rivers reach the ocean it is there that all of them from the country and from the world link up with one another. Taumārere is doing just that, linking up with you, the Whanganui River.

To the many deaths—I have also heard many names mentioned in the House today, those who used up a lot of energy to arrive here at this moment, and I pay tribute to them. It is not possible to mention all the names, because I heard the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations say that in 1873 a petition arrived at this House, and since that time you of the river have been debating and in conflict. So there is much admiration for you, the descendants of those, who have arrived here at this place for the completion of that dream of yours.]

This bill declares that Te Awa Tupua “is an indivisible and living whole [and comprises] the Whanganui River from the mountains to the sea, incorporating all its physical and metaphysical elements.”, and is a legal person with “all the rights, powers, duties, and liabilities of a legal person.” Two things sprang to mind when I read that. First of all, what on earth does metaphysical mean? And then kua rongo ahau i roto i ngā kōrero a Adrian, a Marama, te mana, te mauri, te ihi, te wehi, wērā āhuatanga. Mehemua kua tuhia aua kupu ki roto i te pire, ā, ka mōhio, ēngari, kia ahatia rā?

[And then I heard in the contributions by Adrian and Marama, references to power, life principle, force and fear—those aspects. If those words were written into the bill, one would know—but so what?]

The second issue that sprang to mind was that it is about time—I think this is the third time, but it is about time and it needs to happen more—that the Māori world view is basically legitimised in legislation. To say that we are talking about a person, incorporating all their physical and metaphysical elements, when talking about a river, just as we have spoken in this House about Te Urewera having similar mana—Te Awa o Waikato has similar mana. It is about time that this House started recognising and legitimising the Māori world view.

We will all remember the time when they were building a road somewhere up north and the local hapū said “Oh, there’s a taniwha there. Be careful.” Māoridom was ridiculed. So we have come a long way since that time when we were ridiculed for actually putting our point of view forward, to the extent now that we are legitimising Māori concepts in law. I can imagine how outside of these walls the country will be going off: “Oh, my gosh! These Māoris—what are they on about now?” Well, if in our Pākehā culture and in our Christian culture we believe someone can walk on water, then we can believe that Te Awa o Whanganui is a person. So it is a beautiful thing. I acknowledge the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations and everyone who put all the effort into getting to this stage.

I just want to read out two paragraphs that struck me from the acknowledgments of the bill. “The Crown acknowledges that through this settlement Whanganui Iwi have sought to bring all the iwi, hapū, and other communities of the Whanganui River together for the common purpose of upholding and protecting the mana of the Whanganui River and its health and well-being for the benefit of future generations and, ultimately, all of New Zealand.” The two words that hit me there were “other communities”—“Whanganui Iwi have sought to bring all the iwi, hapū, and other communities …”. This is not about Māori just wanting again to do stuff for ourselves. This is about New Zealand as a country, including all of our communities.

How can we possibly protect the mana of the river, and its health and well-being, for the benefit of future generations if Māori have got to do it all on our own? This is about bringing businesses into the fold—about farmers, forestry, the Department of Conservation, Forest and Bird, and all the commercial interests and recreational interests. Everybody has a role to play in ensuring the mana, the mauri, and the hauora of the river. And just on recreational interests, it reminds me of my great-grandfather Uru Davis, who happened to live in Wanganui over a century ago now. I think he even played rugby for Wanganui. He was certainly a rower, and he was part of the Wanganui rowing club. So that is just another little link from myself to the Whanganui River.

The Crown also acknowledges “that the approach taken by Whanganui Iwi in respect of this settlement represents significant compromise and generosity of spirit by Whanganui Iwi and promotes a collaborative, inclusive approach to the Whanganui River and its future governance and management with the recognition and protection of Te Awa Tupua at its heart.” Those are great words in the acknowledgment. This is about collaboration, working together, and all the various communities—iwi, hapū, organisations, everybody—coming together to protect the mana, the ihi, and the wehi of this great body of water.

We all know that when we pepeha—I said this in the debate that we just had on the previous bill, the Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngā Pōtiki Claims Settlement Bill—we acknowledge our waka, we acknowledge our maunga, and we acknowledge our awa. It is part of us. It is who we are. This bill endorses that. It just outlines to the whole country how special our awa are. Be it Whanganui, be it Taumārere, be it wherever, they are an integral part of who we are as Māori.

The framework that is being spoken about I believe is fantastic and will go a long way to ensuring the mana and the mauri of the awa. The bill provides for the establishment, purpose, functions, and powers of Te Pou Tupua; “Its purpose is to be the human face of Te Awa Tupua and to act in the name of Te Awa Tupua.” So we are going to have people who are going to have the job of making sure that this bill is enacted.

I will just quickly race through in the short time that I have got left and talk about the other parts of the framework. Te Karewao—the bill establishes Te Karewao as an advisory group for Te Pou Tupua, so it is advising the people who will be on Te Pou Tupua. Te Kōpuka nā Te Awa Tupua—it establishes Te Kōpuka nā Te Awa Tupua as a strategy group for Te Awa Tupua, made up of not more than 17 members made up from a number of groups. Te Heke Ngahuru ki Te Awa Tupua is “to provide for the collaboration of persons with interests in the Whanganui River, in order to address and advance the health and well-being …”. Te Korotete o Te Awa Tupua, which is Te Awa Tupua Fund—this here is the $30 million that will be spent in order to promote the hauora, mauri, and mana of te awa.

