Post by Kiwi Frontline on Sept 18, 2016 9:33:09 GMT 12
Dear Editor, (Sent to the Otago Daily Times 12/9/16)
Whoever said : "Assets offer opportunities - Beginning with the allocation of fisheries quotas in 1992-93, the Waitangi Tribunal treaty-settlement process has started to redress some of the harm caused by the confiscation of Maori land by the Crown."
In the first place the facts about land are that around 90% was sold by eager Maori sellers, sometimes twice over or more by different claimants.
Second, around a mere 3% was confiscated from rebel tribes to compensate for the harm cause by their rebellions. They had been warned in advance about this, an old Maori custom (tikanga) which all would have understood. Much was returned to them to ensure that they had sufficient to live on. So claims about loss of land are entirely spurious.
Third, there is nothing, simply nothing, in the Treaty of Waitangi entitling any Maori to more fishing rights than anybody else. The whole thing, including alleged rights in the Kermadecs is a gigantic scam based on the wording in Freeman's bogus treaty in English which he wrote in pompous prose to send overseas. By a freak of fate, one copy which found its way to Waikato Heads was employed as the second sheet of the agreement signed there whose terms were stated in Maori on the first sheet. This gave it no validity whatever.
Fourth, Waitangi Tribunal pronouncements are invariably in favour of claimants whose claims are frequently false. Our weak governments comply. The huge Ngai Tahu claim is one glaring example. The current claim by Ngapuhi that they never ceded sovereignty is yet another.
If the rest of us go along meekly with all this and do not wake up to these successive swindles then what great fools we are.
BRUCE MOON
Nelson
Dear Editor, (Sent to the NZ Herald 9/9/16)
The article by Tuku Morgan this morning begins by stating that at the time of Captain Cook's arrival, Maori controlled all 66 million acres of our country and now they own just three million acres.
Yes Mr. Morgan, there were confiscations to punish tribal rebellions and to compensate settlers for property which was destroyed - but these were only 4.5% of the land mass, and much was returned to the tribes by the 1870's.
What he does not add is that land-owner Maori sold their land, with much gusto, to the coloniser - often several times over.
These sales are recorded in Turton's Deeds kept at Victoria University and are easily googled at the New Zealand Electronic Centre of the university's website.
That is the true reason that Maori now own just three million acres - minimal land was taken in compensation, much of it was returned, and the rest of it was sold!
In spite of these facts, millions of dollars of taxpayers money are still being given to tribes in treaty settlements.
R B
Tauranga
Whoever said : "Assets offer opportunities - Beginning with the allocation of fisheries quotas in 1992-93, the Waitangi Tribunal treaty-settlement process has started to redress some of the harm caused by the confiscation of Maori land by the Crown."
In the first place the facts about land are that around 90% was sold by eager Maori sellers, sometimes twice over or more by different claimants.
Second, around a mere 3% was confiscated from rebel tribes to compensate for the harm cause by their rebellions. They had been warned in advance about this, an old Maori custom (tikanga) which all would have understood. Much was returned to them to ensure that they had sufficient to live on. So claims about loss of land are entirely spurious.
Third, there is nothing, simply nothing, in the Treaty of Waitangi entitling any Maori to more fishing rights than anybody else. The whole thing, including alleged rights in the Kermadecs is a gigantic scam based on the wording in Freeman's bogus treaty in English which he wrote in pompous prose to send overseas. By a freak of fate, one copy which found its way to Waikato Heads was employed as the second sheet of the agreement signed there whose terms were stated in Maori on the first sheet. This gave it no validity whatever.
Fourth, Waitangi Tribunal pronouncements are invariably in favour of claimants whose claims are frequently false. Our weak governments comply. The huge Ngai Tahu claim is one glaring example. The current claim by Ngapuhi that they never ceded sovereignty is yet another.
If the rest of us go along meekly with all this and do not wake up to these successive swindles then what great fools we are.
BRUCE MOON
Nelson
Dear Editor, (Sent to the NZ Herald 9/9/16)
The article by Tuku Morgan this morning begins by stating that at the time of Captain Cook's arrival, Maori controlled all 66 million acres of our country and now they own just three million acres.
Yes Mr. Morgan, there were confiscations to punish tribal rebellions and to compensate settlers for property which was destroyed - but these were only 4.5% of the land mass, and much was returned to the tribes by the 1870's.
What he does not add is that land-owner Maori sold their land, with much gusto, to the coloniser - often several times over.
These sales are recorded in Turton's Deeds kept at Victoria University and are easily googled at the New Zealand Electronic Centre of the university's website.
That is the true reason that Maori now own just three million acres - minimal land was taken in compensation, much of it was returned, and the rest of it was sold!
In spite of these facts, millions of dollars of taxpayers money are still being given to tribes in treaty settlements.
R B
Tauranga