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David's avatar

Ngati Mutunga's vile wrangling over the Chathams doesn't seem to have got much coverage in the mainstream media - thanks for the backgrounder.

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Barry Watkin's avatar

I believe Ngati Tama were the other half of the shame. Real history, events that actually happened not so long ago, just lying there under the carpet.

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Roger Strong ( Jigsaw)'s avatar

Why has it taken the current government so long to reverse this dreadful ECAN ability to have appointd tribal members on and elected body? In many ways the whoe South Island situation is so much worse than elsewhere as Ngai Tahu have a stranglehold on the co-governance aspect of the place. This government MUST do something to reverse this dreadful undemocratic situation.

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Barry Watkin's avatar

Roger, I see on The Platform there’s an interview with Toni Severin (Act) who is standing for ECAN.

I might be lowing low with a wretched cold, but I will listen to that one with interest.

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Barry Watkin's avatar

“lying low” (sniff 🤧)

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Just Boris's avatar

Shit that was a good write John. Some great digging to uncover the filthy corruption that we all know is there, but needs to be further exposed. ECAN sorta rhymes with scam, and rightly so. Ngai Tahu are a wicked bunch of grifters who profit significantly from all manner of commercial operations in the South Island, yet they pay sfa tax. The charities website has 5 pages of Charitable Trusts linked to Ngai Tahu, it is a most complex web of deceit. Didn't stop them getting taxpayer assistance during COVID (and then laying off their staff anyway!), so seems they are happy to engage with the tax system when it suits them... Still can't understand why the media has hardly covered the Waitaki $130m dam consent scam? Surely that is a good leading TV story even for the green pendant wearers.

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John McLean's avatar

You really don’t understand MSM’s non-coverage of the dam scam Ngai Tahu shakedown?😉

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David Hancock's avatar

We suspect it's more than the corrupt sweetheart deal on the Waitaki that has driven our combined Gas/Elect bill up by 1/3 from July this year but we still grit our teeth on that one. And thing is that is not where it ends. Every Iwi in the country sees Ngai Tahu as a fine template of where they might be able to extract some cash....God help us.

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Katrina Biggs's avatar

Good summary of the brown-washing of history we're being subjected to. Fingers crossed for the Moriori claim, too.

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Noel Reid's avatar

Very enlightening thanks John

Am I right that the last full-blooded Moriori died quite a few years ago?

Would the survivors now be part-Maori, or might they be of other mixed races?

Your description significantly expands my understanding of what happened on the Chatham Islands. IMO whenever Maori make claims about how wonderful their culture is/was, they should be required to explain how they came to massacre a race of pacifists....

I sincerely hope Moriori succeed in relation to the Chatham Islands. Do you know when that decision sb expected, and how extensively it will be publicised?

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John McLean's avatar

From my investigations it appears there are no full-blooded Moriori left. But I don't think it's healthy or helpful to dwell on racial purity - except to emphasise that those who today claim to be victims of colonisation are typically as much descended from the colonists as the colonisers. Ngati Mutunga are overtly proud of what they did to the Moriori, while at the same time claiming they're victims of the relatively benign (mainly European) colonisation of New Zealand. IMO opinion the Government should simply legislate away Ngati Mutunga's perverse claim to the Chathams

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Noel Reid's avatar

Thanks John

This gob-smacks me:

"Ngati Mutunga are overtly proud of what they did to the Moriori"

How can Ngati Mutunga justify/expect any respect if they don't show remorse for one of the worst cases of genocide in modern times....???

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Michael's avatar

The only settlement, if one is even needed for the Chathams, should be with Moriori!! Kia kaha Maclean , keep up the good fight and the fine 18 year old!! Time to fish!!

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Peter's avatar

Bravo John

The more this story of relatively recent murder and slavery perpetuated by Maori and the ongoing scams that ALL "treaty settlements" are the better. Untested and most unlikely claims were accepted by successive governments that cost taxpayers and continue to do so should be stopped immediately and the so-called "Te Tiriti" formally scrapped and confined to a museum.

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John McLean's avatar

Yep I heard that interview. We know almost everything about anyone who's an absolute defender of NZ local government in its existing wasteful ridiculousness...don't we!?

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