National v. Labour over Ihumātao (pn716)

Pania Newton talking to tamariki

Early Māori gathered up the loose volcanic rock on the warm, fertile volcanic soils at Ihumātao to clear the land for cultivation. They built complex wall and drainage systems so that the tropical crops they brought with them from Polynesia, such as kūmara (sweet potato) and taro, could survive.

Government has taken a shortcut in purchasing the land from Fletchers at Ihumātao and returning it to its mana whenua. When the Auditor-General called the deal 'unlawful' until validated by Parliament (RNZ) , National and ACT plunged in. But as  MartynBradbury in The Daily Blog points out, National’s own past deals leave much to be desired — and they had nothing to do with putting a past wrong right. Ihumātao was wrongfully confiscated from Ngāti Whatua in 1863 and then sold to a Pākehā farmer whose family kept it before selling to Fletchers. Click here to read what Wikipedia wrote about the site.

Our trail of tears: the story of Ihumātao by historian Vincent O'Malley

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The usual Pākeha reporters, quick on opinions and short on facts (need they be named?) see  the Ihumātao debacle as a simple case of some Maori breaking the law, and Jacinda Ardern allowing them to get way with it by halting further action while calling for all parties to join in discussion.  I see this a step by a wise Prime Minister, anxious to ensure all sides are properly heard. Historian Vincent O'Malley sees it as another example of an unfair and unresolved past. -- ACW

The tino rangatiratanga flag is seen at Ihumātao as the day draws to an end for protesters on the land on Friday 26 July (Photo: RNZ)

The current standoff at Ihumātao has deep roots in the legacy of colonialism and land confiscation. Historian Vincent O’Malley writes in The Spinoff about how it was taken by the Crown, and why that matters today.