Katene Rahui: General Debate 
Katene Rahui: General Debate 
[Volume:674;Page:20043] 
RAHUI KATENE (Maori Party—Te Tai Tonga) 
: 
 Five months ago at the dawn service held at Te Whare Runanga on the Treaty grounds at Waitangi Prime Minister John Key praised the courage and wisdom of those who signed the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840 which gave New Zealand a founding document. That same courage and wisdom is just as vital now as we chart our future onwards as it was at the time of the signing. The reason why was articulated clearly in  
Ko Aotearoa Tenei: A Report into Claims Concerning New Zealand Law and Policy Affecting Maori Culture and Identity 
—otherwise known as Wai 262. Justice Williams’ letter committing the report to the Government’s good care described New Zealand as poised at a crossroads both in race relations and on the quest for a mature sense of national identity. A crossroads offers choices but as Justice Williams pointed out “a future marked by interracial rancour must be emphatically rejected. We say that not just because to choose a path of conflict is morally wrong nor even just because it is the antithesis of the Treaty’s vision. We say this because it would be economically and socially destructive for the country.” 
It was therefore bitterly disappointing that only days after such an important statement the ACT Party launched a campaign intent solely on polarisation and inciting racial disharmony. This was a campaign that resorted to labels such as “Apartheid Aotearoa” or “The Maorification of Everything” as a ploy to gain political appeal. They got it terribly wrong. The crossroads we face today cannot lead to a dead-end street where the only highway is Don’s way. This is about the ongoing and continued existence of Maori as tangata whenua the people of the land. Let us be perfectly clear: we are not going away. This is our home and we are here to stay. 
But our survival is not just about he tangata he tangata he tangata as critical as this is. Chapter 2 of  
Ko Aotearoa Tenei  
states the case that protecting taonga species and matauranga Maori or Maori traditional knowledge aids the survival of Maori culture itself. That is why these things are important enough to justify protection in law. The call of Wai 262 claimants was to see matauranga Maori emerge from the domination of one cultural system a Western world view and to be supported to flourish again in Maori hands. This is up front a Treaty right the protection of the rangatiratanga of our taonga katoa all that we treasure. We have a traditional saying: kei raro i nga tarutaru ko nga tuhinga o nga tupuna—beneath the herbs and plants are the writings of the ancestors. It is a vivid emblem for how we understand ourselves to be interconnected with the flora and the fauna and indeed the greater environment. This is who we are. This is our past present and future but our survival as Maori is also important on other fronts. The first is the critical role Maori culture plays in New Zealand’s national identity and of course in our international reputation. As we prepare ourselves to surrender to the impact of the Rugby World Cup it is timely to remember that our unique Maori culture is a cornerstone of who we are in this country. An authentic cultural experience is one of the key reasons that tourists come to our shores. 
But protection and preservation of things Maori are also basic citizenship rights. The modern State is driven by the twin imperatives of educating its citizens and sustaining their culture and heritage. This is relevant to Maori culture and any other aspect of our unique national heritage. Furthermore Maori are becoming an increasingly significant proportion of New Zealand’s population. Whether it is in the bedroom or the classroom New Zealanders have to have the conversation to forge the relationships that are now a vital part of our national identity and culture.