Assessment #2: Te Tiriti.

In this essay, I will be discussing Hone Heke’s Protesting - Cutting of the flag pole on 19 January 1845, and the effect of this. Discussing Ngāti Whātua land: Bastion Point is earlier known as Fort Bastion, including protesting, government actions etc. Due to their land being confiscated by the New Zealand Government unlawfully, and the effects of this.

Hone Heke - Cutting of the British flag pole, ‘The Flagpole War’. Ngāpuhi Chief Hōne Heke was one of the most trusted and reputational chiefs. He led the signing of The Treaty Waitangi - Maori side, influenced many others of the supposed benefits of the Treaty. After the mass signing of The Treaty Waitangi, New Zealand was officially under the Crown. Maori soon felt they were being exploited, beyond the Treaty. Most Europeans weren’t listening to Moari about the Treaty not being honoured, and many Moari Chiefs that backed the signing of the Treaty became under pressure. Hōne Heke, acted by chopping down the British flag pole in Russel. He felt exploited because he supported the signing of the Treaty and the treaty was being dishonoured, he said “The pole that was cut down belonged to me, I made it for the native flag, and it was never paid for by the Europeans”. The land was illegally stolen from Maori. Maori were being persuaded and exploited that their land was not theirs anymore when The Treaty Of Waitangi - Article One States^[1]: “The Queen promises that Maori will always have possession of their land, forests, and fishing grounds for as long as they wish.” It were clear The Treaty Of Waitangi, was purposefully dishonoured for theropeans.

Bastion Point, land belonging to and occupied by Ngāti Whātua iwi. The New Zealand government confiscated it under Public Works Act 1882 to use for defence purposes. When the Crown no longer needed the land for Public Works, they were supposed to give the land back to the Ngati Whatua iwi under the Public Works Act 1882. However, this didn’t happen. for After The Treaty Of Waitangi was signed and Europeans had/were settled in Auckland land was becoming scarce. Many settlers had their eyes on Bastion Point because it was a flat and clear land in a prime location near the Harbour and Auckland City. The Crown saw an opperaturnity for a ‘mass’ deloverment, The Crown proposed to “Develop Bastion Point by selling it to the highest bidder for high-income housing”. Outrage, when people found out about The Crown’s Proposal to auction their home land. It sparked a massive 506 day (1.3 year) protest Jannary 1977 to 25 May 1978. On 25 May 1978, the government decied to forcfully remove 222 people that were occupieing Bastion Point and refused to move on, were forcfully removed from Baston Point.

The Effect of Bastion Point - 1970s Land Protests. When the New Zealand Government had taken Bastion Point in 1886 Ngati Whatua Chief logged a complaint, however, the New Zealand Government took no action to amend the issue. The 1977-1978 protest of Bastion Point casued 222 people to be removed from Bastion Point by Police and Army. In 1984 a claim was lodged with the Waitangi Tribunal, it stated: “Ngati Whatua were wrongly deprived of the 700-acre Orakei block. The Orakei block ought to have been reserved in tribal ownership and control forever. They did not seek the return of the whole block. They asked only for the return of Crown land which had not been turned into roads or had houses built on it. They did not seek the return of any land in private ownership.” The Waitangi Tribunal report found “The Crown made Ngati Whatua o Orakei virtually landless. Their mana and authority was destroyed by the Native Land Court and they were left without sufficient resources for their own needs.” On 1 July 1988, the New Zealand Goverment aggred to Waitgani Tribenal’s recommendation: “Return the land to it’s rightfull owner, Ngati Whatua iwi”. One of the main effect of Bastion Point Land Protest was lost in trust, including police, army, and government officals.

The Effect of Hone Heke - cutting of the British flag pole ‘The Flagpole War’. After Hone Heke cut down the Bitrish flag ploe, three times. One of the magoir effects was it casued the Northern wars, because of the reaction (including ‘flagpole war’) of the Conional Governments increasing control over Maori’s affairs, taking over New Zealand far beyond the Treaty Of Waitangi. After Hone Heke cut the flag down, he sent a letter to Governor Fitzroy explaining why he attacked the Bitish Flag “Friend Governor – This is my speech to you. My disobedience and rudeness is no new thing. I inherit it from my parents, from my ancestors, do not imagine that it is a new feature of my character, but I am thinking of leaving off my rude conduct towards the Europeans. Now I say that I will prepare another pole … in order to put an end to our present quarrel. … The pole that was cut down belonged to me, I made it for the native flag, and it was never paid for by the Europeans.”

In conclusion, these historic events are clear The Treaty Of Waitangi, was purposefully dishonoured for the benefit of Europeans. Luckily we now have Waitangi Tribunal, to dispute these types of events that have broken the Treaty Of Waitangi. Many of these incidents that broke the Treaty are still being disputed today, and will for a long time, this is great because people are reunited with their home land that was ilegally taken from them in the past. Opinions that are esspressed in this essay are my own and not the views of any one else.