TRANSCRIPT OF THE PlNKM Mi NMsr], TIM ReON P. J. XNATING, Np
A) DIUSS AI ORILT K& ORI VKUOIXG CERWIDN, OAIi WATI T
AA, AhCvAID, 8ATUtDAY, 22 MAY 1993
2603 PROOF OPY
Can I thank you for the warvith of your welcome, for the
welcome of your warriors, for the singing, of the women which
vas both moving, touching and most appreciated by me.
You welcome me as the Prime Kinister of Australia, you pay in
that case all Australians a tribute and let me return the
tribute by saying that all Australians recognise the spirit of
the maori. I have always been impressed by the resilience
and the strength of the Naori and the culture of the aori.
It is these things we feel that do give, as your Xinister has
said, a distinguishing character to the country of New Zealand
and I am particularly pleased to be here In this year the
Year of Indigenous People when in this year these countries
and those peoples which came to the new world disturbed of
course the old world, the world of the people who were here
first. And those things which Europeans and Buropean settlers
celebrate are often the tragic things, the periods of tragedy
for the indigenous peoples of various countries no less true
of New Zealand and Australia.
But the Neori have in such strength of ' Culture had such a
dominating influence over the culture of New Zealand. And I
am delighted that the education which you have here at this
Harae is one where you have maintained your traditional
cultures, you learn your traditional cultures, you take pride
in your traditional cultures and you also teach your children
about the society in which they live. This is Ism sure the
most effective way of keeping those two cultures in the first
sense alive and flourishing and beyond that weaving their
pattern together.
in Australia, in this Year of rndigenous People, we too are I
think finally coming to a ba-sof reconciliation with our
indigenous people. And unlike the Naori there was no treaty,
there was no equivalent to the Treaty of Weitangi. So the
nation of Australia has sought to come to terms with our
indigenous people and this year our High Court, the Supreme
Court of our country has in fact last year made a very
fundamental and historic decision to give recognition for the
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first time that there wasn a native title in the common law of
Australia Wefor* the settlement of Europeans.
This is a very significant decision and now the government of
Australia and the governments of the States of Australia are
now seeking to put Into the body of law a native title for the
indigenous people of Australia. This can and must be the
first effective basis of reconciliation in our country between
indigenous, the Aboriginal people and non-. Aboriginal
Australians. This process of x~ cQn= i1iStian as a nation ve
have dedicated ourself to and lot me say it tills me with a
certain sense of pride to see In this country such an outward
and obvious pride in your culture -the culture of the Maori
and the willing~ ness of the New Zealand community to see this
culture dominate in many respects its own national culture.
one thing that I think indigenous people understand that
European people have never quite understood and that Is the
relationship between the people and the land. And your Mayor
very eloquently said today that this is an environmental
place, a place where the environment has a premium and we have
much to learn trom the indigenous peoples of our countries
abouit the land. We are only now comning to understand what
they know about the land and hov they have preserved the land.
Whereas as a culture we have been often the destroyer. of the
land. We now understand that is a mistake. We nov understand
the land needs respect and we understand that without the land
having the respect it canvt give to us the kind of life that
could only come by a gentle, melding of the Interests of the
people and the land.
it may be that the environment is an issue amongst countries
and peoples around the world, but it has always been an Issue
with indigenous people. This is another thing you have taught
Us. So it we can learn this valuable lesson the futures of Nev
Zealand and Australia two great lands will be different in
the future than they have been in the Immediate past because
we have the opportunity to preserve our land anid to rebuild
the nature of our lands as many countries have now lost that
opportunity and if we can learn that from the indigenous
people of this country, you the Maori and from the Aboriginal
people of Australia, our indigenous people, we will learn
much. The culture of our indigenous people, Ab~ oriqinal Australians
is nov substantially permeating the culture of Australia in
its art, in its dance, in its music and we are in a sense in
this last decade celebrating the renaissance of that culture
within our own. And I'm sure as time goes on it to will start
to play a such larger role in our general national culture as
the Maori have played in New Zealand culture.
with all that said, Indigenous people have since the time of
European settlement rarely had justice and we know that we
will never entirely live in peace or peace of heart without a
true basis of reconciliation with indigenous people and that
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is why we must be one people. One people with an ephasis on
different values, with loyalties perhaps to different
cultures, but one people in Now ealand, one people in
Australia and of course between us all Australasians. It we
do that we would do well.
Could I thank you again for the warmth of your welcome to me
and my party, to my wife. I think I have visited New Zealand
properly too and I don't think I would have visited New
Zealand without visiting the Marae and receiving its gracious
and traditional welcome.
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