Again, I would like to congratulate everybody who was involved in the development of this bill, in particular the recognition of the Māori world view and legislating for it. This is the start. We are looking forward in the Māori Affairs Committee to hearing submissions on this bill, but I do commend it to the House. Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.

E Te Māngai o Te Whare, tēnā koe. Ki a tātou, huri noa i Te Whare, tēnā tātou katoa. I te tuatahi, me mihi au ki te hunga mate, ki a rātou ngā kuia me ngā kaumātua i tautoko i te ara o tēnei whakataunga, kua wehe, me ngā mate katoa i waenganui i a tātou i tēnei ata, haere, haere, haere oti atu rā! Ki a tātou te kanohi ora e tau nei; tēnā tātou katoa. Nōku te whiwhi ki te tū mō te Rōpū Kākāriki, tēnei te pānuitanga tuatahi o te pire mō Te Awa Tupua. He uri ahau o Te Awa Tupua o Ātihaunui ā Pāpārangi. I whānau mai tōku kuia a Piupiu i Hiruhārama, ā, ka takoto ia i tona moenga roa kei te whenua o Pūtiki. Ka tū toku manawa nā te whakahirahiratanga o tēnei rā mō mātou ngā uri; nō reira, tēnā tātou katoa.

[Thank you, Mr Assistant Speaker, and to us all, acknowledgments throughout. First of all I pay a tribute to the dead, the elderly men and womenfolk who supported the passage of this settlement and who have passed away, and all the dead amongst us this morning, farewell, depart, travel on forever! I acknowledge us all seated here; salutations to us all. I am privileged to speak on behalf of the Green Party at this the first reading of the bill for Te Awa Tupua. I am a descendant of it—of Ātihaunui ā Pāpārangi. My grandmother, Piupiu, was born at Hiruhārama and her resting place is at Pūtiki. My heart came to a halt because of the significance of this day for us offspring; and so greetings to us all.]

As a survivor of the people of Te Awa Tupua, it really is an honour to have this opportunity to rise on behalf of the Greens to support the first reading of Te Awa Tupua (Whanganui River Claims Settlement) Bill. I rere kau mai te awa nui mai i te kāhui maunga ki Tangaroa, ko au te awa, ko te awa ko au—the great river flows from the mountains to the sea; I am the river and the river is me. This whakataukī speaks of Te Awa Tupua as an indivisible and living whole, comprising the river from the mountains to the sea, to its tributaries, and all its physical and metaphysical elements. Kia ora, Kelvin. Our identity as mana whenua of this rohe is intrinsically and inextricably connected to our awa, and so in these lines of the whakataukī also lie the history and the spirit of our people. It is because of this rich history of whakapapa and connection to the land and to the water that the significance of this occasion is certainly not lost on me.

This bill gives effect to the deed of settlement, Ruruku Whakatupua, which is the culmination of well over a century of efforts by our people to protect the awa and our kaitiakitanga relationship to it. The challenges for iwi and hapū to uphold this relationship have been ongoing and massive. In the 1870s and the 1880s they faced regulations that threatened fishing grounds and the economic base, the destruction of pā tuna by colonists to make way for gold and coal prospectors, the removal of gravel from the awa to build roads, the clearing of rapids, and the draining of swamps. The removal of gravel has continued over many decades.

But throughout this history of pain, and despite the confiscation and the violence that has been inflicted on the awa, our people have been there at every step of the way doing everything we could to uphold the kaitiaki relationship and to protect the tupuna awa.

As far back as 1888 iwi members were petitioning the Crown to stop the destruction of the pā tuna. In 1895 iwi took a claim to the Supreme Court over customary fishing rights. In response the Government established the Whanganui River Māori Trust Board, a Crown agency that took control of the awa. From the 1930s to the 1980s iwi would continually fight for the recognition of ownership, tikanga ownership, of the river. And often those small victories that were won would lead to larger setbacks. After long and hard work during the 1980s and 1990s to get to a place of negotiation with the Crown, even then the struggle has had to continue. Two proposals for hydroelectric dams, which would have been massively destructive to the mauri of the awa, were stopped because of mana whenua claims and campaigns—Pākaitore of the 1990s.

In 2001, the same year the terms of negotiation with the Crown was signed, the Environment Court approved a 35-year extension to the resource consent for the diversion of the Whanganui awa headwaters, which had happened 40 years earlier and was to be continued for another 35 years. It has been a continuous battle for our iwi, our people, to protect the river against all of the incursions against it. Through it, of course, our people have endured and so has the river—not in the state that we want it, but it is still there, still thriving, and now under this settlement, hopefully, with a great deal more control for our people over our place. That is something. That really is something.

So I just want to, before I finish—I do not want to speak for too long—acknowledge the importance of the legal status that is afforded the awa in this legislation. Yes, I agree that it is absolutely about time the law caught up with our tikanga. It has been our tikanga for ever that our environment is entitled to its own integrity, is entitled to be protected and restored from damage and injury for its own sake, and that our environment, however we want to describe it, is our ancestor and from where we come, and, therefore, we owe our environment everything—our life, our existence, our future. The law slowly is starting to find ways—clumsy and not perfect by any means, but it is slowly trying to find ways—to understand that core concept.

