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 Taituha's ancestors were among the 40 Māori leaders who signed
the Treaty of Waitangi with representatives of Prince Charles's
great-great-great grandmother, Queen Victoria, at the site in
1840. Hundreds more chiefs around the country signed soon after.
The Treaty guaranteed widespread rights to the indigenous
tribes, known as iwi, but was often ignored in the decades that
followed. Different versions of the document sparked
long-running debates over what was intended by the agreement.
Only now, after years of fighting for redresses of historic
breaches was the Treaty finally beginning to be widely
recognised as a core part of modern New Zealand life, said
Taituha, who is the cultural ambassador of the Waitangi Treaty
Grounds.
“There's a huge shift occurring in Aotearoa (New Zealand) at the
moment which is causing a reawakening within the hearts, minds
and souls of our people. The time feels right,” he told Reuters
of Charles's visit.
Renewed interest in grappling with New Zealand's history and
learning Māori language, and a surge in visitors to Waitangi in
recent years suggested a shift in recognition of Māori culture
and the Treaty, Taituha said, which he hoped would lead to
greater power sharing and deeper relationships between Māori and
non-Māori.
"The momentum is massive at the moment, there’s a huge shift
going on," Taituha said.
Historians say compared to many other countries with a history
of colonisation, the Treaty of Waitangi set up a relatively
progressive framework between indigenous people and those who
settled there.
The Treaty guarantees Māori possession of their land and rights
to resources such as fisheries. Courts have ruled it requires
the government to actively consult with Māori and protect their
interests.
However, until the late 20th century, the spirit of the document
was often ignored, at times violently. Māori, who now account
for about 16% of New Zealand's population, were dispossessed of
much of their land, including through a series of wars fought in
the decades after the Treaty was signed.
Government policies also eroded cultural rights, with Māori
children barred from speaking their language in schools, and
often beaten for doing so.
A restitution process drawing on the Treaty has restored some
rights and assets, so far paying out around NZ$2 billion ($1.28
billion) in settlements to iwi, though that represented a
fraction of the value of land taken from them.
Many Māori say those measures have not gone far enough.
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Without their ancestral lands, with which people are spiritually
connected in the Māori world, and with the erosion of many cultural
rights, Māori families are still disproportionately affected by a
raft of social problems from imprisonment to homelessness.
FUTURE OF MONARCHY IN QUESTION
Prince Charles' visit, accompanied by his wife Camilla, was the
first by a member of the British royal family in 25 years.
After receiving the formal welcome known as a pōwhiri and listening
to speeches from elders, Prince Charles affirmed his and his
children and grandchildrens' commitment to the Treaty.
"The Treaty settlements do not and can not write all the wrongs of
the past, and they can only go so far in easing the pain that has
been felt by so many people. But the covenant that was signed on
this site, nearly 180 years ago was historic and far-sighted," he
said.
Prince Charles' visit inevitably revived debate about whether New
Zealand, which still has his mother Queen Elizabeth as its head of
state, should break away from the monarchy.
One survey commissioned by a pro-republican body this year showed
55% of those surveyed hoped their next head of state would be a New
Zealander.
Morgan Godfery, a Māori political commentator, said he wanted
New Zealand to become a republic, but with the role and importance
of the Treaty unaffected.
"Queen Victoria was never really the Treaty's guarantor. And nor are
her descendants. The Treaty was always one between the British state
and Māori tribes, and the New Zealand state inherits those
obligations from its British parent," he said.
Taituha, however, worries any move towards becoming a republic could
be used by some who resented the Treaty of Waitangi to water down
its status in the country's constitutional arrangements.
He wants the historic partnership, including the royal family, to
remain.
"I know there are some people who may consider the republic movement
but where does that leave us, that's the big question mark," he
said. “We’re in a strong position at the moment.”
(Reporting by Charlotte Greenfield. Editing by Lincoln Feast.)
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