"Kia ora koutou, good to see Ngati Apa receiving redress. They have fought a long battle with a evasive, dismissing and disingenuous Crown unit. To show the level of the Crowns disingenuousness, on the same day they forked out $28m in land and putea to Ngati Apa, they forked out $25m to Peter Jackson and Warner Brothers after about 2 days of negotiations to get a movie made here."That point is really stark - just think about that point a bit - the differences between a movie and redressing wrongs 150 years old which alientated people from their land, their communities and their ability to shape and control their own destiny.
Whatever the actual numbers, the fact is that after 2 days they found the money and the tax breaks meanwhile tangata whenua continue to have to fight for the scraps the crown determines will fall off the table. What about the priorities?
Why are we not having national discussions every time a claim is settled, even if it is for a fraction of the value taken? Imagine discussions about what actually happened, why the claim was made, and how the settlement addresses this. Histories could be shared and understanding increased. Tangata whenua connection with the land, including the traditional names, re-established, adding and sharing context for all who live here, a celebration of a wrong acknowledged, a chance to move forward together.
No comments:
Post a Comment