We will see more of this. These protests will multiply.
From Radio New Zealand Copyright © 2010
"John and Wikatana Popata set up camp at the weekend on a former camping ground at the coastal town of Taipa. The land is destined for subdivision. They say their occupation of private land in Northland is to send the Government a message that all privately-owned land in the area should be returned to the Ngati Kahu iwi.
The iwi's chief negotiator, Margaret Mutu, says the land should be returned, even though it's not part of treaty negotiations.
"When they see Pakeha at Taipa building these huge, monstrous luxury houses and desecrating wahi tapu, discharging sewage into our rivers, they've just had enough, she says.
She says the protest has the full backing of the tribe. "These young boys are just reflecting what their elders have been saying for quite some time now."As the iwi says they are fed up with pakeha disrespecting their land. But the big bogey for pakeha is that the land is under private ownership, albeit a subdivision development. The iwi fully support this protest.
Would other iwi support their people trying to protect the land? Would TRONT come out and say that they support Ngai Tahu protestors trying to protect the land and rivers?
My suggestion to them is to think about these issues because they may indeed need to be considered this year. Our rohe is under threat from many angles, from mining, from exploitation of all resources, from dams and dairy developments and the sacrosant line of "it's private property" is not good enough. Where are our young people with fire in their bellys?
Footnote - interesting news that, "The Far North section being occupied by two protesting brothers is owned by an Auckland businessman, who laments the over-development on New Zealand's coast."
3 comments:
Kia ora Marty,
Hear Hear! Though I am not a young man when they go after places like the Ruahines I will be there - new hip and all! Good on those two brothers and all the best to them, we need more like them. To quote Tom Russell, a great American songwriter, "As I travel around this great big world, there's one thing I most fear, thats a white man in a golf shirt with a cell phone to his ear"- from the Tom Russell song Who's Gonna Build Your Wall. Rave on Marty.
Cheers,
Robb
The same thing happened in mid Wales in the 70s, rich Londoners bought up homes for holiday retreats, pricing the locals out. The Welsh Nationalists then burnt a few empty holiday houses down and the bottom fell out of the market. Hopefully the developers will take the point of the brothers protest prior to any other escalation. As a white fellow sans golf shirt they have my support in resisting the rule of privelege and money encroaching onto their locality.
Good comments.
It is interesting to note that the developer is on the side of the brothers in lamenting the loss of coastal land to developers!!!
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