Korako NukNUK KORAKO (National): Tēnā koe e Te Mana Whakawā. Tēnā rā koutou ngā kōwaitaka o tō tātou mātua tīpuna. Tēnei te mihi o Ngāti Rangi. Nau mai haere mai e whakatau mai Te Whare Pāremata e mihi nei e tangi nei koutou ngā kaupapa whakahirahira koutou tūmanako nei koutou hāpai nei; ka mihi ka mihi e mihi atu ki a koutou katoa.[Greetings to you collectively descendants of our ancestral forefathers. I acknowledge you Ngāti Rangi. Welcome pay homage indeed to this House of Parliament here acknowledging you as you grieve over matters of significance to you in regards to your aspirations that you take aboard; and so I acknowledge commend and salute you all.]I was reminded actually just before question time of when I attended the pō'hiri for Ngāti Rangi here in Parliament that as a son of Ngāi Tahu Kāti Māmoe Waitaha we do have a very very succinct and direct relationship when we talk about the pounamu because it was Poutini actually that went north to this beautiful area and in some ways coerced—I won't say taken" but took Waitaiki and went south again to the Arahura River. So I acknowledge my part of that whanauka and that story of Ngāti Rangi.It is then with real pride that I stand to speak to this first reading—this reading of "Te Pire o Te Rukutia Te Mana"—the first reading of the Ngāti Rangi Claims Settlement Bill. And in doing so I want to look back on a small part of the long history of Ngāti Rangi particularly within its own rohe and upon its own whenua used in the development of this bill. And that small part relates to the events that occurred in the 1860s with the Upper Whanganui River Iwi and the decision of some Ngāti Rangi to support the Crown when fighting broke out thus earning that name kūpapa.The word "kūpapa" has come to represent a meaning that is not supported in history—it is not supported in history. The real meaning of the word is in some ways neutral and that's what Ngāti Rangi were—"kūpapa" in the real meaning. Now to put a bit of context there such were the times that Māori could not remain neutral for long. Sides had to be drawn and Ngāti Rangi found itself having to determine where it stood and what that stand would take. So what we have here with Ngāti Rangi is that it was about siding with the Crown for the mere fact of survival.Many Ngāti Rangi chose to stand with the Crown during the fighting that broke out in the region but such is the complexity of whakapapa whanaungatanga that others would stand with whānau against the Crown forces. Cousin fought cousin father fought son and the sorrow of Ngāti Rangi involvement in these battles is best summed up by the words of a late aunt and that was the Ngāti Kura kuia Rūmātiki Wright who raised at Hiruhārama or Jerusalem in Whanganui on the Whanganui River by saying "Resistance and collaboration are both valid forms of survival if we are there at the time then we can debate that but when we are not there it's too easy for us to look back on history and pass judgement."Well judgment was passed on Ngāti Rangi and indeed it was a very very unfair judgment. For standing with the Crown many Ngāti Rangi were labelled as the Crown's opponents merely for living in the same rohe as their whānauka who fought against the Crown. In attempting to exercise their tino rakatirataka by entering private lease arrangements with Europeans without the Crown's involvement the Crown prevented this and instead inserted themselves as lessees to these commercial dealings. Even before the leases ended the Crown vigorously purchased over half the land Ngāti Rangi wished only to lease.The fragmentation of Māori lands through the individualisation of title accelerated the huge land loss that we now see in the historical account. How many times have we actually sat here in this House and heard repeated stories on how land was taken from iwi Māori? But today is the important day. It is the ultimate here that on this day of the first reading to acknowledge what happened to Ngāti Rangi we are here to ensure that the sins of the past are finally in some ways laid to rest. So let's just have a look at what I'm talking about in the historical context.In 1907 the Crown set the boundaries of the Tongariro National Park without consulting Ngāti Rangi. Wāihi tapu sites of immense significance to Ngāti Rangi were located on that block. Ngāti Rangi were excluded from the administration of the park until the 1980s. Efforts by Ngāti Rangi to try and retain their land were all but in vain. So from landholdings of 62000 acres in the 1900s today it has only 13500 acres left and that is the travesty here again that Ngāti Rangi actually have gone through. Much of that is because of the Public Works Act. Most of it was through the Public Works Act an all too familiar mechanism—isn't it—on Māori land that was taken in the name of progress and that progress as we see with Ngāti Rangi had a huge influence on what happened to this iwi.So the result of this loss was a desecration of an economic base the abilities to sustain themselves and the consequent loss to wairua. That in turn manifested itself as we've seen so many times through poor educational outcomes and social disruption and one of the worst things is the dispersion of population away from their ancestral lands. So this settlement is indeed a chance for Ngāti Rangi to claw back what has been lost.The settlement in some ways is a good start when we look at the quantum of $17 million in commercial redress. At least that will be the start of that economical journey through to ensure that the iwi continues to have what we may know as tino rakatirataka. The cultural redress is comprehensive as well and others will actually go through that but I think the important thing is that resurrection in some ways or the beginning of the relationship with the Department of Conservation and that partnership particularly on lands that are actually controlled or owned by the Department of Conservation or the Crown.Perhaps most importantly is the Crown apology. I think it's one of the most important. When we look at Ngāi Tahu in some ways it wasn't the money that was important; it was about the apology—it was about the apology. Indeed in this deed it is no exception. Now there is still a process to go through. This is the first reading. Then it will come down to the Māori Affairs Committee. Then there will be the hearing of submissions. Then there will be a second reading. Then there will be a committee stage. But at the end of the day we will see those beautiful faces there in the gallery that will be there for the third reading and then the final part of the settlement. So we all look forward to that day when that can happen.I acknowledge the chair of the Māori Affairs Committee Rino Tirikatene and the way that he actually guides our committee through these particular important Treaty settlements and that process. So on that note I indeed commend this bill—this incredible bill "Te Pire o te Rukutia Te Mana"—to the House. Kia ora koutou katoa."