MAORI AND PAKEHA.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 659, 9 November 1909, Page 9

MAORI AND PAKEHA.

EARLY TROUBLES. THE NATIVE' POINT OP VIEW. A Ifaon coi respondent traces the "land policy" of tho pnkeha with n. satirically pichiiosquo pon as foilons.— When our fatheis saw the troublo which would arise between our people and tho dissoluto pakchns. of tho earlier days, when they sai\ the dubious and covetous ov.es cast by other Towers, they asked the protection of the in 1&I0. Now, tho question arises, is that solemnly given them by tho Tieaty ot Waitanci in 18-10. Now, the questio nauses is that solemn compact between two nations si ill bmellnjf? If not, 11 ho has abrogated it and when? Artidp II loads as follows —"Hoi Majesty the Queon of Liigland conforms and guarantees tcj thn chiefs and tribes of New .Zealand and to tho rospectivo families l and individual? thereof tho full, extensive, and undisturbed possession ot then lands and estates, forests, fisheries, and other propeitics which they uiny collectively or individually so long <\s it isj their wish nnd-desiro to retain tho same in their possession; but tho chiefs of the Nntivo,tribes and the individual chiefs yiold to her Jlnjcsty the exclusive right of pre-emp-tion over sucl' lands as tho proprietors thereof 'may be disposed to alienate at such prices as I inay,be agreed upon between the respective proprietors and persons appointed by her Majesty to treat with them in that brlialf." This is cleaT enough,and needs no comment The. treaty may have, been violated, in fact it has been, but it has never been abrogated. This, then, was our first Crown grant. This v\as tho sacred document which kept other nations from interfering with our liberties. This was our Jfngna Charta. We belie; fd in it, for was it not the word of a King df kings' Time v\ore on. Many pnkehos loft their own over-populated homes. They came to the new land to better themselves. We welcomed them —uero wo not taught by tho missionaries to love our brothers? Yes, we- loved them. They bought lands from us. We sold, alas! too willingly. They bought by degiees, longitudes, and latitudes. They bought with money, but more often with red blankets, guns, jew's harps, tomahawks ,and red nightcaps. They boughi fairly and they bought f>l) ly They bonghi honestly and they bought dishonestly. What did wo know of tho value of land? What did wo know of degrees, latitudes, and longitudes? Ono thing we knew, that gun and powder would protect us fiom our enemies, consequently we got guns and many a merry tuno we, played with thoso guns and 'jeVi harps. Butjsoon wo found that our brother Whom wb were taught to lovo had been cheating us. They sent snrveyois to survey our lands— lande which had never been sold for rusty cannons. Then my tittuiu, Rangihaeata, said to the surveyors, Go 1 lie took their instruments, put them on to thoir boats and burnt he w hares which were his, because thej had ieen built from the material which grew on tho land which had never been sold foivji rusty •annon. Then the pnkehas were very wroth, and they *ent a contingent of gentlemen headed by Wakefidd, nil well armed with swords and guns. They said they came to take ray tipuna tor burning down his own whare This was intensely entertaining. Rangi replied that if they had any troublo they had better tako it Jefore Spam, who had beca appointed to look into suofi cases. No; they insisted upon his accompanying them, and they held up ft pair ot handcuffs It was then that To Rongo saw a gun lifted and aimed at her husbind. She stopped in front of him and received the bulet in her bosom. The pakeha will dony that here ( was any intent in tho aiming, but that the gun went off by accident However, this was enough We lought those pakehas and killed them. They called it ji massacre. If we had lost they would have'called f it a glorious victory. Some day when I am enough I am going to erect a monument to the memory of my people who were killed there in that fight, " • The pakehas offered hundreds of pounds for Rangi's head. They never got his head. I ■snpposo they were, quite experts in the head ine by this time, as they had been long enough in trafficking with emoked Maori heads—a fine occupation for civilised pakehas. My tipuna offered a half-a-crown foi the Governor'"! head, but no one pver-claimed ilj though-the-old man had it ieady tied up 111 a tmner of his red blnnket, the puce of a thousand acies in the Porirua district Now, lUngi, after tho Wairau, determined to wipe the pakehas out. but W. IC. To Raugitako told them to leave the Poneke pakehas alone, •&s»they were his pnkehas.-lon-will see what iat tipunn of mine was nursnv in his bosom. While he was here in Wellington, protecting ie pakehns from Itpngihneatu, tho pukdhas in Taranaki, by a similar process to that of the Tairau, obtained, b> reckless inconsideration, ho land of Wi Kingi, so that when he returned 0 his home what do you think greeted him? The spirits of his cattlo nnd the nshes>of his a, and, what was more, he was ordered off his own land. This was his reward for tho gallant action ho took in protecting his pakehas. What would you do under the circumstances? Would you iso like a dumb, driven dog, or play the gnmn like a man? Well, he played thn game. He wrote to tho Governor re his wrongs, with what result? Why, with the resuW that "-oldicrs wore sent up to* evict him. e knew that the Queen hnd given her word Ho knew that the Treaty of Waitangi was binding, so he stnod for tho Queen and her treaty, though he was called n rebel bv those. I who were reallv the rebel*. We 'hall drop the I curtain over tho horrors of war, and trv to I forgot that part of our painful Imtory. If \\p did dwell on it, it would mnle the blackest pace in the history of our country. Now, this has brought us (0 the period of promises by proclamations, the substance being that all Natives remaining neutral would have their property lights respected and their lands mado sacred to thent and their children for ever. Many of my people lemnmcd neutral, thinking of that written promise, this being their third Crown grant to their lands. Tho secoild Crown grant was the Constitutional Act of 1852, which again emphasises my right to my land. Now, vvero these promises ever carncit out? We have found that the Treaty, of Waitangi irixi marie null and void, flic Constitutional Act of 1852 overlooked, aud tho Governor's proclamations forgotten. • ( '