The Northland Regional Council has no common ground to charge Maori rates on their Maori freehold land; there is a protection clause on the land to stop others from taking control of ancestral land that is absolutely without question.
Our ancestors stood their ground on principle and we are not about to back down on this one.
Councils think they have the God given right to take our lands because we are not paying our rates when in fact it was our birthright.
Today, our people live in poverty and the rural areas they live in, they want. Who wants to be stuck in the city 24/7 living day by day on a meagre existence. Some in squalid conditions and some in no condition at all.
The only place to survive today is on your whenua, we are natural-born people who love the open spaces and live the dream out on the coast, and it's our way of life. Money is not important, freedom is. Councils should encourage a more down-to-earth approach to everyday living.
