In social studies I have been learning about Ihumatao and the ongoing feud for the land between the Maori and the Government. I tried to base my research around the question “Why do Maori not want to give the land to the government.”
Ihumatao is an area of volcanic land on the west side of South Auckland where protesters have gathered to stop housing development on the tapu land. Maori are trying to retain and conserve the stolen land. Maori say that they should not pay for that because it was stolen from them, and that the land should in fact be gifted back to the Maori. In November 2016 S.O.U.L group (save our unique landscape) led by Pania Newton set up camp beside the land of Ihumatao. The camp became known as Kaitiaki Village. In the beginning the camp had only 20 people, sleeping in caravans, tents, and sheds. Now there are over 100 people in the Kaitiaki Village. Around 30 days ago an eviction notice was issued, and the protesters have still continued to occupy the land. Wikipedia, updated 2nd September 2019.
The protesters that have been occupying the land took a hikoi to prime minister Jacinda Ardern’s Mt Albert office on the 22nd of August 2019. Leaving at 8 am they were on a mission to deliver a petition for Ardern to go to the sight. 200 protesters marched through thunder, hail and rain just to be greeted by an empty office. Representatives of Jacinda received the petition in her absence. Otago daily times, 15th August 2019.
Ihumatao was believed to be one of the first places Maori settled in New Zealand. The Maori had used the land for so much as farming, settlement, and lots more. In 1863 the land of Ihumatao cleared, then in 1865 was taken by Governor Grey under decree, around the time of the Waikato invasion. The land was seized with authority under the New Zealand Settlements Act of 1863. Under the second article of the Treaty of Waitangi it states that “ Maori are guaranteed the full exclusive and undisturbed possession of their lands and estates, and only the crown could purchase land from them. Because the land of Ihumatao was stolen not purchased it had contravened the 1840 Treaty Of Waitangi agreement. The land of Ihumatao was taken from the Maori as a punishment because of their support of the Kingitanga Movement. Te Papa official site.
In late 2018 the Environmental Court said no to overturning the permission granted to Fletcher Building to build the houses on the land of Ihumatao. Fletcher Building had been through the Waitangi Tribunal, The Environmental Court, and the Maori land court. Early 2019 Fletcher Building said that if a good offer came along they’d be open to selling the land. Otago daily times 26th July 2019
Ihumatao was farmed by the Wallace family for 150 years. In 2012 the Auckland council tried to publicate the land but the Environment Court decided it would be used as business or housing land. In 2016 the Wallace family sold the land of Ihumatao to Fletcher Building in 2016 to build a new subdivision. The large company of Fletcher Building are planning to build 480 new houses on the land, as Auckland is suffering a housing crisis. Otago daily times, 26th July 2019
In 2017 land campaigners took their story to the UN with a fight hoping for a positive outcome. They claimed that this was a breach under the Declaration of the Rights of the Indigenous people. The UN recognised that the Maori hadn’t given consent nor were they even consulted. The UN recommended that the government considered the Treaty of Waitangi and the agreements it came with. Otago Daily Times, 26th July
Ihumatao was stolen in 1865, now in 2019 it has still not been returned, and what are we going to do about it? Let colonisation continue to ruin our country and the values we live by? Or are we going to stop it?
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