Fox Marama: Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngā Pōtiki Claims Settlement Bill — First ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeFox Marama: Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngā Pōtiki Claims Settlement Bill — First Reading[Sitting date: 24 May 2016. Volume:714;Page:11218. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]MARAMA FOX (Co-Leader—Māori Party):Tēnā koe e Te Mana Whakawā anei te mihi atu ki a koutou e hui nei i tēnei wā ki a koutou Ngāi Te Rangi Ngā Pōtiki; kai te mihi atu ki a koutou ēngari kua kīkī Te Whare i ngā kāwai rangatira kai waenganui i a tātau koutou ngā hā kui ngā koroua o te motu nei kai te mihi atu ki a koutou. Nā koutou tēnei Whare e whakamana nā koutou tēnei Whare e whakamana. Kai te mihi atu ki a koutou o Ngāi Te Rangi. Kua kōrero kē nei ōku hoa mahi i te hītori o tō koutou kerēme ā kua tae ā-tinana mai koutou. Ko te pānuitanga tuatahi tēnei mā koutou. He paku noa te wā mōku nā reira kai te pīrangi au ki te hāngai aku kōrero ki te kōrero e pā ana ki a Pukehinahina.[Thank you Mr Assistant Speaker and a welcome to you assembled here at this moment Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngā Pōtiki; I acknowledge you but note that the House is packed with the leaders amongst us you the elderly women and menfolk of the country. I salute you collectively. This House is enhanced and made noble by your presence; I commend you Ngāi Te Rangi. My fellow colleagues have already addressed the history of your claim and you are here physically. This first reading is for you. I have only a limited time so I want to focus my comments on the story about Pukehinahina.]I am going to concentrate my comments for the short time that I have on the battle of Gate Pā or Pukehinahina. Why? Because we talk about it say that it was raupatu it was a battle and there it ends. But the story is so much greater and the story points to the resilience of these people. So I want to read it into the history and I want to read it into the Hansardof this House and not just dismiss it as: “There was a battle.”In March 1864 the Tauranga Moana tribes challenged British troops stationed at Te Papa in Tauranga to battle. The soldiers had been sent there to block any support for the Kīngitanga. The first challenge went unheeded and so the field of battle was moved closer and the fortifications were built at Pukehinahina now known as Gate Pā. Rāwiri Puhirake of Ngāi Te Rangi was the chief in charge at Pukehinahina. Hēnare Taratoa a Christian minister wrote a code of conduct for the battle imploring that the enemy be cared for and not ill-treated when wounded.Fighting broke out on 29 April 1864 when 1700 soldiers faced the 230 Māori warriors. Their artillery levelled the pā. Then 300 soldiers stormed the ruins but they were caught off guard. They were caught off guard as the defenders were safely hidden in the bunkers and opened fire and decimated their ranks. With the troops in disarray the tribal warriors abandoned the scene of their victory.The soldiers’ revenge for Gate Pā came a few weeks later on 21 June 1864 at Te Ranga. While the defenders were building a new fortification they were attacked and many were killed. In Māori terms this was considered a treacherous act as great kindness had been shown to the British wounded at Gate Pā. This spelt the end of fighting in the Tauranga district and the beginning of the confiscation of thousands of hectares of fertile pristine Tauranga land for which we have finally gathered here today.No matter what we say and no matter what we do the negotiations that your people have been through will in no way make up and compensate for the loss that has been so well articulated here today. So again I recognise the koha that you give in even settling—as little as it is—for the history the confiscation and the loss of posterity in your own lands over this time.Your whakataukī or your pepeha “Ko Mauao te maunga ko Tauranga te moana”—he tohu tēnā o te tangata ki uta ki tai. Kā tū mō ake tonu atu ahakoa te patu o te tangata ahakoa te pēhitanga o te Kāwanatanga kai runga i a koutou kai konei ā-tinana ā-kanohi kia tutuki pai tēnei kerēme; nei te mihi atu ki a koutou. Tēnā koutou kia ora mai tātou katoa.[Your saying or your proverb “The mountain is Mauao the sea is Tauranga”—that is the identity of the individual at the foreshore and in the hinterland. The symbol stands forever regardless of harm inflicted by mankind or oppression imposed by the Government upon you collectively you are here physically and face to face to ensure that this claim is fulfilled; I commend and congratulate you. My appreciation to us all.]