After four decades of advocacy, kaumātua Rore Stafford and his whānau have witnessed the Nelson Tenths bill reach its final reading.
Many travelled across Cook Strait from Te Tauihu to parliament to witness the historic moment, including Stafford, who has spent 40 years fighting for justice for the descendants of Te Tauihu.
The Nelson Tenths date back to the 1840s, when the New Zealand Company established the Nelson settlement. Under the agreement, the company promised to protect occupied Māori land and reserve one-tenth of the remaining land for its customary owners and their descendants.
That promise was never fully honoured.
Speaking to media before the bill’s final reading, Matua Rore said the tūpuna who died before settling were at the front of mind.
“E karanga mai ana te whenua, me hoki mai. Hoki mai ki ngā uri o ō tātou tupuna. Hoki wairua mai. Ko tēnei rā, ko mātou anō ngā mokopuna me kī ngā uri o rātou mā, ka nui te mihi.”
“Ka nui ki te tangi ki ngā mate. Pērā ki to mātou pāpā ki te awa o Wairau, me ngā mate katoa. Mai te timatanga o tēnei karanga, tēnei wero, ki tēnei rā.”
Tohe whenua
Stafford first lodged a Waitangi Tribunal claim in 1986 and later pursued the case through the courts, including the Supreme Court.
He is hopeful the settlement will allow future generations of Te Tauihu to reap the benefits.
“Ko ngā mokopuna kāore e kitea e mātou nē. Ko rātou e haere mai ana, ngā painga pea mō rātou ngā mokopuna.”
In his speech to the House on Tuesday, Attorney-General Chris Bishop acknowledged Stafford’s decades of advocacy through the courts.
He reiterated comments he made at the pōhiri at Pipitea Marae, acknowledging the Te Here ā Nuku trustees and their role in bringing the settlement to this point.
“As I remarked at the marae, the trustees represent the next generation of descendants who will now build on the legacy and the vision of their ancestors.”
The bill gives effect to a resolution reached between Stafford, the Te Here ā Nuku Trust and the Crown.
It provides for relevant Crown land to be transferred to the trust, alongside financial compensation for land that cannot be returned.
