Issues Brought Up By The Protests Of Ihumatao

In this essay, I will be talking about the Ihumatao protests that have been going on. I will begin by introducing the policy change that I wish to see. I will then go onto give the history of Ihumatao and what is currently happening regarding the whole issue right now. I will explore where different political parties stand regarding this issue. In conclusion, I will talk about how effective the protests have been in bringing about social change.

The policy change would be that whatever land was confiscated from Maori by the crown be given back to them. As well as making sure that the government abides by what is said in The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as well as The Treaty of Waitangi. “The Waitangi Tribunal has described the Declaration as perhaps the most important international instrument for Maori people” (NZ Human Rights, 2019, p. 11). This ensures that the rights of the Maori people are protected and also make sure their voices are being heard. The declaration states “that indigenous peoples have the right to the lands, territories, and resources they have traditionally owned, occupied or used” (NZ Human Rights, 2019, p. 12).

This mirrors the Treaty Principles of “tino rangatiratanga – Maori self-determination and authority over their own taonga” (NZ Human Rights, 2019, p. 12). It is very clearly stated in the declaration that Maori are given “a right to redress where lands have been confiscated from indigenous peoples without their free, prior and informed consent” (NZ Human Rights, 2019, p. 12). While these documents and declarations are in place, the issue is that the government does its part in following through with it and upholding what has been written in these important documents. That being that the confiscated land be given back to Maori.

Ihumatao is a place of deep significance, rooted in a rich history. “It was the site of the oldest known human settlement in Auckland and has been said to contain urupā (burial sites) and other evidence of early human occupation” (NZ Human Rights, 2019, p. 8). Maori settlement can be traced back to the 1450s, as Maori settled in Ihumatao “they built boundary walls, terraces, windbreaks and draining systems for their gardens, as well as houses and cooking areas” (Mackintosh, 2019). Maori were constantly evolving and they played a crucial role in their contributions to the local environment, Ihumatao was their home. In 1863 Governor George Grey demanded that “all Maori take an oath of allegiance to Queen Victoria and give up their arms, or leave for the Waikato.

If they refused to comply, they would be evicted” (Mackintosh, 2019). Most Maori decided to leave for Waikato for they felt that their relationship with the crown was already damaged so it would do no good even if they choose to swear the oath to Queen Victoria. “The eviction of Maori… was a hugely distressing and polarising moment that was felt deeply in the local community and beyond” (Mackintosh, 2019) Maori were required to leave everything they owned and worked hard for. This was known as the beginning of the Waikato War. In 1864 when the war ended the government took most of the land which was divided and sold to British immigrants.

The campaign is being run by SOUL (Save Our Unique Landscape) who are local Maori’s and whose peoples have lived in Ihumatao for many generations. At the core, their mission is to protect the land from Fletcher Building Limited who plans to build high-end housing there. Ihumatao protests have been going on for a couple of years. It started in 2015 when Pania Newton, one of the founding members of SOUL along with with some other members of the community “raised concerns about the zoning of the land” (Fernandes, 2019). The Ihumatao land was brought by Fletcher Residential in 2016.

That same year they were given the all-clear to go on ahead with the housing development however, it was stopped by Heritage New Zealand. In 2017, the campaigners approached the United nations “hoping for a government intervention to address alleged breaches under the declaration of the rights of Indigenous people” (Fernandes, 2019). The campaigners believed that the land was seized under the New Zealand Settlements Act, which breached the Treaty of Waitangi agreement. The UN report acknowledged that there had been no approval taken from Maori regarding this land. They stated that the government of New Zealand needed to make plans which better aligned with the Treaty of Waitangi and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The Environment Court, however, refused to reverse the authorisation given to Fletcher building to go ahead with the housing development. Fletcher building declared earlier this year that they would be open to selling the Ihumatao property only if there was a good offer presented.

The Maori king has made it very clear that Ihumatao should be returned to Maori. The King stated, “Mana Whenua agree they want their land returned, so they can make decisions about its future” (Roy, 2019). Though, campaigners have urged Prime Minister to come to visit Ihumatau she has made it clear that the government would not intervene but would comply with the position of the Maori king. A Facebook post made by Pania Newton she stated: “The only way we are ever to achieve justice is if the Crown puts right the wrong made in 1863 when they stole the land and the wrong in 2016 when the Crown facilitated the sale and purchase of this rare cultural heritage landscape to Fletcher Building Limited.” (Roy, 2019).

However, there is even division amongst the different Maori tribes regarding this issue. Te Kawerau a Maki one of the main tribes that reside at Ihumatao is divided against the Te Kawerau Iwi Tribal Authority who supports “the development along with a deal with Fletcher Building to have 8ha of land returned to them” (RNZ, 2019). This is one of the main reasons why the government has decided not to get involved in this issue. Jacinda Arden states “Ultimately we are falling on the side of the local iwi (who support the housing development) … so if we come in over the top, it really would be undermining the local iwi in this case” (RNZ, 2019).

Earlier this year in April I, along with 3000 people from all over New Zealand turned up to show their support and defend the Ihumatau land from being used as a place to build high-end housing. Many occupied the site and slept in tents and caravans. Barker (2015) states “attachments to place can bring people together in spontaneous, creative action and connection” That is exactly what happened with this protest, thousands showed up to show their support and demand that the land is given back to its rightful owners. It was interesting because personally before this protest erupted I had no idea what was going on regarding Ihumatao. But since the protests and the number of people that were making noise, it caught the eye of every media, newspaper and even the discussion on the internet was based around this issue.

I would say as a member of the community who knew nothing about this issue, the protest certainly brought awareness to what was going on. Barker (2015) goes onto state “occupying contentious sites is one of the most powerful and long-standing tactics of indigenous resistance” (p. 45). It sparked conversations in my household around Maori and how they were being treated. As a result of this protests, Jacinda Arden “has asked Fletcher Building to halt any further development until the stand-off was resolved” (Anderson, 2019). This protest has certainly achieved its goal of stopping the building plans and has sparked conversation about what really should happen to the land. It has also brought to the surface the injustices that were done to Maori in the past with the breaching of the Treaty of Waitangi.

Though the protest has done a lot in bringing about awareness of this issue, nobody on either side has reached a solution they all agree on. It’s quite a complex matter as the dispute is between the different iwi’s, Fletcher Building and the government who have chosen not to get involved. It has not brought a sudden social change but it has certainly got the ball rolling towards that direction and has sparked some heavy action and conversations. This protest has also very much resurfaced past injustices and mistreatment of Maori. “The current standoff at Ihumatao has deep roots in the legacy of colonialism and land confiscation” (O'Malley et al., 2019).

In conclusion, this protest has brought awareness to about the hard conversations that need to be had and how the wrongs of the past need to be righted. This protest I believe has certainly been a catalyst in the bringing about of social change. There is a cry that needs to be heard and the land that was unrightfully taken away from Maori needs to be returned to them, for it holds significant value to them and they have a connection to the past with the land.