Maori party breaks into Kiwi Parliament (New Zealand)

[Blackaxe]

Wellington — New Zealand's first indigenous Maori political party won its first seat in parliament on Saturday in a by-election.

Tariana Turia, a representative of the new Maori Party, beat five other candidates to win the North Island electorate of Te Tai Hauauru.

Mr. Turia held the same seat before resigning from the Labour party because of disagreements over its Maori policies. It was his resignation that prompted the by-election.

Turia helped form the Maori party to fight government plans to nationalize the nation's coastline. Maoris, who make up 15 per cent of New Zealand's four million people, say the shore and seabed belong to indigenous tribes.

http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20040710.wkiwi0710/BNStory/International/

[Cha]

1. I love everything New Zealand and I haven't even been

there YET! My son invited me to go on a trip to New Zealand someday when I move back to Hawaii..it just seems like such a neat place on Earth.

Thanks for this info..great for the Maori's! Progress!

"Turia helped form the Maori party to fight government plans to nationalize the nation's coastline. Maoris, who make up 15 per cent of New Zealand's four million people, say the shore and seabed belong to indigenous tribes"

Ain't this the truth!

[TheCentepedeShoes]

2. My favorite mystery author

is Ngaio Marsh (1895-1982). Ngaio means (I think) "reflections in water" in Maori. I would love to see her home in Christchurch. My dad went to NZ during WWII and, although I have never had the privilege of visiting the land, I somehow, for some reason, think that was where I was really meant to be. :)

[KareBear]

3. Good for the Maori, bad for the logic behind the argument.

I'm all for a minority standing up for its beliefs and taking action politically. I'm glad to see more diversity in nations governing system. However the claim that anything in a nation belongs to the indigenous population for the only reason that they were there first, is a seriously flawed argument.

History is full of one civilization conquering and moving in on other civilizations. Its not nice, its not civil, but its how things have socially evolved in human history. While the Maori may have been there first chronologically, I would be willing to bet the majority of New Zealander's of European descent were born right there on New Zealand. That makes it just as much there's as it does the Maori's in my opinion.

If we are to partake in "I was here first" squatters rights for land and resources, the whole of the planet could be in for some trouble. One example is all of South East Asia who was conquered by the Northern Chinese thousands of years ago. Very few of the original inhabitants survive today in their "original" lands, however the current inhabitants of those lands are just as much entitled to it as the original population once was. What about the Bantu expansion throughout Africa? Not to mention the obvious European expansion through both North and South America.

If we are to use that logic at what point do its inhabitants become natives themselves? One... Two... Three generations? More? At what point do claims on past lands and reparations of past wrongs become null and void? Its an interesting ethical dilemma given our "enlightened" modern society.

I guess that makes me not as liberal as some who would apologize forever for historical progression. But logically at some point the buck has to stop somewhere.

[Reciprocity]

4. Congratulations Tariana Turia and the new Maori Party!!

We went there in 97 . I keep hoping that we can go back some day.This was the sunrise from our balcony at the Abel Tasman Lodge
Paihia, Bay of Islands New Zealand.
http://www.fishingpro.co.nz/abel.htm