The Forbidden Question
The Forbidden Question and Answer.
The Question Tau Henare did not want answered
Hon Kelvin Davis,
Labour MP,
Parliament Building,
Wellington,
New Zealand.
Dear Sir,
In reply to your question, “What right did I have to question your right to be Maori?
I did not question your right to be Maori, just your right to be recognized as the maori that signed the Treaty in 1840. While we have already had this discussion a couple of years ago, it’s a fact, Maori have continued to intermarry of their own free will with other races, therefore can no longer claim to be, ” the distinct race of people that signed the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840″ or claim special privileges such as Customary Title etc over their fellow New Zealand Citizens.
Not only has intermarriage taken this right away from today’s Maori, continuing legislative events have confirmed, Maori are New Zealand Citizens under one sovereignty and one law, as all New Zealanders. See One New Zealand Foundation submission.
While this was stated by Governor Hobson and agreed by the chiefs at Waitangi on the 6 February 1840 with a hand shake and the words, He iwi tahi tatou – We are now one people, it was then confirmed by three hearty cheers from those gathered. Over 500 chief’s signatures/mokos were testimonials to this original document which was again confirmed by over 200 chiefs at the Kohimarama Conference some twenty years later.
It’s obvious why the Chairman of the Maori Affairs Select Committee refused to allow me to answer this question for you and the Hon John Boscawen, but there is no denying this fact. In doing so, he denied yourself, the Hon John Boscawen and the One New Zealand Foundation Inc our right to “Natural Justice”.
The One New Zealand Foundation respects all Maori people as New Zealand Citizens to be treated the same as all New Zealand Citizens (Tiriti o Waitangi, Article Three), but we do not recognize them, “as the distinct race of people that sighed the Treaty in 1840″. It’s a fact, through intermarriage of their own free will and the continuing events since the Treaty was signed, this race of people no longer exists.
It is also interesting to note, the United Nations or the New Zealand Government does not have a definition of the “Indigenous People of New Zealand”.
Kelvin, if you do not agree with this response, I would like to hear your reasons.
Yours sincerely,
Ross Baker.
Researcher, One New Zealand Foundation Inc.
cc. Hon John Boscawen.
Suze Jones. Please file this email with our submission.
This email may appear on our website, www.onenzfoundation.co.nz