I guess that for those Pākehā who might find it difficult to understand how we could give legal status to an ecology, to an environment, I ask them to just consider why it is that we have in our law the right for corporations to have legal status as a person. We actually do have, in Pākehā law, something quite similar. A corporation is not a thing. It does not have a separate identity, but it does actually have legal rights like a legal person. A corporation has rights under the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act, for goodness’ sake. It is just a construction in our own minds about how the law responds to an entity. It is so much more important—so much more important—that we give status for its own sake to the very thing that gives us life, and in Whanganui that is our river. It is a small step forward but a step none the less.

Finally, I want to pay tribute to the negotiators, the petitioners, the claimants, and the kaitiaki of the awa over so many so generations—to all of those who have contributed to getting us to this place in the journey, and I wish us all the very best for the future of this settlement and for our awa. Kia ora koutou katoa.

Tēnā koe, Mr Assistant Speaker, tēnā anō hoki tātou. Ka nui ngā mihi ki a koutou e noho nei ki te tautoko mai i te kaupapa nei. E mōhio ana au, mai i tērā rau tau tae noa ki te wā nei, ko tēnei tetahi o ngā taumahatanga e noho ana kei runga i a koutou, he aha ai? I ngā mahi kikino a Te Karauna ki a koutou o Te Awa. Nā reira, ngā mihi hoki ki a koutou i te rā nei.

[Thank you, Mr Assistant Speaker, and to us all as well. Much appreciation to you seated here in support of this matter. I know that since the last century and right to the present time this has been a burden on you, and why? Because of the injustices inflicted upon you of the river by the Crown. So congratulations to you today.]

When Te Awa Tupua (Whanganui River Claims Settlement) Bill first came on to the Order Paper I went home that night and I thought of two people in particular, and in so naming them I am not being disrespectful to those who have carried this kaupapa from last century through to the present time. One was Nik Tangaroa. I knew him in Auckland as an active member of the union, and he was a good fella to have on your side. The other one—it was not until he was knighted that I came to know what his full name was—I always knew as Archie Taiaroa. Archie and I worked for the Department of Māori Affairs in a time when we actually looked after our people in a way that we do not necessarily see today. But that is another issue.

Ka nui taku mihi ki a rāua, ahakoa kāre rāua i noho ā-tinana i waenganui i a tātou i te rā nei ēngari, kei te maumahara i a rātou. Nā reira, moe mai kōrua e Nik, e Archie, me rātou mā, e noho nei i te kāpunipuni o ngā wairua. Nā reira, kua ea te wāhi mā koutou, ka hoki mai ki a tātou te hunga ora, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou.

[I have a huge appreciation for those two. Even though both are not here physically amongst us today, I reminisce about them. So sleep there, Nik and Archie, in the place where spirits inevitably end up. And so the part for them has been satisfied. I come back to us, the living: greetings, acknowledgments, and well done to you collectively.]

Listening to the previous speaker, Metiria Turei, I think she made some telling points when we talk about the river as a living being. She made mention of legislation or the law actually catching up with tikanga. When she said that, I thought of the fisheries settlement—particularly that part surrounding the Kermadecs. It passed through this House. Everyone was happy because the protection of our fishing rights was ensconced in legislation, and then, over recent weeks, things about the legislation seem to have been forgotten. So although I and New Zealand First support this legislation, I think it is incumbent on all of us, those of us who sit in this House, and those of you who have come, sitting in the gallery, to ensure that we never ever see the river lost to us again.

This settlement is a little bit different from other settlements because it comprises two deeds. The first deed is to establish the river as a separate legal entity. It provides for two river guardians, the development of a strategy for river well-being, the vesting of the Crown-owned parts of the bed in Te Awa Tupua, and the establishment of funds to support the activities of these entities. In the second deed, where the historic account is agreed to, the Crown makes acknowledgments and apologises. There is cultural and financial redress for the Whanganui iwi. So in all there is the settlement redress of $81 million, the funding for Te Korotete of $30 million for the health and well-being of Te Awa Tupua, for Te Pou Tupua $200,000 per annum for the next 20 years—and I would recommend that they capitalise on that fund and take the $4 million now rather than wait every year for the next 20 years—and for Te Heke Ngahuru, $430,000 for administration costs.

The good thing about this—and I think she was acknowledged—is that the Mayor of Whanganui is in attendance. Given the history between the council and local iwi over recent years, I think it augurs well to know that we have the support of the local body in terms of the future of the river. I just want to acknowledge that and have that placed on the record of Hansard.

When I think about the Whanganui River I recall first hearing the saying “The river is me and I am the river”. I thought that we in Ngāti Hine were the only iwi who subscribed to that notion when we talked about our traditional river, Taumārere-herehere-i-te-riri. I think it was Mr Davis who talked about swimming in the local river and learning more about one another—oh, I think it was the member for the Māori Party. Having been brought up in a place called Mōtatau, I can remember doing the same thing, and when she said about knowing about others, I thought: “Hey, they must have been just like us. We go for a swim, no clothes, and we know what everybody is about.” And those are some of the histories surrounding our rivers—learning about one another in more ways than one, I might add, but also realising how important the river has been to our tūpuna.

