John Bones #68 Ignorance is no excuse for stupidity JB. In terms of human history it was only yesterday. In terms of Law, it is still binding. Try telling your bank that you wont pay your credit card because you signed the agreement in the past and it was a contract between an idiot (true) and a foreign power (most likely).

Sam #69 "Maori just forgot the injustices caused by some iwi to each other"

Not so Sam. In recent years there have been many actions taken to redress past injustices between Maori. In fact, Moriori and Taranaki Maori have engaged in considerable work to acknowledge the pain caused in the Chathams. Rather than ignorantly saying 'let the past be the past', they have engaged in healing so all can move forward. It is a model for all the country.

Sam, the points of view of long term ethnic majorities or any others are irrelevant. What matters is the agreement between the Crown and Maori in the form of the Treaty of Waitangi. Love it or hate it an agreement is an agreement. That is why successive governments are trying to address historical grievance.

Maori should get their day in Court to have their claims heard and this is why the Act should be repealed.

However, Maori want freehold title to the SB&FS, this is absolutely crazy, both for the marine environment and public access. Anyone who has travelled to a country where you have to pay to go to the beach would know this kind of thing just creates racial tension and oppression.

If Maori get title to the SB&FS, but the title is heavily covenanted to allow public access/protect the environment then I would be happy. Do Maori think this would be a just result???

All this Maori/White Maori/Maori stuff is pretty irrelevant, as Maori never signed a treaty with other Maori, which is legally significant. Though from a moral pov I have always found it amazing the Maori just forgot the injustices caused by some iwi to each other e.g. Ngati Toa to Ngai Tahu, even though the fact this happened is acutally a good thing and something I hope Maori can adopt someday towards other groups.

I have always been interested in the views of Asian people on the rights of Maori, do you care? You certainly cannot throw in treaty guilt? This is because as the long-term ethnic majority your views are probably most relevant.

This has nothing to do with a treaty, that was between a dictatorial English monarchy and group of Neolithic people trapped in a never ending stone age- neither of which have any relevance in our modern society. It has everything to do with the born to rule idiots thinking they can make money by creating racial hatred.

Richard, you are not alone in your concerns vis a vis Treaty issues. Much of middle New zealand thinks this way, and erronously so. The reason for redress has nothing to do with 'race,' (it is ethnicity by the way--and if you don't know the difference please educate yourself)... it is about honouring a contract, and the spirit of that contract. The alternative is ... well, just read a little history, and not just our own. Post-colonial environs world wide scream the same message. The lesson is simple; Maori are not just going to be'assimilated' into the white potato either by force or social engineering. The only way forward that will engender social harmony, as I see it, is through a true partnership, a relationship built on consensus building, mutual respect and enrichment.

Bill #54

Australia is more forward thinking than New Zealand? Wow! You're obviously NOT an indigenous Australian. As for the smarter Kiwis moving to Aussie, how much more room do you have over there, 'cos there's plenty of Kiwi's here that are welcome to make a new home in your country. Yes folks! There's a plane leaving right now to the fair and forward-thinking isles of Orstralia so if you've had a gutsful of those "pesky" Maori fulla's then you know what you can do.

Alternately, you can stay here, READ and EMBRACE our history and help get the future of this country on track. A future that includes our most precious taonga - our indigenous people, the Maori.

Rangi #35

Great to see your post again and to be proved right re: Maori Party suporting National - ACC, to trade off for this. Congrats to you.

But I think this goes further, I believe customary rights will include selling mining rights to Rio Tinto and the other mining companies sniffing around our shores, the govt has already sold prospecting rights for most of the west coast of the north island. Whatever the case I voted Labour and list vote went to Maori Party. They've let me down. Im only voting Labour if Shane Jones leads if not my next vote goes Green and list Green. Everyone else is a sell out!

TP #62,

You hit the nail on the head. It was and still is all about land grab, and theft from those who are deemed not fitting to own such assets by those who still see themselves as genetically and culturally superior. It is repeated throughout the world wherever there are indigenous people with land.

The problem here is they attempted to do it part through brute force and part through legislation, which is coming back time and time again to haunt them.

If you don't like your treaty which was your idea, written with your ink on your paper then don't live here.

Bill #54 08:51 pm Nov 02 2009

"Somehow what the Pakeha did doesn't seem that bad, (they spared their lives)."

Did they? It wasn't through a lack of trying. Do some research into history and you'll find many occasions pointing to the opposite. The Europeans didn't "spare their lives" they tried to overpower Maori and found it didn't work. All you're doing is painting Maori with the barbaric label, and Europeans with the merciful label. Unbelievable.

"Do we blame Maori today for the slaughter of the Moriori?" -uh, read the posts below, and in any Maori-related comments story.