So we have an article that mixes up half-truths with outright lies and contains countless lies by omission-the things not mentioned (deliberately surely) that perpetuate even more lies.
That one sentence for example. Ngai Tahu had sold some 170 land packages on Banks Peninsula even before the Treaty was signed in 1840. These were registered in New South Wales. Under the terms of the Treaty that land was returned and the sales generally were declared null and void – I wonder how much of the monies paid was returned?
Next of course is the clear implication that nothing whatever had been done to redress any wrongs until 1997 – clearly and provably a lie. Attempts were made in the 1880’s and in the 1920’s the whole situation in the country was examined under the Sim commission. In 1946 a ‘ full and final’ settlement was made led by the Ngai Tahu leader Sir Eruera Tihema Te Aika Tirikatene who was a cabinet minister in the wartime Labour government. A lump sum was paid as well as a sum of 10,000 pounds which was to be paid each and every year for 30 years. This was later amended to ‘in perpetuity’. So they got that amount every year.
Attempts were made in the 1960’s by then tribal leader Frank Winter to make another claim but the government of the day declined to make an offer. By 1995 a new leader Stephen O’Reagan was claiming that the tribe had no money at all and that they lacked even enough to provide him with money for petrol so that he could speak to tribal members on the West Coast. What happened to the money?
The other huge omission from this article is the failure to mention the raids of Te Rauparaha prior to 1840. This matters because the result was that by 1840 the Maori population of the entire South Island was tiny and northern part was still disputed by Ngai Toa from Te Rauparaha’s raids.
This makes the claim that the sale of most of Banks Peninsula for 47 cents an acre ( no roads, no bridges no wharves- no infrastructure of any kind) and the South Island for a claimed 2 cents an acre incredibly suspect- THIS TRIBE – the palest and least Maori in the country- The LARGEST in area and is currently worth : - $1 .8 BILLION – all of which has come from the state!
Source: Facebook
Next of course is the clear implication that nothing whatever had been done to redress any wrongs until 1997 – clearly and provably a lie. Attempts were made in the 1880’s and in the 1920’s the whole situation in the country was examined under the Sim commission. In 1946 a ‘ full and final’ settlement was made led by the Ngai Tahu leader Sir Eruera Tihema Te Aika Tirikatene who was a cabinet minister in the wartime Labour government. A lump sum was paid as well as a sum of 10,000 pounds which was to be paid each and every year for 30 years. This was later amended to ‘in perpetuity’. So they got that amount every year.
Attempts were made in the 1960’s by then tribal leader Frank Winter to make another claim but the government of the day declined to make an offer. By 1995 a new leader Stephen O’Reagan was claiming that the tribe had no money at all and that they lacked even enough to provide him with money for petrol so that he could speak to tribal members on the West Coast. What happened to the money?
The other huge omission from this article is the failure to mention the raids of Te Rauparaha prior to 1840. This matters because the result was that by 1840 the Maori population of the entire South Island was tiny and northern part was still disputed by Ngai Toa from Te Rauparaha’s raids.
This makes the claim that the sale of most of Banks Peninsula for 47 cents an acre ( no roads, no bridges no wharves- no infrastructure of any kind) and the South Island for a claimed 2 cents an acre incredibly suspect- THIS TRIBE – the palest and least Maori in the country- The LARGEST in area and is currently worth : - $1 .8 BILLION – all of which has come from the state!
Source: Facebook
6 comments:
Tipene O’Regan, a person of mixed blood addressed a conference we attended in the 90’s. He has had his nose in the trough for years and was intimating Māori would be controlling NZ way back then. He is a truly divisive person.
It seems the South Island has a big problem with wilding pines. The sooner we give the whole place back to Ngai Tahu the better, they burnt it to the ground once, they could do it again.
Or sell it again. Then claim it back a bit later. Or all three. Burn, sell and claim back.
The 1975 TOW Act was the beginning move in "the plan" that O'Regan was hinting at.
Then the tribe will be a $5 billion corporation.
Thank you for describing your family history. My family were also early settlers and wanted the best for everyone including Maori . Tribal warfare based on utu or as in the case of Te Raparaha a love of warfare and domination of others was the Maori downfall . Maori who visited Europe in the 19th century saw what Western Culture had achieved in having peaceful communities in contrast of living in constant fear of being invaded and killed or enslaved
I found it interesting that Maori welcomed and invited English settlers for their protection from Te Raparaha.
Sorry I confused your article with the previous article on BV. However My family were early settlers in the South Island and were neither greedy nor theives hellbent on getting cheap land but very ethical God fearing people who believed money not earned by hard work was stolen . They lived in Dunedin in a small clay cottage with dirt floors and had a very harsh life raising their large family . There were very few public facilities .
Post a Comment
Thanks for engaging in the debate!
Because this is a public forum, we will only publish comments that are respectful and do NOT contain links to other sites. We appreciate your cooperation.