The Treaty of Waitangi debate

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The Treaty of Waitangi debate

3News NZ

Neither side can agree exactly on what the Treaty means

Neither side can agree exactly on what the Treaty means

More than 170 years after the Treaty of Waitangi was signed, the Waitangi Tribunal says Maori feel their culture if marginalised, while non-Maori fear that Maori will acquire undeserved privileges at their expense.

The tribunal says the treaty envisages the Crown-Maori relationship as a partnership in which the Crown's entitled to govern but Maori keep Tino Rangatiratanga, or full authority over their taonga – their treasures.

But neither side can agree exactly on what the treaty means, or how far it should reach.

So, a constitutional review panel is looking at whether the treaty should become the foundation for a new constitutional framework.

Danielle Ross looks at the crux of the treaty debate – the difference between Maori and non-Maori when it comes to interpreting the treaty.

Then, in the studio to discuss the status of the treaty, is Mana Party leader Hone Harawira, Maori Party MP Rahui Katene and Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei.

Watch the full video

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Comments

12/01/2013 6:25:16 p.m.

Robin G Willing wrote:

When Maori elders signed this treaty written up by the representative's of the Queen of England who in turn are representative of the Bank of England who have all the power (Money) The Maori elders that signed the treaty of Waitangi had no Representaion of their own, That knew what the banks are all about. Nobody was on the side of the Maori Clan During the signing of this Treaty. The Maori cannot take this Treaty to the courts as the courts are in place to look after the big corporations. The Land was taken from the Maori and sold for profit to white folk,Who made the profit? Govenments are representatives of the bank. Where has all the Maori land gone? All land that was taken before and after the signing of the treaty is still Maori land in my eyes. Why don't the maori have mineral rights Oil, Coal, Gas,Gold, iron ore, What is Crown land?? Please tell me,

12/01/2013 3:03:58 p.m.

Robin G Willing wrote:

New Zealand Maori have rights to claim back all of their lands and all mineral rights. The Maori are a very proud Clan that go back a long way. Maori had their own god's, they Had King's and Queen's Long long before white man set foot on this land they had God's the same God as the South Americans, the same god as the Australian Aboriginal The very same God as the American indian This is the same God as the Afican God. This is not writen in your history books,Aboriginal dreamtime is a very true account of time gone by. The white race have no right to over populate and then lay claim to other Clan's Lands, Australian Aboriginal are in the same Boat as the Maori the land was stolen from them. The Aboriginal and the Maori had no idea the we the white people would come to their land in such vast numbers, and take over everything. The Crown is the Bank's in London The bank's control the Queen, therefore All Crown lands and minerals in and on that land belongs to the bankers in London City One more thing The Jewish Clan laid claim to Isral they got that back, This was holy place that belonged to the Gods not man Australia and New Zealand were given to the original inhabithence by their God's this can not be disputed, The old God's are the true one's. To Maori People and Aboriginal people Look to your elders for inlightenment That is where your History is;

7/02/2012 7:19:38 p.m.

G-D Willing wrote:

The land called New Zealand Belongs to the Maori people that populated the land prior to white man making claim to it there are two white clans on this planet that claim rights to all land. Show me a county that belongs to the original inhabithence south of the 30th parallel.The Maori people in 1840 were high jacked as there was no legal repersentaion that understood what the Crown meant.
The maori was highjacked by London city,
Now he has no land to call home and is a slave to the banks that now own this county. There are very few people that under stand what is happening in this world;

20/11/2011 1:51:55 a.m.

Young wrote:

@ all the wana be Don Brash's.

THANK GOD, Maori have managed to get themselves this far after 170 years of institutional oppression. Why is it that equal opportunities and one law for all only applies to non-Maori. Why do Maori need to constantly fight to have the same participation as everyone else. Clearly, only maori have the best interests of maori at heart not just any body else.

It is simply not good enough for New Zealand to go through history with double standards and lies. Te Tiriti and the Treaty both do justice for all parties concerned. Therefore, the treaty is central to re-orientating New Zealand onto the correct constitutional basis that we all can be proud of.

18/10/2011 1:55:49 p.m.

kane wrote:

I tired of all the treat crap honestly. Maori seem to have a cry over everything. They have their own tv channel, their own party and they've claimed half the land back.
Maybe the government should take 'the natives' off the DPB, WINZ and DOL and then they would have something to cry about.

17/10/2011 8:24:57 p.m.

James wrote:

John, I am led to believe that the wheel was taken to Europe from Asia or Africa so where does that leave the early British technology? Please learn factual history instead of passionate/biased history. It is the least one could do to avoid being left red-faced as well as red-necked. Cheers.

17/10/2011 12:49:27 p.m.

Hamish wrote:

John, Maori had an extensive knowledge, and a system of naming, of all soil types in NZ HUNDREDS of years before we developed the NZ soil classification system (that means they had science). They had strict protocols in place to maintain food resources and keep feces out of waterways hundreds of years before we discovered bacteria, and we still dump shit in our rivers. They also invented trench warfare 70 years before we learnt those lessons, they were doing fine before our ancestors came here!
Your comments are based in hatred not knowledge.

17/10/2011 11:40:02 a.m.

Brad Spiers wrote:

Indeed many maori DO feel their culture when marginalised, quote: "the Waitangi Tribunal says Maori feel their culture if marginalised"...it is through the process of being marginal that we can see what it is we lost...'an image in disrepair could study itself in a pool' (Allen Curnow)...Brad Spiers bspiers@gmail.com...

17/10/2011 11:32:53 a.m.

TDog wrote:

What does inventing the wheel have to do with culture John? Your attempt to belittle Maori was lame to say the least. Oh and by the way most of what I own was made in China. How about that..

17/10/2011 9:14:24 a.m.

James wrote:

Mike - What do you mean that the Maori politicians are uneducated? Dr. Pita Sharples... that is a higher qualification then even John Key has... what does that say for your argument of education... Shane Jones has a Masters degree from Harvard... Te Ururoa Favell was the CEO of a Wananga, Rahui Katene is a qualified Lawyer, Even the much loved Hone Harawira has a University-level education... I bet that can't be said of ALL your 'normal' 'educated' 'hard-working'PAKEHA MPs who are there for the people of Aotearoa not just for a free "LUNC" (BTW, lunch has a H on the end of it, just saying)