Maori claims - what readers say

The Herald's reporting on the major Maori land claims has brought a heavy public response. Here is an edited selection of some of the views expressed:

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Your coverage of the Treaty of Waitangi claims issue discloses that the taxpayers have given $581 million to a small minority of the population.

This raises many questions as to the accountability of the recipients. Do they have to account for their stewardship of these funds? Is it possible to discover how many jobs have been created (saving a further cost by way of welfare payments) and is sound investment advice available before the "inheritance" is spent?

If we are to have an informed debate on the larger issues, some information on these points would be useful. - Michael Dawson, Milford

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As the Tuwharetoa tribe (with Central North Island claims to vast forest tracts) was not a signatory to the Treaty of Waitangi - its chief, Te Heuheu, of Taupo, refused to sign - how can it be a claimant? - D. Haworth, St Heliers

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I showed the Weekend Herald headline "What Maori want" to my Maori mate at work. He riposted that it should have said: "What Maori want back". - Lionel Aspden, Mt Albert

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Recent Herald articles have featured the claim for much of the "Crown Land of Auckland". Readers will be interested to learn that there is another claim in the wings that quite simply claims "All land, air and water between Lake Pupuke and Pukekohe".

There is no mention of private property being exempt. This claim is known as Wai 423 and is in the name of Ngai Tai Ki Tamaki. - Murray Reid, Howick

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In the modern English translation of the Treaty of Waitangi, Article Three states that the people of New Zealand shall be given the same rights and duties as the people of England.

One of the duties of British citizenship at the time that the treaty was signed was, and still is, to obey and promote the laws of England.

These laws include Crown ownership of the foreshore and seabed, unless ownership is granted (not surrendered) to an individual.

The iwi that signed the treaty agreed to the rights and duties of the people of England, not the rights without the duties. - Rachel Primrose, Mairangi Bay

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Your articles about the settlement of claims against the Crown accurately reflected some of the information available from the website of the Office of Treaty Settlements.

Searching more widely would have revealed some interesting comparisons between the settlement of claims made by non-Maori against the Crown and settlements reached with Maori.

While much less information is available about non-Maori settlements, as they are subject to much less scrutiny, the Alan Titford (affected by Te Roroa's claims), Equiticorp and the West Coast Native Forests settlements and the Air New Zealand and Tranz Rail bailouts indicate that the Crown will pay restitution at between 76 per cent and 100 per cent of their full value for non-Maori claims.

By comparison Maori claims after 1990 have been settled for between 33.4 per cent and 0.01 per cent of their full value. I doubt that any thinking person would expect to call such settlements full, final and durable. - Professor Margaret Mutu, Head of Department of Maori Studies, University of Auckland

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As a potential new citizen of this great country, I am concerned at the hostility between races.

Maybe we should take a lesson from Nelson Mandela. Locked away for almost half his life, he was freed and then harboured no hatred for his oppressors. He is a man who looks forward; had he looked backward, there would have been a blood bath in South Africa. - Steve Williams, Torbay

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In response to your lead article entitled "What Maori Want", a suggestion would be to write another article entitled "What Maori Don't Want". This would be far more manageable reading. - Glen Millage, Auckland

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In Samoa, the seabed and foreshore belong to the local village. There is a charge to enter and use any beach area, and the "two tala man" is always there to collect the fee.

Two tala is about the cost of a short taxi ride in Apia.

This is the custom in Samoa, and as visitors to that country we respect that custom. But I feel that we need to think deeply about the implications before we allow claims that may lead to a similar system being introduced here. - Peter Lewis, Forrest Hill

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I'm utterly sick of the Maori. If only their willingness to work and behave themselves was as big as their egos, our nation would be much richer.

Their endless demands for money is the result of greed that knows no bounds. They did nothing for this country while they occupied it for 600 years and they are now trying to destroy what decent hard-working European and Chinese folk have given their entire lives to building. - Lyn Gautier, Pakuranga

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