November 12, 2012
Claims establish basis for new relationship
The co-editor of a new book on iwi Treaty claims says the hard work starts once the settlements are signed.
Janine Hayward, an Associate Professor of Politics at the University of Otago, says she pulled together Treaty of Waitangi Settlements because it was important to document a process that is changing New Zealand’s future.
She says the contributors have deep experience of the claim process and are able to put it into a context that is often missing from media debates.
Ms Hayward says the country has a lot to be proud of in what the process has achieved, but there is still work to be done after historical claims are cleared towards the end of this decade.
“The hard work really begins in terms of using that as a base for building new relationships, for the Crown to reflect on its own history and the way that it acts and for Māori to make the most of the opportunities and also to try to think about what else is left to be done about some of the grievances that clearly aren’t addressed by this process,” she says.
Treaty of Waitangi Settlements, edited by Janine Hayward and Nicola Wheen, is published by Bridget Williams Books.