As a young person going to Bay of Islands College and learning about Māori history, I can recall seeing photos of tāua holding tuna, and the caption saying that these were on the Whanganui River. Again, I liken the Whanganui River to our traditional river of the hau kāinga, of Taumārere-herehere-i-te-riri. I welcome this opportunity of contributing to this debate but also having this bill referred to the Māori Affairs Committee, because it will give people the opportunity to express their view as to whether they support or oppose the bill. If they do, then it gives them the opportunity to articulate as to why. Having said that, I commend the bill to the House. Kia ora.

Tēnā koe e Te Māngai o Te Whare, huri noa i Te Whare nei, e mihi atu ki a koutou katoa. Ki te iwi o Ngāti Hau, e mihi nei, e tangi nei, koutou ngā taoka whakahirahira, koutou e tumanakohia ake nei, koutou e hāpai iwi nei, nō reira, ko ngā iwi o Ngāti Hau, Ngātikotahitaka, nau mai, nau mai, haere mai ki Te Whare Pāremata. Nō reira, e mihi atu ki a koutou katoa.

[Thank you, Mr Assistant Speaker, and acknowledgments to you all throughout this House. To the tribe of Ngāti Hau, I greet and mourn you. You are treasures of significance, have aspirations, and support tribes, therefore to you, the tribes of Ngāti Hau and Ngātikotahitaka, welcome, draw hither, and welcome to the House of Representatives. I acknowledge you all.]

To all of you, I know the feeling of coming here, as a son of Kāi Tahu, and to actually be listening to the first reading of your bill. But the really significant thing about this particular one reminds me of when Kāi Tahu were actually doing not the same thing but a little bit of the same process around Aoraki Mauka. So what I see here today is the fact that just like us, it was not about us; it was actually about all of New Zealand. I acknowledge you, here, for that.

We have heard so much so far around the bill itself. I would like to concentrate on just one part of it that actually reflects the uniqueness of this actual settlement. The uniqueness of this settlement is in the legal framework for the river, because this is what makes this particular settlement groundbreaking. This recognises Te Awa Tupua, comprising the entire Whanganui River, its tributaries as well, and all its physical and metaphysical elements, as a legal person—as a legal person—and with all of the corresponding rights, duties, and liabilities. The establishment of the river as a legal entity, then it provides the framework for the recognition of the unbreakable connection between the Whanganui iwi and Te Awa Tupua.

The other part of this is to provide human representation for Te Awa Tupua and the position of Te Pou Tupua, which will be established and filled by two people nominated by the Whanganui iwi and also the Crown, which is a really important part of this kotahitaka within this settlement. The Crown-owned bed, of course—the Whanganui River—will be vested in Te Awa Tupua, and a $30 million contested fund will be established to support the health and well-being of Te Awa Tupua. This new legal framework is an innovative use of the Western judicial system to manage the river in a way that is distinctly Māori. That is one of the most unique things of any settlement that has ever come before this House. This settlement allows the Whanganui iwi to take back their responsibility for the river, which should never have left them following the Treaty of Waitangi.

I also want to acknowledge the members of Whanganui iwi who have worked on this settlement but also all of those who have gone before, as we have just heard, and we acknowledge them. As before, for over a century, the people here are uri of those who protected and preserved the river itself and the iwi interest in it.

I want to acknowledge, also, one particular person—we have done a lot of acknowledgments here today and, sure, we have to and we must do. I want to acknowledge the Hon Christopher Finlayson, whose personal involvement in this particular settlement reflects the importance of it. That is not to take away the importance of any other settlement, but particularly this settlement, because this is groundbreaking legislation, is an achievement that I think speaks volumes about the value of having such a distinguished and respected legal mind as our Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations.

To everyone here, your time has come. This is the final beginning of your long journey, and on that note, as the chair of the Māori Affairs Committee, we indeed look forward to this bill coming to the select committee so that we may continue its journey, or shepherd its journey, through to the third reading and the finality of the journey itself, which will happen here and it will be enacted in law. So kia ora to you all, Ngāti Hau. Ka nunui te mihi, ka nunui te aroha, e mihi, e mihi ai atu ki a koutou katoa.

[The appreciation and empathy is massive; well done and congratulations.]

I commend this bill to the House. Kia ora.

Tēnā tātou katoa. Tēnei e tāpiri atu ngā mihi ki ngā puna, ngā mātāpuna, ngā wai marino, ngā wai rere, ngā ripo, ngā ū kaha o Te Awa o Whanganui, tēnei te mihi atu ki a koutou katoa.

Tēnei e tāpiri atu taku mihi ki a rātou i whakahuatia maitia nei i roto i Te Whare, rātou kei te wāhi ngaro. E kore e mutu ngā whakaaro ki a rātou e kawea nei tēnei kaupapa, tae noa ki tēnei wā, kei konei rātou katoa. Ka nui te mihi atu, heke iho mai ki a koutou ngā mahuetanga iho, nei te mihi aroha, nei te mihi maioha ki a koutou katoa, tēnā koutou.

Me te hoki mahara ki ngā kōrero i waihotia i te wā i haere mātou ki runga i Te Awa o Whanganui ki te taha o tō tātau nei Āriki, tērā kōrero i whakatō mai i roto i te whakatumanawa kia tuitui ki te tino taonga i waenganui i ā koutou pononga ki Te Awa o Whanganui. E rua ngā roimata i heke mai nā Rangi Nui i runga i Te Maunga o Ruapehu, inā, ko Te Awa o Whanganui, ko Te Awa o Waikato, mai i Te Kāhuinga Maunga ki Tangaroa, tēnei te nui o te mihi maioha ki a koutou katoa, tēnā koutou!

