I wish to acknowledge all of those people who have toiled & struggled throughout the decades to have the indigenous rights of the T?ngata Whenua of Aotearoa finally acknowledged on a global forum!

I enjoy a good waiata, I will also stand to sing to demonstrate my support if a k?rero is good, but in this case, I think not, unlike some who have been singing the praises of the prime minister, and I would definately not be so bold in congratulating

“John Key and the National Party for the boldness of their decision to work with the Maori Party in recognising that M?ori do hold a special status as the indigenous people of Aotearoa”

(H Harawira, Ae Marika 27 april 2010)

If JK the Nats and The P?ti M?ori were so bold, why is it that the majority of us only found out just before Pete was so boldly going to sign the declaration of on our behalf? Why was it, that a contingent of stalwarts who have championed indigenous rights for decades previous, were not there to accompany him? Why weren’t the whakaahua of all those warriors taken to that place, and placed in front of the UN for all of the world to see. They are the Soldiers of Sovereignty, We Will Remember Them, and so should they!

I say SHAME ON YOU M?ORI PARTY!!! SHAME! SHAME!! SHAME!!!

How can you claim to be so proud, when you went cloak & dagger to a forum of such significance, without anyone being none the wiser? (We should have celebrated with you!)

You know, I could understand the need for such a tactic in 1975 when Matiu slipped the tribunal bill past the house, but this is 2010 e hoa m? and we are still scurrying around like Rats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I also note Tariana’s comment saying "Our priority is repeal – we promised our people we'd get that so that's our main objective. Beyond repeal our aim is to get the best deal possible for our mokopuna."

For me, it’s Repeal or Retire! Anything less is unsatisfactory, and yet again sets a precedence to the baldheads, that they can take anything they want, when they want, in its whole state, and return a portion of it back, secure in the knowledge that our response will be, “well we tried, but at the end of the day “That was the best deal possible for our Mokopuna” Rubbish!!!!!!!! And if that’s what you are all willing to settle for on behalf of MY MOKOPUNA, THEN STEP ASIDE!!!!!!!!!

Ng?ti Wh?tua and its K?hui Collective of hap? in the Kaipara region stated unanimously to Findlayson when he had the cheek to show his little ferrit face in our patch “That we, Ngati Wh?tua, have Always had Mana Moana dating back to before p?keha arrived on our shores, and we never relinquished title to it!”

Well, time will tell e hoa m? as to how PONO those words are, or will they also be washed away in the sea of lies and deceit that have been the trade mark of tauiwi since as long as we can remember,

Full & Final…………Shared interests on our Maunga,……..W?hi Tapu……. $20.000.000 that wouldn’t even buy two bloody properties on Paratai Drive…………..Lets hope not!

Ropata P?ora Te Tao? o Ng?ti Wh?tua

(Any comments, I’m easy enough to get a hold of!)

From: Raewyn Harrison [mailto:raewyn.harrison@parliament.govt.nz]

Sent: Tuesday, 27 April 2010 4:47 p.m.

Subject: Ae Marika – 27 April 2010 – Hone Harawira MP – Te Tai Tokerau

Ae Marika!

A column published in the Northland Age

By Hone Harawira

MP for Tai Tokerau

27 April 2010

To comment on this column please go to my website http://www.hone.co.nz

The proudest of days…

It was with a sense of enduring shame that when the rest of the world was signing up to the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in 2007, the Labour government of the time, without consultation with their own Maori caucus or with the wider Maori population, decided to oppose the Declaration, thus sending a clear statement to the world that as long as Labour was in power, New Zealand would oppose the fundamental rights and aspirations of Maori people.

So it was with a deep sense of satisfaction within Maoridom that Labour got dumped from the government benches 12 months later and lost four of their precious Maori seats to an upstart party whose people had finally woken up to the fact that Maori aspirations were being strangled to death in a party of indifference, clearing the way for the brand new Maori Party to open negotiations with the National government, which led to the historic announcement to support the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, a document opposed vociferously by the Labour Party in 2007, and is still opposed by the Labour Party in 2010.

On behalf of the Maori Party I congratulate Prime Minister John Key and the National Party for the boldness of their decision to work with the Maori Party in recognising that M?ori do hold a special status as the indigenous people of Aotearoa, and that indigenous rights and indigenous culture are of profound importance to this country and fundamental to our identity as a nation.

I ask those who would speak against this document some very simple questions, like why it is that opponents can so comfortably sign up to international covenants on the rights of women, children, gay people, and even dogs, but be so small-minded, petty and mean-spirited in their opposition to an international covenant on the rights of indigenous people, a declaration that is aspirational in its wording, positive in its vision, and uplifting in its nature.

I leave my final words to the Honourable Sir Edward Taihakurei Durie, who emailed us to say:

‘My congratulations to the Maori Party caucus for the party’s role in securing New Zealand’s support for the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Were nothing else done during the party’s lifetime, this one thing would be enough to secure for it a treasured place in Maori history.

‘Notwithstanding the progress made through all the tribunal reports and court cases from the 1980s, and the consequential changes in legislation and official policy, I would still rank the day that New Zealand gave support to the Declaration as the most significant day in advancing Maori rights since February 6, 1840.

‘I do not overlook that the Declaration has only moral force. The same is said of the Treaty. Important statements of principle, established through international negotiation and acclamation, filter into the law in time, through both governments and the courts, which look constantly for universal statements of principle in developing policy or deciding cases… I hope something will be done in time to honour those of our people who helped to achieve this result.’

Ends