Flavell Te Ururoa: Ngati Mutunga Claims Settlement Bill — First Reading 
Flavell Te Ururoa: Ngati Mutunga Claims Settlement Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:632;Page:4507] 
TE URUROA FLAVELL (Maori Party—Waiariki) 
: 
E te Kaiwhakawa tena koe. E te Whare tena tatau katoa. Ngati Mutunga koutou i haramai i te hauauru koutou i haramai i raro o te tihi o te maunga Taranaki tena koutou. Haramai e te raukura i titia ki nga hau o Taranaki. Haramai Tokomaru. Haramai te hunga i rongo nei i te raupatu me te muru o te whenua. Haramai ki te Whare nana koutou i tukino nana na ona ture koutou i patu. Kua hikoi mai koutou ki nga kuaha ki nga pakitara o te Whare nei ahakoa kua rongo koutou i te makariri o te ringa o te tangata nei o te Karauna. Nau mai haramai ki te rua o te taniwha. Tena koutou i a ratau i para nei i te ara mo tenei ra. Ratau kua haere ake ki tua o te pae o maumahara. Haere nga mate haere koutou whakaoti atu. 
E hoa ma anei tatau o te Whare e whakawhitiwhiti korero nei e whakawa ana i tenei o nga pire. E whakawa ana matau mena kua ea nga nama ki a koutou o Ngati Mutunga i runga i te tika me te pono me ki ko nga mamae o nga mahi a pokokohua me ona kawai uri a tahae a whanako a kohuru a murere a kuare a whakaiti a patu tangata a patu mahara a patu mauri. No reira Ngati Mutunga ahakoa kua ea te wahanga ki era i uhia i te kakahu putiotio a te kuia nei a mate i nga tau ki a matau o te Pati Maori kare ano kia ea te wahanga ki nga uri whakatipu.  
Kia mohio mai koutou anei te ahuatanga ki a matou o te Pati Maori. I te tuatahi ko ta matau e ki nei e tika ana ma tena iwi ma tena hapu ia e korero e whakarite e whai i ona ake huarahi ko nga huarahi e tika ana mona. Koia ra te tikanga o te tino rangatiratanga e korerohia ake nei e waiatatia ana i runga i o tatau marae. Ko te mate ke i tenei take a koutou otira a iwi ke ano hoki ki te whakaae matau ka riro ma te whanako ano te whanako e whakawa e whakarite i tona ake nama ki te hunga i rongo nei i te hara me tana ki mai: “Aroha mai anei nga kongakonga o taku tepu.” ko te ngakau kei te ki kaore tera i te tika. Koira te mutunga mai o te he. 
Kaore matau o te Pati Maori te whakapono kei te tika nga mahi a te Karauna kore kore kore rawa matau e whakaae. E ki e ki! Na wai i ki ma te tahae tonu e whakatau ko te wariu o te whenua i whanakohia e ia? Na wai i ki ma te tahae e tohu ko tehea o nga rawa ka whakahokia mai e ia? Ara ano te korero: “He kitenga kanohi ka hoki nga mahara.” 
Kei te maumahara matau Ngati Mutunga i te kohurutanga o o koutou tupuna e te Karauna. Kua tuhia ki roto i nga korero o te motu. I timata mai ai nga pakanga i te wa i paku mai nga pu o nga kaipuke i waho ake o Waitara. Ko te tangata tona kai. Nawai ra ko te katoa o Taranaki i rongo i te ngau o te ture ara ko te muru me te raupatu. Kei te mohio tonu au kei te rongo tonu a Taranaki i te mamae e te ahuatanga o te raupatu e kore e taea karo. I te mauheretia o koutou whanaunga mo te aha? Ko to ratau hara he whawhai kia kore ai a whanako e mahi i ana mahi kia kore ai o ratau whenua e riro ki a tahae. Koira anake to koutou hara. 
Ka hoki nga whakaaro ki a ratau ma ko “o ratau pona kei muri i nga taringa” 
.  
Ko ratou i mauheretia i Otakou i Wharekauri ranei nga wahine i tukinohia e nga hoia o te Kawana. Me pehea e taea ai te whakamama i te ngau o era tu momo mahi ko te tukino tangata. E kore e taea e te moni e kore e taea e te kupu korero e kore e taea e te tuohu o te mahunga. Ara ano te korero: “Ma te wa a te mamae e whakaora e whakamama.” 
E kare ma e kore e taea mena ka patua te kino ki tetahi kino ano. Koia nei te mahi o te Karauna i te ra nei. I tenei rangi kei te aroha atu matau ki a koutou kei te taumaha te ngakau. 
He aha te rongoa hei panipani hei whakaora i era tu momo taumahatanga. Anei pea wetahi whakaaro. Kohia nga korero i korerotia e koutou panuitia i roto i nga pukapuka tohatohaina ki nga marae me nga kura o Taranaki kia kitea mai ai e te katoa o nga reanga whakatipu anei ke nga korero a Ngati Mutunga.  
