1943: Hui at Ruatoria and Price of Citizenship speech

October 3, 2019

By AHNZ

Waitangi National Trust now seeks to dishonour the Maori Battalion by adding it to their theme park. As mentioned in First Waitangi Day, the Treaty Grounds are a national monument given to the people. The Trust has subverted its mandate, now charging Kiwis and visitors millions a year to visit.

‘We have to be very careful. We have to be very sensitive to the site, whatever we do it has to fit in.”- Trust chairman Pita Tipene; Ref. below

You mean the way the honking great Copthorne Hotel, your biggest and most lucrative tenant, sensitively fits in? 🙂

“It would be built at Waitangi because that was where Sir Apirana Ngata made his famous speech about the ”price of citizenship” to soldiers of the Battalion”- Māori Battalion museum to be built at Waitangi; NZ Herald

It will be at Waitangi because you need more attractions at your theme park to justify a $25-50 ticket price to visit a national monument given to the people.

‘The Price of Citizenship’ was Ngata’s booklet which was, I gather, the text of a speech he gave in the backblocks of Gisbourne back in October 1943. It was a post-facto summing up and mini-history of the past exploits of The Battalion to Maori at a place called Ruatoria- Ngata’s home paddock.

*That* is where the famous speech was made. So why is Peter de Graaf reporting that it was at Waitangi? Is it just that he’s ‘on message’ with the press release The Trust has fed him? And is this entirely made up or do they really mean that Ngata repeated his speech at Waitangi at some point?

I think we should go with the far easier explanation. The new facility doesn’t honour The Battalion nor Ngata’s speech. It’s a post facto justification for charging us $24-50.

‘The Price of Citizenship’

The story New Zealand Expeditionary Force of WW2 need not be broken into racial parts to be told separately. “Here’s the White Man’s WW2,” and “Now, in this other museum and other building here is the Maori Man’s WW2…”

Separatist silliness! Yet the Price of Citizenship speech relied upon this premise too, as if Apirana Ngata and his audience believed the Maori had to do something to become citizens. They did not. They became British Citizens in 1840¹, free of charge.

“Her Majesty the Queen of England extends to the Natives of New Zealand Her royal protection and imparts to them all the Rights and Privileges of British Subjects.”- Article 3, Treaty of Waitangi

Then, in the Native Rights Act (1865), Maoris were locked in as having full status as citizens of the colony with same rights and privileges as British subjects and protection of British law.

So, Ngata, you’re in mate. You and your people have nothing to prove! Yet at this great hui (some video of it here on Archives New Zealand’s Youtube) in honour of the awarding of a Victoria Cross, these Maoris certainly thought that they did.

I don’t accept the premise that anybody, including Maoris, had to buy their equal citizenship by fighting in the war; Were New Zealanders not New Zealand Citizens yet!?

Given that logic, though, may we not say that this price has been paid in full? And if it has been paid then are we not all one people, all one citizenry? Then remember this supposedly binding act together rather than divvying us up into racially segregated museums. Very poor way to repay Ngata and The Batallion while pretending to honour them!

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1 If not 1865 when legislation caught up with The Treaty; Ref. 1865: Fitz Dreams of Peace

Image ref. New attraction at Treaty Grounds theme park; AHNZ June 2019

Image ref. Victoria Cross ceremony; Still from Archives NZ’s video

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