Ririnui Mita: Ngati Awa Claims Settlement Bill — First Reading 
Ririnui Mita: Ngati Awa Claims Settlement Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:619;Page:15177] 
MITA RIRINUI (Labour—Waiariki) 
: 
 Otira tena koe kai te Kaihautu o te Whare nei. A tena kotou o Ngati Awa koutou i haere tawhiti mai mai i te hau kainga mai i Te Moana-a-Toi-te-Huatahi mai i Te Manuka Tuatahi tena kotou tena kotou tena kotou. Tena kotou te ahuatanga o te kaupapa kei runga kei te tepu i tenei wa. Na koutou i kawe mai ra i te nuku o te whenua kia whakamanahia i roto i te ture e tutuki ai e oti ai nga taimahatanga o te ao tawhito i waenganui i a kotou. No reira na kotou hoki te kaupapa o te ra no reira nau mai hara mai. 
Kai te Kaihautu kaua e papouri mai ko te hiahia tonu au ki te tu ki te korero ki roto i te reo rangatira ki taku iwi ki a Ngati Awa. Kua korerohia nga korero i roto i te Whare nei.Ko wetahi kua kauhautia etahi korero ki a koutou ko wetahi kua tohutohungia hoki o ratou korero ki a kotou te ahua nei ka tau mai kotou ehara he rangatira engari he tamariki tonu.No reira koia na hoki au e whakahe atu ki a ratau na ratau enei korero i whakaputa. A ko tenei mea te utu mo te wairuatanga he korero kuware noa iho tena.No reira kaua kotou e papouri mai ki tenei korero koia nei nga tino mate o tenei Whare.No reira tena kotou tena kotou tena kotou. 
[ 
Greetings indeed to you the Speaker of this House. And greetings to you of Ngati Awa who have travelled some distance from the home winds of Whakatane in the Bay of Plenty. Greetings greetings and greetings to you. Acknowledgments to you in respect to the bill that is on the Table. You brought it here from across the land to have it passed into law and in so doing fulfil and complete the burdens of the past that were among you. And because this bill today is yours as well I bid you welcome welcome. 
Please bear with me Mr Speaker but I really want to take the call and address my people of Ngati Awa in Maori. Statements have been made in this House some of which have been directed at you in a manner that treat you as though you were still children and not chiefs. That is why I objected to those who expressed themselves in this manner. And in regard to this matter about paying for spirituality that kind of talk is pure ignorance. So do not be disappointed by this type of talk: it is a real problem in this House. So greetings to you all. 
] 
The history of the Ngati Awa claim is well documented and well understood by the members of this House. I find myself short of words even to attempt to repeat much of what has already been said here today. But I do congratulate Ngati Awa my people who have come a long way today but also a long way in time to bring to an end the tragic history of all of us as Ngati Awa that occurred through the actions of the Crown. 
I sat here sadly and listened to some people preach to Ngati Awa and I heard other members patronise Ngati Awa. I heard another member even call Ngati Awa a sell-out. Those words were unfortunate given that this is a very positive day for Ngati Awa. The wairua of Ngati Awa does not have a price tag on it but Ngati Awa say to those who want to speak to them to make sure to bring their money to the table—and there is nothing wrong with that. Hoi ano ra koia nei nga korero ki a tatau. 
[ 
Indeed that is what I wanted to say tous. 
] 
I congratulate the negotiators of the Ngati Awa settlement. This is a first step of many steps that Ngati Awa will take into the future. Our young people are watching today witnessing what Ngati Awa kaumatua and kuia are doing for the benefit of their futures. I have to say that my seven children will be beneficiaries of what they do today. No reira I have not much more to say except to say to Ngati Awa: he korero tenei ki a kotou.Ko ahau tenei ta koutou mokopuna mangai korero i roto i te Whare nei e tu whakaiti atu ana nei i a mua i a kotou.No reira tena kotou tena kotou tena kotou katoa. 
[ 
And to you Ngati Awa as your grandchild and representative in this House I stand before you in total humility. Greetings to you and to all of us 
.]