Kia ora koutou
In this episode, Dr Hauata Palmer talks about his ongoing struggle to achieve the return of land in Tauranga Moana. The interview podcast begins part-way through, and the specific area is not named.
The original interview (below, from Manako, Radio Waatea, 8th August) should be quite straightforward to follow for intermediate reo Māori learners.
Below is my spoken summary of the interview: instead of a vocab list, I will write a translation as a comment.
I tēnei uiuinga ka kōrero a Tunuiarangi ki a Hauata Palmer, mō tētahi whenua i tangohia i terā rautau i Tauranga. I tēnei wā, kāore i whakaaetia e te kaunihera i reira kia whakahokia te whenua, ā, nō te pōturi o te whakahoki whenua, kua hohā a Hauata mā.
Tuatahi, ka kōrero a Hauata mō te hītori o te tangohanga o tērā whenua. E ai ki a ia, i tangohia e te Harbour Board i 1923, ā, whai muri i te tukunga ki tēnā, ki tēnā tari o te kāwanatanga, i tae mai te whenua ki ngā ringa o te Kaunihera o Tauranga Moana, ā, ki te Western Bay District Council. E ai ki a Hauata, kua tae mai te wā kia whakahokia te whenua, otirā, e rima, e ono kē ngā tau e whawhai ana ratou kia whakahokia te whenua rā (e rua rau eka te nui). Ko tā Hauata, kua kore te take i tangohia atu, nō reira, e tika ana kia whakahokia mai.
E tārewa tonu te take nei, ahakoa te akiaki a Hauata mā. Ki a Hauata, he āhua rite te take nei ki tērā ki Ihumātao. Kāore ētahi o ngā mema o te kaunihera e rata ana ki te whakahokinga o te whenua; ki a rātou (e ai ki a Hauata), kāore Ngāi Māori i te pai ki te tiaki i te whenua rā. Ka mutu, kua whakatipu pāina ki te whenua, ā, ina kua topea, ka whiwhi moni mō te kaunihera – engari, e ai ki a Hauata, ko te take i tangohia te whenua, hei tiaki i te moana ki reira, kāore hei tipu pāina.
He roa te whawhai, kua hōhā kē a Hauata mā. Ki a ia, ahakoa te kōrero a ētahi mō te katoa ngā ture, nā te Pākehā kē ngā ture i hanga, mō te painga kē o te Pākehā.
English version:
In this interview, Tunuiarangi talks with Dr Hauata Palmer about some land that was taken last century in Tauranga. At this time, the council has not yet agreed to return the land, and Hauata and others concerned are exasperated with the issue.
First, Hauata talks about the history of the taking of the land. According to him, it wads taken by the Harbour Board in 1923, and after being passed around various branches of the government, ended up in the hands of the Tauranga Council, specifically with the Western Bay District Council. According to Hauata, the time has come to return the land, but for five or six years they have been fighting to get the land (about 200 acres) returned. Hauata says that there was no reason to take the land, so it’s right that the land should be returned.
The matter is still undecided, despite the urging of Hauata and others. Hauata says that the situation is similar to Ihumātao. Some members of the council are not keen to return the land. According to the (Hauata says), Māori will not look after the land properly. Furthermore, pines have been planted on the land, and when they are cut down, the money will go to the council; however, Hauata says that the land was taken to protect the harbour, not to grow pine trees.
It has been a long battle and Hauata is annoyed about it. He says that, although some say the law is for everyone, in fact the law was created by Pākehā for the benefit of Pākehā.
He kōrero poto 