[Salutations to us all. I add my acknowledgments to the pools, sources, calm waters, waterfalls, eddies, and strong currents of the Whanganui River; I acknowledge you all.

I add my tribute to those who were mentioned in the House, to those at the unseen place. Thoughts about those who carried this matter right up to this moment will never cease; they are all here. Much appreciation to them, right down to you, the ones left behind; a loving and affectionate regard to you all.

I reflect also on the stories that were left behind when we went on the Whanganui River with our paramount leader, yours and ours, that legendary account that welled up from within you and was woven into the priceless heirloom, the core of your collective belief about the Whanganui River. There were two tears that came down from the Great Sky above that fell upon Mount Ruapehu and flowed down to Tangaroa, the sea, from the mountain cluster: one was the Whanganui River and the other was the Waikato River. I acknowledge you greatly, well done!]

In standing to support the contribution of my colleague Adrian Rurawhe on this particular bill, I had prepared a certain speech to read today, then I heard the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations speak and recollect a number of important people, and then I heard Adrian speak and recollect a number of people. I have to say that during my brief opportunity—actually, privilege—to journey down the Whanganui River, one person came to mind very specifically, and that was Piripi.

💬 Hon Members: Ha, ha!

Ha, ha! But let me come back to Piripi. Let me come back to Piripi. I had the good fortune to be able to be one of a small group of people who travelled in support of a tono from Matiu Māreikura to Taiaroa, and John Tahupārae to Te Arikinui, to travel down the Whanganui River. We started in Taumarunui and went all the way down. Actually, before we even got there we talked about how they were going to take us down on kōpapa, and, you know, we had better get all fit and all of this. Actually, we got there and we went down on speedboats. There was so much more to that journey than physically being on the river and travelling down it. It was all the kōrero and all the things that we witnessed along the way. Actually, Morgan was with us as well—Morgan Kāwana. We knew that every day he did a flip of that good book, something special was happening.

It was in that recollection that I want to, perhaps, share—there has been some talk in the House today about the metaphysical identity and tikanga merging with law and things like that. Actually, to know one’s awa, like you can smell its different fragrances; to know one’s awa when you can witness a change, albeit so subtle; to know one’s awa to the point where you understand something else is happening in our world, but it has been read through the awa—that is what we were able to experience in coming down the Whanganui River.

I think it is a great day today because it has been a long journey for the people of Whanganui to get to this point. It is not without context if we think about the Waitangi Tribunal and the opportunity that has been offered to people to look to redress historical claims, and just the journey of our rivers. Waikato lodged their claim to the tribunal in 1987, Whanganui lodged their claim in 1990, Tūwharetoa got the Crown to vest the lake to Tūwharetoa in 1992, and then we had a claims process. It is all interconnected.

It is the journey of our waters, I think, that leads us to some very important conversations today. For me, this is quite historic today, because it is happening within the context of very important conversations that this nation is having around the health and well-being of our waterways and the issues of fresh water. I want to acknowledge that because when we talk about the role that Parliament plays, yes, to give effect to the intent of the deed of settlement for the Whanganui River, it is within a context and some broader conversations. I think the Māori Affairs Committee is quite cognisant of that. We will use the opportunity of the submission process to ask questions within context—for example, the resource management legislation going through that is talking about collaborative planning, that is proposing models for collaborative planning, and that does not address issues of fresh water but that impacts potentially on any river settlement that has already been reached. We will ask the types of questions about what is the anticipated connection between what you are seeking to achieve for the awa of Whanganui and what is being proposed. That is to ensure that the intent and the integrity of your settlement can be preserved.

Many people before us have always said that Governments come and go, but, funnily enough, the institutional memory of the iwi stays very determined over a long period of time, and it is a very long institutional memory that keeps any Government accountable. We are mindful of that, too. It is with that view in mind that I think we will be considering very carefully the submissions coming to the select committee. I am hopeful, actually, that we might have a sitting at Tieke. We would actually have to get on a waka and then get to Tieke, and then appreciate the fullness of the experience of what is being talked about—he whakaaro noa iho [it is just a thought].

Coming back to Piripi now, on another occasion, after the opportunity with Te Arikinui, I did have the opportunity to join a few tira hoe. My very first tira hoe that I joined, little did I know—after karakia I was assigned my crew mate. It was Piripi. Then one of the whanaunga said to me “Don’t worry, Piripi is the best in the river. You’ll never fall out.”, because I was kind of in a bit of trepidation. Well, I can guarantee you, every ripo, every curve of that river we fell in. I think I may as well have just swum the Whanganui River. But my gratitude goes to Piripi, because in the great joy of experiencing, you know, tērā āhua, te ruruki, te wai o ngā mātua tūpuna, tērā āhua [that aspect of waters to ancestral forefathers, it was nourishing]. It was nourishing. The fact that we could laugh about it all the way down—and I remained his crew member—was, I think, a testament in itself. But all the people who have gone who lived the river, who enjoyed sharing the river with the next generation, who told stories from their own place of reference, I think are a richness that this settlement will never convey, but we know it is there. I have certainly witnessed that and I want to acknowledge it.

