the people SPEAKS TE REO MAORI
We welcome all those that descend
from the sacred threads of the
ovenNoven rope of Henenako,
the ropes that bind them together
as one. In a legislative sense,
the sacred rope connects all those
who have descended from Ruatipua, to
take up their customary rights and
responsibilities and respect of
the Whanganui
Whanganui River. But in a
a period when there were close to 200 Kainga whenua on the banks and
cliffs of the Whanganui River with
many more
many more other Kainga along the tributaries. We can know of the
life force of that
SPEAKS TE REO MAORI The
small streams that run into one another and continue to link and
swell until a river is formed,
indeed a great river. Today, then,
it is our day to acknowledge
the great river. On 18 March 1994, the
late Ata Whatra stood
great river. On 18 March 1994, the late Ata Whatra stood at the
marae and told the tribunal that
the Whanganui iwi are embarrassed after
118 years of making applications to
different levels of government.
This is
is our tupuna Awa, this is our ancestor and to come again today
to make that same presentation and
as such they are saying this
make that same presentation and as
it. He referred to the petition from the iwi on the timber floating
bill of 1873, the first named
claimant who died over a century
later in 1991 and all those
before during and after
that this bill becomes a memorial to during that first hearing,
the people lost one of their own. Two
of the original Whanganui
River claimants. It moves in many ways to
remind us of what is important.
And the
the passing of someone so intimately associated to its
memories, I reflects their dreams. So many have
passed their lives having borne
stories that brought us here today. And so in this third reading lwant
to dedicate my time to that kwia
and all of them who have given so
much of themselves to keep strengthening
the intenNoven ropes
arrive. SPEAKS TE REO MAORI
only the waters flow on. The
historical cams of
arrive.
they relate to the Whanganui River bear the
bear the imprint of all those who have cried
have cried over the course of this journey.
journey. In 1895 SPEAKS TE REO MAORI
And 151 other Whanganui
petitioned Parliament to prevent the operation of
Whanganui River, the petition is objected so that the
government will not destroy our eel weirs, our white
bait dams
bait dams and the flood currents of the river. Seven years
ago, the beloved kwia passed away at an
incredible 102 years of age. Her korero
korero to the tribunal about the impact
impact of the gravel extraction taken from the river
must not be forgotten. Gravel extraction which
destroyed beds
destroyed beds that provided habitats for fish
and ultimately contributed to
SPEAKS TE REO
What
What will
What will become of my grandchildren, the river stocks will
suffer and
suffer and its mana will suffer if you allow them from the mana fra
our Tipua. They stood
people SPEAKS
SPEAKS TE REO MAORI If you lose your language, you
lose your mountains, you
language, you regain your mountains, river
substance of the framework... SPEAKS
This bill reflects the voices of women. Aunty Joan, nanny Sophie,
nanny Grace, the kwia,
aunty Dardanel, the grandmothers,
wives, mothers, daughters who
stood alongside their men who gave
alongside
instructions in subtle and bold ways, who supported
waiata. They sacrificed and compromised and wept and waited.
compromised
They provide other means to understand
understand the SPEAKS TE REO
MAORI They helped describe the heart
and soul from which to interpret
their mana
SPEAKS TE REO MAORI As it is expressed in this bill
represents immense
represents immense forbearance, compromise and generosity on the
part of Whanganui iwi. It represents
a loving legacy of more than
150 years to both protect the
Whanganui River and provide
for the special relationship of the Whanganui iwi
with the river and I say loving dlib
anthems of the river people embodies the challenge.
the challenge. SPEAKS TE REO MAORI
In other words, embark upon the
canoe of life.
SPEAKS TE REO MAORI bind together in love. It is
an incredible consistent compassionate
courage call for unity,
singing, praying, speaking together in love
ever mindful of the messages left
from beyond to draw
mon the Mara and the
the mobilisation of the people in defiance
defiance of Crown actions in relation to the
river, 79 days of action,
action, crittalising the anger but also
also consolidating the resolve of the
the people to stand strong through it all. They lamented on the loss of
SPEAKS TE REO MAORI it is in decline our our essences
of Maori was being extinguished on
the account of our
inherently trusting nature. Mr Speaker,
Maori culture is a complementally
voices of women and men shape our story to
story to provide the depth of our korero today. I have
chosen today to focus on
focus on the stories of women but I could
could have easily spoken of their brothers
brothers and fathers and both have found physical and
spiritual suss te nance from
nance from the river in time and memorial.
memorial. Our part in the journey has only been a moment of that 150
years, that the
people have been calling forjustice.
time immersed in the story is brief, what was undeniable
SPEAKS TE REO MAORI Don't merely talk about the river,
speak to and commune with the river.
And so we, too, went to the river, a
journey where you
felt the impact of decades
decades of gravel extraction, pollution, diversion and losses
and suffering and
suffering and delays and denials and, yet, the
river still flows on. Like
Like the many twist and turns of Te Awa
Awa Tupua, the journey to reach the final
final conclusion of this settlement process for the iwi of
Whanganui has been
been one of wonder and splendour. But it has also
been tinged with sadness and
sadness and loss for those who have championed the claim. The late
Amuhia, the late Joan Akapita and
many, many others. In fact, too
many to mention. As we, the Maori Party
stand in solidarity with them, we
treaz and
SPEAKS TE REO MAORI Into this house
remember the call. SPEAKS
SPEAKS TE REO MAORI
SPEAKS TE REO MAORI Mr Speaker. Kelvin Davis. Tena
koe. SPEAKS
SPEAKS
SPEAKS TE
SPEAKS TE REO MAORI
SPEAKS