United Nations Special Rapporteur Rodolfo Stavenhagen’s report on the state of the Maori was publicly released in early April. The report stemmed from a special investigation that was prompted by Maori leaders’ complaints about the passage of the Foreshore and Seabed Act—legislation that stripped Maori of their traditional rights to coastal land. Stavenhagen’s report is critical of the government’s treatment of its indigenous citizens, and found that the Foreshore and Seabed Act directly violated previous land treaties between the government and the Maori. Among the key recommendations of the report are the immediate repeal of the act, government redress-settlement negotiations to recognize Maori rights, and increased representation of Maori in Parliament. Stavenhagen additionally warns of the return of outdated assimilationist policies, and encourages New Zealand to ratify ILO Convention 169 on indigenous rights. The government has reportedly dismissed the report, saying that the controversy surrounding the Foreshore and Seabed act is too complicated to be understood fully by an outsider.
Related articles:
Cultural Survival Quarterly: An Imbalance of Powers: Maori Land Claims and an Unchecked Parliament
Weekly Indigenous News: U.N. Special Rapporteur to file report on state of the Maori
