Originally Posted by
Logen Ninefingers
I think most New Zealanders would say that they want to live in a modern democratic country. And constitutionally it looks like we do live in one. But I do not know if this is actually the case now. I guess that 'full and final' Treaty settlements in the past - along with fullsome apologies - aimed to salve what was once referred to as 'the greviance industry', but I am personally unsure if that is the case. It seems that contempory ideas have moved some way past settlements to address past wrongs with a view to establishing New Zealand as a harmonious modern constitutional democracy. Now we have entered a new era where Maori ambition - with some governmental acquiesance - encompasses a view that they truly will govern New Zealand in conjuction with a government that is elected by all the citizens of New Zealand. And indeed, in many areas and in many ways Iwi groups actually do appear to be co-governing New Zealand along with the elected central and local government entities.
Moreover, we have crossed a line from a view of 'full and final' Treaty settlements to a kind of endless stream of 'reparations' (for want of a better term) for 'the harm wrought on the Maori people by colonisation'. (If you are endlessly referring back to 'colonisation', can you ever truly 'move on'?)
There are a lot of terms that have fallen out of favour in this new paradigm that we live in. It used to be fashionable to talk about a 'Treaty gravy train' or a 'Treaty industry'. These days the Waitangi Tribunal does its business quietly but perpetually. The Waitangi Tribunal seems to be an entity that has always been with us and will always be with us. Their 'work' seems to now consist of reporting on ways that 'the Crown' is 'failing in its Treaty obligations to Maori'. I think many people would have thought that the Tribunal was set up to negotiate on Treaty settlements, although maybe the ground has shifted and - once again - we are being introduced to a new reality.
If you listen to Te Pati Maori, then you would form a view that Maori in general have never been poorer or more down-trodden, and this is mainly due to the Crown who shirk their obligations at every turn. For an opposing view, we may consider that there was $1 Billion of funding specifically targeted at Maori in last years budget (as an example). And for another view again, we may consider the following -
The Māori economy is also diversifying, with new investment areas including geothermal, digital, services, education, tourism and housing. Chapman Tripp's 2017 “Te Ao Māori - Trends and Insights” estimated the value of the Māori asset base at over $50 billion.
Sometimes what is presented as 'truth' by a particular growth may be a form of lobbying or politiking. But to the forelock tugging and ever so 'umble general populace it seems that whatever is presented as truth in the case of Maori hardship is readily accepted, and the self-flagellation begins again. I don't really know where we are at with 'the process' of making the country into a place where Maori are truly content with their lives as a group. Chris Hipkins says there is still "much work to do"....perhaps he believes we are only at step one of a road that will never end.