Maipi-Clarke Hana-RawhitiHANA-RAWHITI MAIPI-CLARKE (Te Pāti Māori—Hauraki-Waikato): Tēnā rā koe e te Pīka otirā tēnā rā tatou e te Whare.Kei aku parepare kei aku whakaruruhau nei rā te reo whakamiha ki a koutou katoa. Aio nuku aio rangi aio te pou herenga tangata o te motu a Kingi Tūheitia Pōtatau te Wherowhero te tuawhitu. Rirerire hau pai mārire. Tangihia rā ngā mate o te tau o te marama. Koutou ngā pare kawakawa o Pare ārau kua hoki atu rā ki a Hinenuitepō. E nga uri o Muriwai te iwi o Whakatōhea. Ngāti Rua Ngāti Patumoana Ngāti Ngahere Ngāi Tamahaua Ngāti Ira me te Ūpokorehe. Nei rā ka tuohu tētahi mokopuna o Waikato ki a koutou me tō koutou nei kereme raupatu. E te Pīka nōku te hōnore nui ki te waha i ngā kōrero mō te Pāti Māori i te rangi nei. E tautoko katoa ana mātou i tēnei o ngā wawata me ngā maruāpō nui o te iwi o Whakatōhea.[Thank you Speaker and also greetings to the House. My dear protectors my dear defenders this is my convivial acknowledgments to you all. Peace to the land peace to the skies peace to the gatherer of people King Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII. Rirerire hau pai mārire. We mourn our loved ones who have passed this year. You are the mourning wreath of Pare ārau who have returned to Hinenuitepō. Dear descendants of Muriwai people of Whakatōhea. Ngāti Rua Ngāti Patumoana Ngāti Ngahere Ngāi Tamahaua Ngāti Ira and Ūpokorehe. Here I am a child of Waikato showing my respect to you and your settlement claim. Dear Speaker it is my true honour to speak on behalf of Te Pāti Māori today. We whole heartedly support the dreams and aspirations of the people of Whakatōhea.]I begin my kōrero acknowledging our king Kīngi Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero te tuawhitu as he was the first signature on this claim. I am here to fully support his signing and I'm also very very privileged today to be speaking on behalf of Te Pāti Māori.Me tuku te reo owha ki tētahi o ngā kaiārahi ki a Rāwiri Waititi. Ko tēnei tōna whakapapa koinei tōna uri koinei hoki ōna tupuna kua whawhai i roto i tēnei o ngā mahi. Tēnei o ngā kaupapa nui o te kereme o Te Whakatōhea.[I would like to give my sincere acknowledgments to one of the leaders Rāwiri Waititi. These are his genealogical ties these are his people and these are his ancestors who fought in this. The settlement claims of Te Whakatōhea.]I want to recognise huge impacts of the Land Wars on Whakatōhea who pledged support to the Kīngitanga movements of Waikato in late February 1864. Whakatōhea joined the 800-strong Tairāwhiti taua a combined force drawn from East Coast iwi and hapū. The Whakatōhea contingent was led by Treaty signatory chief Te Āporotanga of Ngāti Rua Hira Te Popo of Ngāti Ira and Apanui of Ngāti Patu. The battle of Kaokaoroa was a devastating loss for Te Tairāwhiti and the costs of colonisation were not only felt on the battlefields but also by the increase of foreign diseases that whānau were defenceless to in communities that were once abundant with kai and whenua. That had been stripped by the Crown. Whānau of Te Whakatōhea perished both on and off the battlefield.This was the first hearing and site visit for the Māori Affairs Committee of 2024. As a newly appointed member to the committee ka rongo atu i te mamae ka rongo au i te ngaukino o Whakatōhea me ngā take o te raupatu. Tēnei te mihi ki ngā uri katoa i tae mai ā tinana ki te tuku i tō koutou reo me ō koutou whakapapa. [I feel your hurt I feel the pain of Whakatōhea in regards to confiscation. I acknowledge all the descendants who have arrived here in person to speak your truth and your history.]With a huge highlight for me we were privileged enough to be guided from Matua Te Ruahohonu at the site of Te Tarata. I too recognise all the descendants of those who fought at the siege on Te Tarata the Whakatōhea casualties during that pakanga cost 10 percent of the Whakatōhea population at that time—a tremendous loss for their iwi too great to put into words.Tēnei te mihi aroha ki a koutou e ngā uri o tēnā o ngā pakanga.[My heartfelt sentiments to you all the descendants of that battle.]We also visited the mussel factory farm which was led and worked by the descendants of Whakatōhea. We heard and felt the mamae and the cries of the descendants of Whakatōhea. However we also felt and heard the dreams and aspirations for their mokopuna.Ᾱ me mihi ka tika ki a koutou Te Whakatōhea [It is only important that I acknowledge you Whakatōhea] in the recent Ahuwhenua awards.I want to also acknowledge all of the rūruhi and koroheke who have put their blood sweat and tears into this settlement. I want to also acknowledge the three rangatahi who were also heard at this settlement hearing. I rongo au i tō koutou reo te reo o te kohanga. [I heard your voice your call.]This process of the Crown in the Treaty settlements is a breach of Te Tiriti. The process of this House still continues to divide and conquer te iwi Māori in this process. We must make Waitangi Tribunal recommendations binding on the Crown and implement all unaddressed Wai claim recommendations. We must also abolish full and final settlements which is outlined in our mana motuhake policy.I follow the words of the speech from earlier from Marama in making sure that I deliver to this House that some iwi and some whānau did not hear their voices at the table which were some concerns of the whānau some whānau of Ngāti Ira Ngāi Tamahaua and Te Ūpokorehe.I te rangi nei tēnei te tuku atu ki a koutou. Kua rongo au i tō koutou reo tupuna.[Today I send to you. I hear the voice of your people.]In the wise words of Moana Jackson Treaties are not settled they are honoured." Te Tiriti is a document that is a foundation of a living evolving relationship between tangata whenua and the Crown. Both parties to the Treaty must continually strive to meet the obligations it sets out to do in all articles.Nō reira tēnā rā tatou e te Whare tēnā rā koutou.[And so thank you dear House thank you all.]"