Sharples Pita: Protected Objects Amendment Bill — Third Reading 
Sharples Pita: Protected Objects Amendment Bill — Third Reading 
[Volume:633;Page:4654] 
Dr PITA SHARPLES (Co-Leader—Maori Party) 
: 
 The office I have created here at Parliament has Maori taonga of all kinds throughout it. These are particularly special to me. As I look at them I think of my relationship with my hapu being a Maori in this land and also my people and our history. My tribal orientation and identity come through those taonga—that is why they are here. They are protected objects that restore to me my humanity. In turn my humanity seeks to protect them. It is in recognition of this rangatiratanga that we have tangata whenua. As mana whenua the Maori Party comes to this bill passionate about the purpose of better protecting and preserving certain objects. 
We are the exclusive keepers of the culture and intellectual knowledge of our traditional knowledge—our matauranga me ona tikanga. It is becoming our role as guardians that we uphold our responsibilities and obligations to exercise Mana Motuhake in relation to our cultural taonga including the whakapapa mana mauri ihi and wehi of those taonga. As part of that guardianship role we support the intention of the bill to introduce greater penalties to deter the possible illegal trafficking of Maori cultural material. Our Maori cultural material has rapidly become fodder for the global market. Indeed the purchase price of taonga Maori on the international market has tripled in the last few years as has the desire for the acquisition of genuine Maori brand gained currency. 
The protection and ownership of the culture and heritage is perhaps best indicated in the instance of ta moko—our traditional Maori tattooing. Ta moko tu tangata whenua is considered a taonga. The heritage conveyed through its design is specific to the tribal origins and the personal history of the wearer. Ngahuia Te Awekotuku a Maori professor of the arts in her analysis “More than Skin Deep: Ta Moko Today” has described foreign tattooists’ use of Maori designs as “pillaging the spirit of a tribal people to sate the culturally malnourished appetites of the decadent West.” 
The roll-call of celebrity wearers of Maori moko includes former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson who sports a facial tattoo with a distinctive Maori influence; American singer Ben Harper; US professional cyclist David Clinger whose moko-inspired tattoo from an Argentinian tattooist covers the upper half of his face and most of his scalp; and of course there is Robbie Williams. Robbie Williams has quite a bit on his body. He is notorious for his body art. He has a Celtic cross on his right hip the message “Elvis grant me serenity” on his right arm the symbol of an Egyptian sun god Beatles’ lyrics on his back the French words for “Everybody’s got his own taste” on his chest and now he has a Maori design on his right arm. 
Chris Auchinvole 
: How do you know Pita? 
Dr PITA SHARPLES 
: Yes true. I would be the first to agree with Williams’ idea of “Each to your own” but people should make sure that it is their own before they start exploiting or appropriating taonga Maori even if they acquired it legitimately and legally. In the case of Mr Williams the cultural heritage—the identity and lineage—expressed in his moko comes from my ancestors that of Ngati Kahungunu. It appears that recently the rock star has admitted he is bored with looking at the images adorning his physique and he is considering surgery to remove them. 
Surgery is one option to restore ownership of other objects of Maori cultural heritage and to have them reside solely with tangata whenua. Prevention and prohibition of illegal trafficking is the first stop. In this way the fact that New Zealand has signed up to the 1970 Unesco Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property and the 1995 UNIDROIT Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects is an excellent initiative that the Maori Party is fully supportive of. These initiatives will help to prevent the rapidly burgeoning international crime demonstrated in the looting of archaeological sites and of theft of items of significant heritage value both of our own nation and other countries as well. 
We must ensure ownership of these taonga remain firmly with mana whenua—the appropriate tribal owners—to protect misuse of cultural material. In this I acknowledge those of our people who have defended our intellectual cultural property from attack. Members will remember the Danish toymaker who wanted the game Bionicle; that was stopped by Maui Solomon and others. The flaming poi is used on our cultural artefacts and has been described as an “emerging trend” by  
Time 
 magazine for their use of it in the Nevada Burning Man Festival and of course there is Shane Kawenata-Bradbrook’s work. He is from NgaiTamanuhiri and Rongowhakaata. He obtained a public apology from the global tobacco giant Philip Morris for using Maori imaging on its packaging. I pay tribute to people like Aroha Mead of Ngati Awa and the tribes involved in the Wai 262 claim before the Waitangi Tribunal on the flora and fauna and cultural intellectual property; those are NgatiKuri Te Rarawa Ngati Wai NgatiPorou Ngati Kahungunu and NgatiKoata. 
So while we are happy to support the provisions of the bill we realise that the ownership of Maori cultural heritage objects may be revisited in our lifetime. In the case of Ngati Kahungunu for instance our claim—pursuant to article 2 of Te Tiriti o Waitangi—expresses that recognition and protection of Ngati Kahungunu cultural knowledge and Ngati Kahungunu rongoa guarantee tino rangatiratanga over and the full exclusive and undisturbed possession of all our taonga within our tribal rohe. This is ground breaking work. Our people hold that in 1840 Ngati Kahungunu collectively and individually retained their body of cultural knowledge and skills in respect of which Ngati Kahungunu are kaitiaki. Te tino rangatiratanga includes the authority of decision making the right to determine indigenous cultural and customary heritage rights the right to protect enhance and transmit the cultural knowledge in relation to all taonga. 
These are quite heavy issues to say in this House. The Protected Objects Amendment Bill is definitely heading in the right direction but the debate must continue about the protection and ownership of taonga both repatriated and newly found. Our taonga do not belong to the Minister for Arts Culture and Heritage they do not belong to Te Papa they do not belong to museums art galleries and private collections home and abroad although we do have to acknowledge and respect the curatorial guardians who have cared for our taonga; their research preservation security and possession of our treasure is appreciated. But the issue is about tribal ownership and our ability to still own things as a group. We never forget that it is our inherent right under article 2—ko te tino rangatiratanga ki rungai o tatou whenua o tatoukainga me nga taonga. 
[ 
sovereignty over our lands homes and treasures 
] 
Our cultural heritage estate our taonga tapu are so much part of who we are as indigenous peoples that it is our life’s work to fulfil our responsibilities and obligations in terms of kaitiakitanga as expressed in our ownership authority and protection.