The other thing—eating piharau. Was that legal then? We ate piharau. I had never tasted piharau before, and I am from people where we have lots of eels, but I have never tasted such a beautiful delicacy ever in my life. That taste has remained with me, right to this day. Every time I hear that word “piharau”, oh boy, everything starts coming back.

The other thing—when you are going along the river and you see how the canoes got through and you see the dents in the sides of the river, you know, those are stories that cannot be captured in settlement legislation, but they tell us that long before the British came to New Zealand there was a history well before their time that was long established. I hope that the settlement, in some small way, will contribute to what you have always lived, always believed. You have not lost anything; the legislation just had an impact on you. Even going to a marae where they talked about the health legislation during Māui Pōmare’s time, the Maori Councils Act, “Pire Kiore”, I think they called it, and learning that history, how relevant it was in the physical presence along the river and how you told the story of its context and impact on yourselves—those are the treasures that have stayed with me for life.

Those are the treasures that I think about when, within the context of today’s world, we talk about Archie, Matiu Māreikura, and John Tahupārae and their thinking—Ao Māori thinking, wairua Māori thinking—and how it impacts on what we are trying to achieve today. Archie—Sir Archie Taiaroa—led the freshwater issues after the settlement and helped implement the fisheries claim. It is within that context—although we are mentioning their names here within the settlement today, they have had such a broad impact on the way that New Zealand has evolved its understanding to be a lot more complementary and coexisting with our Māori world, and that is to create a better New Zealand.

With that, I am not going to take up too much time. Can I just leave you with one lasting memory that I will never ever forget. I think I was in my early teens then, coming down the river, but I was always inspired by Nanny Nui, Te Manawanui Pauro. At her age—and I think she was well over 80 at that time; could have been 90—she was still paddling down the Whanganui River. Her love for the river gave her a level of, I think, kind of like a supernatural effervescence about her. Never did she waver, never did she tire. That is the type of sustenance that the next generation can draw on as those types of exemplars, all of them. Nō reira, ki a koutou katoa, tēnā koutou.

Tēnā koe, Mr Assistant Speaker, kia ora tātau katoa, haere mai ki roto i Te Whare Pāremata. Ē, Kahurangi Tariana, hoki mai ki te wāhi i nohoia e koe i ngā tau kua hipa ake. He oranga ngākau kua eke ki tēnei taumata. Ko koe te mea kōrero nei mō te āhuatanga o tēnei o ngā kerēme i ngā tau ē hia kē nei. Ka mihi ki a koe, haere mai, haramai me tō tira, haramai me tō iwi Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi, Ngāti Apa, tēnā koutou, kia ora tātau. Kai taku Ariki e Tumu, tēnā koe, haramai mō te āhuatanga ki a tāua ki a Te Arawa ēngari, ka rere mai tēnei o ngā awa i a koe, ā, i Ruapehu, ā, ka eke ki te takutai moana. Ko koe tēnei e whakakanohi nei i tērā taha o tāua, nō reira tēnā koe, tēnā koutou, kia ora tātau.

Kāre e kore kua rongo koutou i te kōrero o taku tuahine a Marama. Nāna anō rā i whakarārangi mai i ngā kōrero. Kaua e riri mai, kāre au i konei i tērā wā, e hia kē nei ngā Māori kai roto i Te Whare Pāremata i tēnei rā. Kua tae mai ki te whakarongo ki ngā kōrero e pā ana ki wā rātau kerēme. Nō reira, wā poto ki a au.

E rua ngā wāhanga tuatahi kia kōrerohia mō tēnei kaupapa i tōna orokohanga mai, ka mutu, pēnei i tā taku tuahine e kōrero nā ko te hōhonu o tēnei mea o te wai ki a tāua. I taku mōhio, ā, ko Tariana tētahi i kōrero mō tēnei kerēme. Ē hia kē nei ngā tau e tatari nei, e tatari nei, ā, tae rā anō ki tēnei wā, a W’anganui e tatari nei kia rongo i ēnei kōrero. Ka mihi rā ki a Te Piki Kōtuku, ki taku mōhio, ko ia tērā i whakatakoto i tētahi petihana i te tau 1927. Nāwai, nāwai, ka eke ki a Hekenui Whakarake me ētahi atu, i kōkiri nei i tēnei take i roto i ngā tau 30 pea. Ā, nāwai, nāwai, ka eke ki te Wai e 167 i te tau 1990. Ko ngā mea pēnei i a Hikaia Amohia, Joan Akapita, Rangipō Metekīngi, tae atu ki a Michael Pōtaka, tae atu ki tēnei o ngā tipua ki a Te Atawhai, ko rātau kua ngaro atu i tēnei wā, tae rā anō ki te hoa rangatira a Te Ātawhai, ki a Martha, ka tangi ake! Ēngari anō a Rūmātiki Linda Henry, a Kevin Amohia, a Julie Ranginui, e kui, mēnā kai konei koe? Anō hoki a Te Tiwha Puketapu, a John Maihi kei konei koe, haere mai! Ko koutou tērā i kōkiri tonu nei i tēnei take kia eke ki tēnei wā.

Ko Te Ātawhai, pēnei i tā taku tuahine e kōrero nei, koinā te tangata whakatau i te wairua o te tangata kia taea ai te kōkiri i tēnei take ki roto i Te Whare Pāremata. Ki a Titi Tihu, te rangatira nāna anō rā tēnei kēhi i whakaara ake i tēnei kaupapa mō te hunga e kōrerohia ake nei. Nō reira, ka tangi ake ki te hunga kua ngaro, ki a Tahupārae, ki a Piripi, taihoa a Piripi, ki a Niko, ērā, ko rātau katoa kua ngaro atu. Waiho rātau kia okioki, anei tātau e hui nei i tēnei rā, tēnā koutou katoa.

