Today the Crown – which means the government – signed a treaty settlement with the Tuhoe people for $1.7m. This is the third biggest treaty settlement.
The Tuhoe land is in the Urewera area which includes the National Park, Lake Waikaremoana. The area is in inland Bay of Plenty. Tuhoe suffered in the past because in 1866, the Crown took much of their land, especially their most fertile land for growing crops. They also lost their access to the sea and sea food. Many people died of starvation in the 1890s.
Now, 40,000 Maori are Tuhoe but only a few live in the Urewera. Most have moved away from this area to find jobs but they want to keep their culture. Today, they received some compensation for their losses.
More than 1,000 arrived in Parliament today by bus to receive an apology from the Crown. Tuhoe want self-management of their area, including water and electricity. In the meantime, the government has given them joint management of Lake Waikaremoana, along with the Department of Conservation. The government also gave them a large cheque.
For more about Treaty claims, listen to June 26th 2008 or type “Treaty” in the search box. For more about Tuhoe and the police raids, type “Tuhoe” in the search box.
Vocabulary
• Treaty – the Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840 between the Crown and Maori people. The treaty promised Maori they would not lose their land.
• settlement – final agreement
• suffered – had a very bad time
• fertile – good land for growing food
• crops – plants for food
• access – able to get there
• starvation – no food for a long time
• compensation – money instead of land
• apology – to say “sorry”
• self-management – govern their own area
That’s 170 million, not 1.7 million.
Of course you’re right. Don’t know what I was thinking of that day!