Tuarua e ki mai ana te ngarara ka mutu nga take katoa e pa ana ki nga kereme na tenei pire. Ko ta te Karauna kaore he hokinga tuarua mai. E hoa ma penei i tera waiata rongonui ko ta matou o te Pati Maori e ki nei: “Hoki mai e Mutunga ki roto ki roto i nga ringa e tuwhera atu nei.” 
A kati i reira. Ki atu ki o koutou tamariki ki te hoki mai ki te Whare nei patoto ki te kuaha ahakoa ko wai te hunga o roto. Tera pea he paraoa nui nei kei te tepu a taua wa. 
Hei ta tetahi korero a Mokomoko o Te Whakatohea: nana te ki: “Tangohia te taura i taku kaki kia waiata au i taku waiata.” Ki taku mohio he momo taura ano kei o koutou kaki he pene i te ringa. Kei te ringa o te Karauna ko te taura ko tana mahi ko te kukume mai hei mirimiri i te kaki. Kei te pai hoki mai. Tangohia te taura kia waiata ano koutou i o koutou waiata. Kia poi atu ano koutou i o koutou poi. Kia rongo ano te motu i te paopao mai o te taramu. 
Na ka tahuri tatau ki nga korero a te Kawana i tera tau ara i Hongongoi i te marae o Urenui. E ai ki taku rongo i reira i puta nga korero mo Pomare raua ko Te Rangihiroa nga uri o Ngati Mutunga ko a raua whakaahua kei te pakitara i waho ake i o matau tari. Kei te tangi tonu te ngakau ki a raua i mua i taku taenga mai i te ahiahi nei. He tangi aroha he mamae he pouri nei. Kei konei a Tariana to koutou mema Paremata o Te Hauauru e tangi nei a kei te marama koutou ki tona ahua me nga take kua kokirihia e ia. Ko tana he tu pakari he tautoko he whawhai he akiaki i te Kawana kia tika kia pono nga mahi a pokokohua ma ahakoa te uauatanga o era mahi. Kei te mohio koutou i tona tu i Pakaitore i roto o Whanganui tona tu hoki i te wa i murua e tenei Kawana i te takutai moana i te tau rua mano ma wha. 
Me ki kei te harikoa a whanako i tenei rangi. Ko ta te Minita i Urenui i tera tau he mihi atu ki a koutou mo o koutou whakaaro rangatira. “Mo Aotearoa whanui te painga” e ai ki tana. “Ma Aotearoa whanui te painga” i whiwhi i a koutou te tekau ma rima miriona taara kia ea ai te nama mo nga mahi nanakia engari ko tona tikanga ara noa atu te utu. “Mo Aotearoa whanui te painga” ahakoa nana koutou i kohuru i nga rau tau ki muri tae ra ano ki enei rangi.  
Ara ano te korero: “He honore he kororia he maungarongo ki runga i te mata o te whenua he whakaaro pai ki nga tangata katoa 
.”  
Ko tau he aroha ki te iwi. Ko ta te Karauna he whakaaro mona ake he matapiko. No reira kei te aroha ake. Heoi ano Ngati Mutunga tena koutou i kaha nei ki te kokiri i tenei take to koutou tono ki te whanako ara ki te Karauna kia taea ai e koutou te whai te huarahi ki te paenga. 
Kia mohio mai koutou ka noho wahangu te tokotoru ko tetahi ka tautoko. Ko ta matau ke—he toka tu hei akiaki i te Karauna ki te whakatikatika i nga tikanga a-tono ki a ia kia mahi rangatira ia kia ea ai ona nama. Ko te mate ke kei te mohio matau i te mutunga kei a nanakia te korero whakamutunga. Kei a ia te ki me penei me pera. Kei a ia te ki me penei me pera kei a ia te ki anei nga taonga ka whakahokia tona whakahihi! E te karauna ara ano te korero: “E kore te uku e piri ki te rino ka whitingia e te ra ka ngahoro.” Kei te tika tera korero i tenei ra. Kaua e pohehe ka ea katoa i tenei ra. He ra ano apopo. Na reira Ngati Mutunga kei te tangi kei te tangi matau. Kia kaha kia maia. Tena koutou tena koutou. Kia ora tatau. 
[An interpretation in English was given to the House.] 
[ 
Greetings to you Madam Speaker and to all of us in the House. Ngati Mutunga you who have come from the west you who have come from beneath the crest of Taranaki greetings. Welcome the raukura the feather of peace that has blown throughout Taranaki. Welcome Tokomaru. Welcome you who have suffered from confiscation and loss of lands. Welcome to this House which is the place responsible for your downfall whose laws were used to silence you. You have come to the door to the walls of this House even though you have felt the cold hand of this person the Crown. Welcome welcome to the lair of the taniwha. Welcome as you bring with you those who set the scene those who have passed on beyond the veil. Depart the dead farewell and rest there forever. 