Ā tēnā, i puta te kōrero i taku tuahine ko te hōhonutanga o tēnei mea o te wai ki te tangata. I a tātau e kōrero nei mō Te Piripi nei, tangata nui nei, nui ā-ngākau, nui ā-tinana, ka mutu, koirā tāna mahi. Ka hoki ngā mahara ki tētahi hui i ngā tau kua hipa ake. Nāku tonu ētahi o ngā tamariki o te kura rongonui o Tīpene, St Stephen’s College, āe; i haere atu ki te marae o Ken Mair. Ā, ko te kōrero a Piripi, me eke ki runga i te waka kia puta ki te awa o W’anganui. Kāre au i rite ki a koe e te tuahine, kāre au i haere i te taha o Piripi, kāo! He mataku nōku. I haere au ki tētahi atu o ngā waka ēngari anō tērā i taka, i heke ki te wai. Hoi anō tērā, tērā! Ka hoki ngā mahara ki a ia, ā, ko ia tērā i tū ki mua i te aroaro o te taraka, ā, te taraka i muri i a ia, kāo, kāo, kāo! Ko Piripi tērā!

Otirā, ko te rally i W’anganui, ā, pērā anō hoki ngā radicals me ngā activists o W’anganui. Ā, ko te jet boat race, ko aua take, ērā! Whakakorengia, nā runga i te aha? Nā runga i te ngākaunui o te iwi nei ki tēnei o ngā awa. Ka hoki rā anō ki te āhuatanga o Pākaitore. Te ata, te ata tonu o tērā o ngā kaupapa. Ko māua ko Te Miringa Hohāia i haere i Taranaki kia eke atu ki te marae i W’anganui. He aha te mahi? I noho i te pō, ko tā Tahupārae, kaihau, kaihau! Arā, he aha te tikanga o tērā? Kaua e kai. I te ata tonu, i te ata hāpara i eke atu rā ki te awa, ki reira, ā, i tuku i te karakia. Ko Niko tērā i tuku i te karakia. Ka rīngiringihia mātau e te wai, kia tau te wairua i mua o te ekenga ki Pākaitore, ka hoki ngā mahara.

Nō reira koinei te hōhonutanga o tēnei mea o te awa ki te tangata pēnei i taku tuahine e kōrero nei. E kore au e whakatōroa i ēnei kōrero. He tīmatanga noa iho. Hoki mai mō te mea tuatoru, hoki mai mō te mea tuatoru ki reira tātau whakanui ai i tēnei kaupapa. Kai te kī mai te tangata nei me whakarāpopoto i taku kōrero. Nō reira me āmene atu ki a ia, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, kia ora tātau katoa, kai raro.

[Thank you, Mr Assistant Speaker, and hello there, everyone, welcome into Parliament! Dame Tariana, welcome back to the place you occupied some years ago. How reassuring it is to have reached this level. You were the one who commented on the circumstances about this claim for several years now. I acknowledge you, welcome, draw hither with your people, Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi and Ngāti Apa, greetings to you collectively and to us all. Welcome to you, my paramount chief, Tumu, in regard to the circumstances that relate to you and me in terms of Te Arawa, but one of these rivers flows to you by way of Ruapehu, and eventually reaches the foreshore. This is you, the face on that side in regard to you, and so salutations to you, to you collectively, and to us all.

Without a doubt you have heard the address of my sister colleague Marama Fox. She outlined the tenor of the contributions. Do not be offended I was not here at that time. There are so many Māori in Parliament today. They have arrived to listen to the contributions about your claims. Therefore, the time for me is short.

There are two primary parts I want to comment on, the origin of this bill furthermore and, as my sister colleague alluded to, the depth of our understanding about this thing, water, to you and me. I understand that Tariana was one who spoke on this claim. The Whanganui people have been waiting to hear these speeches for a very long time. I am full of admiration for Te Piki Kōtuku; in my understanding, Te Piki was the one who submitted a petition in 1927. Eventually Hekenui Whakarake and others advanced this matter over approximately 30 years. After a time the Wai 167 claim was filed in 1990 by Hikaia Amohia, Joan Akapita, Rangipo Metekīngi, Michael Pōtaka, and the legendary Sir Archie Te Atawhai Taiaroa. They, along with Martha, wife of Sir Archie, have all passed away. I grieve for them. As for Rūmatiki Linda Henry, Kevin Amohia, Julie Ranginui—old lady, are you here? And also Te Tiwha Puketapu and John Maihi—are you here? Welcome! You were the ones who advanced this claim until it eventually arrived at this point in time.

Te Atawhai, like my sister colleague said, was the one who was capable of putting a person at ease to advance this matter into Parliament. Now to Titi Tihu, the chief who was responsible for raising this case, this matter, on behalf of the people I mentioned previously. And so I grieve for those who have died, Tahupārae, Piripi—more about him later—and Niko. Those ones—all of them have passed away. Allow them to rest, as we the living gather here today. Leave them to rest there as we are gathered here today; greetings to you all, and much appreciated.

