Ryan Wood: New Zealand, we need to stop living in the past

I’m of Maori descent and my iwi is Ngati Kuia, a small tribe from the top of the South Island – Te Tau Ihu, or the prow of Maui's canoe. In the 19th Century my ancestors were invaded, conquered, and subjugated – a common story for many iwi.
However, this was not done by enemies with pale skin and red beards, it was an act of war perpetrated by foes with brown skin, who spoke the same language. Ngati Toa, a small tribe from Kawhia, had migrated south and under the leadership of their chief, Te Rauparaha, came to carve out a new empire for themselves on either side of the Cook Strait.
All this happened about 15 years before the Treaty of Waitangi was signed. When Te Rauparaha did sign the Treaty, he did so in the belief it would cement his claim to his newly-conquered lands – and it has. That’s Ngati Toa’s rohe now.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/opinion/106877783/new-zealand-we-need-to-stop-living-in-the-past

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