Turia Tariana: Rongowhakaata Claims Settlement Bill — First Reading 
Turia Tariana: Rongowhakaata Claims Settlement Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:678;Page:1040] 
Hon TARIANA TURIA (Minister for Whanau Ora) 
 on behalf of the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations: I move  
That the Rongowhakaata Claims Settlement Bill be now read a first time. 
 At the appropriate time I intend to move that the bill be considered by the Maori Affairs Committee.  
E nga maunga o Puketapu raua ko Manawaru e nga awa o Te Arai (Te-Uru) raua ko Waipoua e nga uri o Rongow’akaata e nga uri o Te Kooti; ko Te Kahui Maunga o W’anganui tenei e mihi atu nei ki a koutou. Ngati Maru Ngai Taw’iri Ngati Kaipo’o nau mai ki te Whare Paremata. Tena koutou tena koutou tena koutou katoa. 
[ 
To the mountains Puketapu and Manawaru the rivers Te Arai (Te Uru) and Waipoua the relatives of Rongowhakaata and Te Kooti this the People of the Mountains of Whanganui paying homage to you collectively. Welcome to Parliament House Ngati Maru Ngai Tawhiri and Ngati Kaipoho; salutations and acknowledgments to you all collectively. 
] 
I want to welcome the representatives of Rongowhakaata and Nga Uri o Te Kooti Rikirangi who have joined us here tonight for this significant occasion. Tonight we acknowledge the historical grievances of Rongowhakaata. A particular feature of the settlements is a specific apology to Nga Uri o Te Kooti Rikirangi and redress to address the ongoing effect of breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi by the Crown in its treatment of their tupuna. The settlement of historical injustices inevitably brings into our living memory and thoughts those ancestors who gave life to the generations of today. The iwi of Rongowhakaata describe themselves as the descendants of Rongowhakaata and his wives: the sisters Turahiri Uetupuke and Moetai. Ruapani is another important tupuna for many of Rongowhakaata.  
 The first reading of this claims settlement bill is an important step towards completing a journey that has taken many years. It is a journey that began in 1987 with the lodging of Rongowhakaata’s first claim with the Waitangi Tribunal. It stems from the Turanga-nui-a-Kiwa and they were represented in the negotiations with the Crown by their claims committee. Nga Uri o Te Kooti Rikirangi also known as Nga Uri are a w’anau group who descend from Te Kooti Rikirangi. Nga Uri negotiated the specific redress as part of Rongowhakaata’s Treaty settlement. Their area of interest is concentrated around Gisborne and its surrounding lands. It extends from Te Kowhai on the southern side across to its most western point at Ruakituri then northwards to Maungapere and Wharekopae and east towards Gisborne City.  
The Waitangi Tribunal held its Turanga-nui-a-Kiwa district inquiry in 2001 and 2002 which investigated the claims of the three Turanga iwi—Rongowhakaata Ngai Tamanuhiri and Te Aitanga-a-Mahaki and affiliates. Although today we acknowledge the 25 years of dedicated commitment in pursuit of the claims first laid in 1987 the matters being dealt with do of course stretch out for decades beyond. The historical Treaty claims for Nga Uri and Rongowhakaata stem from the Crown actions in Turanga-nui-a-Kiwa during the 1860s which were both severe and unjust.  
In 1865 Crown military forces attacked Waerenga-a-hika. There was no apparent reason for doing so. This led to the detention without trial of many of the Rongowhakaata peoples on the Chatham Islands for several years and the effective confiscation of the wharenui Te Hau ki Turanga and a large area of Rongowhakaata land at Patutahi. In the first 6 months of 1866 approximately 30 Rongowhakaata men who were considered to be Paimarire sympathisers were taken to the Chatham Islands. They were referred to as “native political offenders”. These men were never tried for any offence. Approximately nine women and eight children were amongst the 49 Turanga women and 38 children who accompanied their men. The removal of over 200 Maori including leaders had a severe impact on their iwi their hapu and their w’anau who remained in Turanga.  
This history has particular relevance for me. Next week I will be heading to Wharekauri—a trip that in today’s times takes approximately 3 hours by plane. It beggars belief to think about a similar journey being undertaken close to 150 years ago and the questions are multiple. Why Wharekauri? How long did the journey take? What were the conditions of travel? How did w’anau separated for over 2 years without reason ever adjust to the grief the resentment and the anger?  
I want to share some of the history as it was recorded in the deed of settlement: “The Government required the detainees and their whanau to live in miserable conditions. The Chatham Islands could get much colder than what prisoners were used to and they did not have adequate clothing. As many as 28 detainees died while on the Chathams including some of the women and children who had accompanied them. It is likely that there were more deaths which went unrecorded. Those prisoners who survived were detained on the Chatham Islands until Te Kooti Rikirangi led an escape in 1868. At that time a bitter war developed and at Ngatapa in January 1869 Crown forces summarily executed a large number of Rongowhakaata. This has to be one of the most tragic events in the history of Rongowhakaata—in fact in the history of this country—and indeed a shameful past of the Crown. Between 1865 and 1872 more than 40 percent of Turanga men died as a consequence of Crown military action. A fatal decimation of a people—the impact upon successive generations cannot be under-stated. Since this time the Crown’s acts and omissions have left Rongowhakaata culturally economically and socially marginalised. We must never forget this history. It is our history and it does not need to constrain our future.”  
Today this House attempts to understand the hostile context that Rongowhakaata experienced and to make every effort to move forward. This settlement includes an apology for the Crown’s actions and omissions that breached the Treaty and its principles including those that contributed to the stigmatisation of Te Kooti Rikirangi and his descendants. The Crown recognised the mandate for the Rongowhakaata Claims Committee in 2005. The mandate of Nga Uri negotiators was also recognised. Three Turanga iwi entered into the terms of negotiation with the Crown as a collective group in 2007. In 2008 the collective signed an agreement in principle with the Crown. Following the collective separating in 2009 Rongowhakaata and Nga Uri then entered into negotiations for a deed of settlement. The deed of settlement was initialled at Te Hau ki Turanga in July 2011 and was subsequently ratified by the claimant community. In September 2011 the Crown and Rongowhakaata and Nga Uri signed the deed of settlement.  
Although the Crown recognises that settlement redress can never fully compensate these iwi for what has been lost through breaches of the Treaty this settlement is a gesture of goodwill and signifies the beginning of a new post-settlement relationship between Rongowhakaata Nga Uri and the Crown.  
I believe it is only right that the last words should go to Rongowhakaata articulated in the deed of settlement: “Rongowhakaata consider that since May 1840 the Crown has committed fundamental breaches of the spirit intention and terms of the Treaty causing severe prejudice to Rongowhakaata including unjustifiable loss of life in the protection of their lands and confiscation of their lands and resources … resulting in the economic social cultural and political marginalisation and deprivation of Rongowhakaata that is still seen today. On the other hand Rongowhakaata consider that despite the killing of their people by the Crown and the extreme prejudice and the intergenerational hardship caused by the confiscation of their lands and resources Rongowhakaata have upheld the spirit and the terms of the Treaty in many ways.” I consider that the bill should proceed without delay to the Maori Affairs Committee and I commend this bill to the House.