My sister colleague made a statement about the deeper implication of water to mankind. While we were talking about this man Piripi—he is a large man; big in heart, big physically, and furthermore, that is his job! I recall a meeting some years back. I took some younger students from that famous Tīpene school—St Stephen’s College, yes; we went to Ken Mair’s marae. And that Piripi urged us to climb aboard a canoe to get out to the Whanganui River. Unlike you, my sister colleague Nanaia, I did not go with Piripi—not likely! I was too scared. I went to one of the other canoes and got on board. But it capsized, and I fell into the water. But that is that incident! Memories go back to others, like the time he stood in front of the truck with one behind him calling out, no, no, no! That was Piripi.

At the same time there was the rally in Whanganui, and similarly also with the radicals and activists of Whanganui and the jet boat race. Those were those matters! Why were they stopped? Because of their commitment to this river. It goes all the way back to the Pākaitore situation. At the very dawn of the morning of that protest, Te Miringa Hohāia and I travelled from Taranaki to go on to the marae at Whanganui. So what was to take place? We were going to sleep the night. Tahupārae exhorted: consume air, eat air. So what does that protocol mean? Don’t eat! At the break of dawn we ascended the river to release prayer; Niko led that. Water was sprinkled over us to appease us and to settle us down before the ascension of Pākaitore; memories go back to that event.

Therefore, in regard to the depth of appreciation for the individual about this river thing, and like what my sister colleague alluded to, this is it. I will not prolong these sentiments. This is only a beginning. Come back for the third reading; come back for the third one, where we will celebrate this bill. I have been given the wind-down signal and agree to end my contribution. Therefore, acknowledgments and salutations to you collectively and my appreciation to us all. I resume my seat.]

Mai i te kāhui maunga ki Tangaroa,

Ka w’akapiria mai ko ngā piringa,

Hinengākau, Tamaūpoko, Tūpoho, Pōtiki e,

Ko au te awa, te awa ko au.

[From the mountain cluster to the sea,

The connections are added,

Hinengākau, Tamaūpoko, Tūpoho and Pōtiki,

I am the river, the river is me.]

Ngā uri o Te Awa o Whanganui, e rau rangatira mā, tēnei te mihi, tēnei te mihi, tēnei te mihi atu ki a koutou katoa, nau mai!

[To the descendants of the Whanganui River, esteemed ones of a hundredfold, I acknowledge, greet and, commend you all, welcome!]

Before I start my contribution, I want to just put in an apology from the Hon Chester Borrows. He was unable to be here today. He really wanted to be here, but he is hosting some manuhiri back in Whanganui.

I want to first of all acknowledge the knights and the dames amongst you: Tā Tumu te Heuheu Dame Tariana Turia—you are the great Dame Tariana Turia. You always kept us on our toes as the coalition partner, and you still keep us on our toes today. I also want to acknowledge the Mayor of Whanganui, Annette Main—and yes, I tautoko what the Minister said about you being the mayor here today; kia ora—as well as your deputy sitting here over in the corner. I want to acknowledge the kaiwhakahaere for Whanganui, John Maihi. John and I go back a wee way, from when I worked for Taumata Hauora Trust and Ngā Tai o Te Awa. He was always the one in my ear, telling me what I could and could not do.

💬 Tim Macindoe: Now it’s me.

And now it is this guy here. I acknowledge that it has been a long journey for the iwi of the Whanganui awa. It has been a very long journey, from the 1800s right through to today, from the original claimants of the Whanganui awa to the seven new trustees of Ngā Tāngata Tiaki o Whanganui. Believe you me, I knew a lot about Ngā Tāngata Tiaki, because John would never let me forget it when I worked for him. So much has happened, so many things have happened—let us say that a lot of water has run under the many bridges of Whanganui. Today is a historic day, and I am so proud to be part and parcel and give my voice to tautoko this settlement bill today.

I want to acknowledge Tā Archie Taiaroa, and I acknowledge you, Lady Martha. I acknowledge you because your husband did an amazing job for the Whanganui River Māori Trust Board for all the iwi of Whanganui. Piripi—yes, Piripi and I had a bit of a history there for a little while. He was fondly known amongst our team at Ngā Tai o Te Awa and Taumata as Pirip. He did some amazing things, like he had a contract with me that went only as far as Taumarunui, yet when I looked at his travel records, he would be in Bombay Hills or he would be all the way down south. I would say to him “How come you’re all over there?”, and he would go: “It’s all part and parcel of the claim.” I would say: “OK, righty-o.”

I want to acknowledge Matiu Mareikura. I never got to meet the man, but I heard all about him. I want to acknowledge John Mateparae because—and I did meet him and we did have some encounters a few times—he was an amazing person. Auntie Dardi, Julie Ranginui—they are some of the many people who have helped to bring this claim to the House today.

Soon you will receive an investment, an investment that will be invested two ways, Ruruku Whakatupua Te Mana o Te Awa Tupua and Ruruku Whakatupua Te Mana o Te Iwi o Whanganui. It is amazing—over $80 million. Wow! As I said before, I stand humbled to be able to contribute my voice to this claim, to my whānau’s claim. I end with this: e rere Te Awa Tupua [flow on, the Whanganui River].

I commend the bill to the House. Kia ora.

Bill read a first time.

Bill referred to the Māori Affairs Committee.

Waiata

The House adjourned at 12.59 p.m. (Wednesday)