Te Ururoa Flavell: Tribunal's role of experience

The latest report from the Waitangi Tribunal is a topic of great discussion - all to do with freshwater.

One problem seems to be most people don't know much about important aspects of the Tribunal.

The Tribunal is not a court, but follows up claims of Maori regarding government breaches to the Treaty of Waitangi.

The body was established in 1975 to look at breaches before that date. In 1985, its role was extended to deal with all breaches from 1840 - historic, current and ongoing.

The people who preside over this body are experts in their fields. The Tribunal also reflects the intent of the Treaty - to have sound judgment from the people of New Zealand - in that half of its members are of Maori descent and half are non-Maori.

Iwi usually go to the Tribunal to test whether the Treaty has been breached by the Crown. The problem for iwi is the government is not bound to follow the outcomes set by the Tribunal. Some might ask, given the non-binding nature of judgments, what is the point of going to the Tribunal?

Firstly, the reports the Tribunal produces are a collation of what tribes and families have seen, heard and researched - an encyclopaedia of history and knowledge for generations to come. Secondly, if the Tribunal supports what the iwi has claimed, that iwi may then take those judgments to the government as a starting point for negotiations between the Crown and claimants.

One major issue is most people are not knowledgeable on that sort of discussion - when a report is submitted by the Tribunal, people can mistakenly think all judgments were agreed to by the Crown.

They can conversely believe all judgments automatically fall on the side of Maori or that all Tribunal members are Maori and therefore it is a waste of non-Maori money. If most New Zealanders would listen to the Tribunal and look at these reports, they would gain a great understanding of our shared history and the Maori struggle.

Recently, the Tribunal issued a landmark report about Maori claims to water - the Tribunal affirmed Maori do have proprietary rights to freshwater bodies and that it is appropriate for the Government to look at a way where these rights might be duly considered. Thirdly, the report says it is appropriate claimants have time to discuss how to protect their rights and those of the Crown in regards to the sale of state-owned enterprises. As far as I know, the government has already set its path and is not likely to change.

As I write the whole issue is still being discussed. Shortly, we will all know.

I welcome your feedback. Email: mpwaiariki@parliament.govt.nz Post: PO Box 12028 Rotorua 3045 Phone: 07 3503261

I tenei wa tonu nei, kei te kaha korerotia ko te Taraipiunara o Waitangi, a, ko te wai Maori te take. Ko te mate ke, kaore te nuinga i te mohio mo nga korero e pa ana ki a ia, no reira, anei pea etahi whakamarama. Ko te Taraipiunara nei ehara i te kooti, engari ka whai tonu i ana tikanga. Ko tana mahi, he whakarongo ki nga take e pa ana ki nga kereme o te ao Maori mo nga hara o nga momo Kawanatanga i nga tau kua hipa.

I whakaturia te Runanga nei i te tau 1975. I te tuatahi kaore i te whakaaetia kia titiro a ia ki nga kawe i mua o te tau 1975. Engari, no te tau 1985 i whakawhanuitia ake tera tirohanga, ki nga take, mai i te tau 1840. Ko te hunga noho nei i tenei taumata he tohunga, he matanga tonu, ko tona hanga he whakatinanatanga i te Tiriti o Waitangi ara, kia haurua no te ao maori, a, ka pera mo te ao pakeha.

Ka haere nga iwi ki te runanga nei, kia riro mana tonu e whakatau mena e takahia ana te Tiriti e te Karauna. Ko te mate ke, ehara i te mea, me whai atu te Kawanatanga ki nga whakatau o te Taraipiunara. E hia ke nei nga wa, kua whai ke te Karauna i huarahi ke atu, kua whakarerea atu te purongo. Heoi ano, i te nuinga o te wa, ka whakatinanahia ko etahi o nga whakatau i roto i nga whakataunga kereme.

Mena e pera ana te ahua he aha te take o te haere ki te Taraipiunara? E rua pea. Tuatahi, ko nga purongo ka puta i a ia, he kohikohinga korero o nga iwi, hapu, whanau ara ko ta ratou i rangahau nei, rongo nei, kite nei. No reira, he kohikohinga korero mo nga reanga a nga tau. Tuarua, mena ka tautoko mai te Taraipiunara ki ta te iwi e ki nei, ka heria tera whakatau ki te Karauna (ara ki te Kawanatanga) hei timatanga korero i roto i nga whiriwhiringa ki te whakau i nga take i waenganui i te Kawanatanga me te Kaitono.

Ko tetahi take nui, ko te noho kuware, kore mohio o te nuinga mo enei korero. Ka puta tetahi korero i te Taraipiunara, ka noho pohehe nei etahi, ka whakaaetia ona korero e nga Kawanatanga, ko ona whakatau ka aro nui nei ki te taha o te Maori, ko nga kaiwhakawa he Maori te katoa, he whakapau moni noa iho tana mahi. Era pohehe era! Mena, ka haere te marea ki te whakarongo ki nga korero i tenei kooti, mena, ka ata tirohia ona purongo katahi ka mohio ki te ahuatanga o te noho o te Maori ki tenei whenua me nga take nui o te ao Maori.

Nonatatanei, i puta tetahi purongo o te Taraipiunara mo te wai Maori. Nana te ki, ae, he panga, he mana to te Maori ki te wai Maori. Ka rua, e tika ana kia ata titiro te Kawanatanga ki tetahi huarahi kia whai hua taua mana. Ka toru, kia hui nga kaitono Maori ki te korero mo tetahi huarahi kia tiaki te wahi ki te Maori me tera o te Kawanatanga ara ki te hoko i nga Kamupene o te motu. Ki taku mohio kua whakairia te Kawanatanga i tona haki ki te pou, a, e kore ia e nuku. Heoi ano, i a au e tuhi nei i tenei korero, kei te noho tarewa te take. Taihoa ake nei ka mohio tatou.