Friends here we are in the House exchanging thoughts examining this bill. We are considering whether the debts owed to you Ngati Mutunga have been settled in a fair and honest manner. That is to say let the pain of those whose heads should roll come down on their descendants—namely for the greed theft murder treachery ignorance belittling and destruction of people of mind and of spirit. Ngati Mutunga although it has been settled with those who have been covered in the prickly cloak of death in years gone by to us the Maori Party the debt has not been settled with this generation. 
You should know this is what we of the Maori Party believe. Firstly we say that it is appropriate that each iwi each hapu speaks for itself organises itself and follows its own path—a path that it sets for itself. That is the expression of tino rangatiratanga that we speak about and we sing about on our marae. The problem with this issue of yours and indeed of other iwi is that if we leave it for the thief to judge the thief to determine the debt to those who suffered by his actions although he may say: “I’m sorry these are the crumbs at my table it is all that I have.” the heart says that this is not correct. This is the ultimate crime. 
We of the Maori Party do not believe that the Crown is behaving honourably—never never never will we agree. How dare they! Who said that it is for the thief to determine the value of the land that he stole? Who said that it is appropriate for the thief to determine which of the resources will be returned? “Seeing the faces stimulates the memory.” We remember Ngati Mutunga we remember the murder of your people by the Crown. It has been written in the history. The battles began at the time of the firing of the cannons out of Waitara. People were the cost. So it was that all of Taranaki was to feel the gnashing of the law. I know that Taranaki still grieves. The grief will be eternal. It cannot be removed. Your relatives were incarcerated for what gain? Their crime was to oppose the Crown so that the thief would not steal. That was your solitary crime.  
Our thoughts go back today to those who have passed on whose knees are behind their ears—those who were incarcerated at Otago or the Chatham Islands; the women who were raped by the soldiers of the Crown. How can you possibly lighten the pain of those actions? Neither money nor apology and the bowing of the head will ever erase from the memory the scars of that time. There is another saying:“Time will heal all pain.” Friends this is not possible if you layer one injustice upon another. This is what the Crown is doing today. Today we grieve with you. Our spirits weep our hearts are heavy. 
What remedy do we have to smooth over and heal such deep wounds? Here are some thoughts. Gather your stories. Publish them. Distribute them to the marae and schools of Taranaki so that the coming generations can see that these are the truths of Ngati Mutunga. 
Secondly the Crown says that this is a full and final settlement. According to the Crown there is no return. Friends just like that famous song we of the Maori Party say: “Return o Mutunga welcome back to our open hands.” Enough! Let us leave it there. Tell your children to come back to this House and knock on the door no matter who resides within. Perhaps there will be a bigger loaf on the table. 
Recalling a statement from Mokomoko of Whakatohea when he said: “Take the rope from my neck so that I can sing my song.” I believe there is a type of rope also around your neck. The Crown has its hands on the rope. Its actions are to tug at the rope to give you a reminder. It is OK. Come back take off the rope so that you may sing your song; so that you can swing again your poi; so that the nation can again hear the beat of the drums. 
Let us now turn to the statement by the Crown in July last year at Urenui Marae. According to what I heard tales were related about Maui Pomare and Sir Peter Buck the descendants of Ngati Mutunga whose pictures adorn the walls outside our offices. I grieved for them as I came here this afternoon. It was a loving painful and gloomy time. Tariana your member of Parliament grieves with me. And it goes without saying that you know the type of person she is and the issues she has addressed. Despite the difficulties her position has always been one of strength of supporting of battling and of raising the issues with the Government so that those whose heads should roll would act honourably and with integrity. You know of her actions at Pakaitore within Whanganui and the actions she took at the time of the passing of the foreshore and seabed legislation in 2004. 
Let us say the thief is indeed celebrating today. At Urenui last year the Minister praised you for your generosity. This was for the benefits that according to him were bestowed upon all New Zealanders. It was for the benefit of all New Zealanders that you accepted only $11 million to repay the debt; however we know that the value of your losses was greater. It was for the benefit of all New Zealanders even though it was he who inflicted the suffering from that period of 100 years ago to the present. 
There is another saying:“Honour and glory peace throughout the land goodwill to all people.” Your action was generosity to the nation. The Crown’s was mean-spirited. So we lament for you. However Ngati Mutunga we congratulate you on your strength in advocating with the thief—that is the Crown—so that you can forge the path to the future. 
You need to know that three of us will not be voting and one will be supporting. The problem is that we know in the end they have the final say. They will determine what will be how it will be done and what resources will be returned and distributed. How arrogant! For the Crown there is another saying: “Clay will not stick to iron; when the sun shines it will dry and fall away.” And so Ngati Mutunga we are grieving. Be strong and brave. Greetings greetings.  
Thank you all 
.]