Why the [unclear: Maori] Land March?

The 1967 Maori Affairs Amendment Act was branded as the 'Last Land Grab', Since then, submissions to Parliament by the New Zealand Maori Council, M.O.O.H.R,, Nga Tamatoa, Maori Incorporations and other Maori groups have brought about changes to the Act aimed at slowing down the alienation of Maori land.

But while Maoris have been preoccupied with the 1967 Act, other statutes have been brought into play to continue the process of alienation of Maori land. These are the Town and Country Planning Act, the Rating Act and the Counties Amendment Act.

Maoris as the idigenous people of New Zealand have contributed 64 million scres of land to the building of our Nation. They now have less than three million acres left.

Because Maoris have a cultural attitude to land, distinct from that of the Pakeha New Zealander, they wish to retain that last small remaining area in perpetuity for their descendants.

Land is the very soul of a tribal people.

It connects man with his ancestors in a great chain of being back through the mists of time to the creation itself through Papauanuku the earth mother.

Land for Maoris is our turangawaewae where we have dignity before all people.

It is an act of cultural genocide for the use of political power to fashion laws that will eventually strip the Maori of his tribal lands.

To Maoris, land is a [unclear: triba] passed down from the [unclear: ance tions] to come.

Te Roopu Matakitc is a [unclear: r] uniting Maoris on the [unclear: platf]

The name is traditional [unclear: a]

The vision that [unclear: Matakit] allowing Maoris to [unclear: preserve ural] identity in the last [unclear: rem]

The alternative is the [unclear: ere] proletariat with no [unclear: dignity], society.

Like the American India stand outside society and [unclear: fij]

The question we must [unclear: as] willing to pay that price [unclear: for] of Maori land, or are we [unclear: rea] in perpetuity for the sake [unclear: o ony]

In the past Maori land [unclear: w] 'undeveloped'.

It is mainly marginal [unclear: hill] that remain in Maori [unclear: posse] awareness of the need for [unclear: n] reserves and open spaces [unclear: th ted] Maori land from [unclear: develo] sirable in district [unclear: schemes]. 'heads you win, tails I [unclear: lose']

[unclear: unal] estate trust for [unclear: genera]

[unclear: al] association [unclear: aori] land. [unclear: olic.]

[unclear: of] a just society social and [unclear: cult] our tribal estate. [unclear: a] landless brown and no stake in

[unclear: i] will be foced to [unclear: st] it.

[unclear: ves] is, are we two million acres [unclear: cure] it to Maori, and social [unclear: harm]

[unclear: ed] because it was

[unclear: and] coastal lands [unclear: ith] our increased [unclear: eas] for public [unclear: ality] that [unclear: exemp-] now makes it [unclear: de-Maoris] are in a [unclear: n] with regard to their land. It needs to be stressed that keeping of Maori land in a tribal ownership is not in conflict with the principle of public use as reserves and open space:

Maori forest and coastal lands have always been open for public use and will remain so.

We see no difference between the aspirations of Maori people and the desire of workers in their struggles. We seek the support of worker organisations, as the only viable organisations which have sympathy and understanding of the desires of Maori people The people who are exploiting the workers are the same people who are ripping off! Maoris.

There comes a time, when, after all else has failed—when approaches to the appropriate Government bodies have come to nought—when frustration after frustration is heaped upon us—there then comes a time when some other type of action becomes a necessity.

For this reason the March is on!
For this we seek your support.
We seek your understanding!
We ask working brothers and sisters to March with us to protest this indignity!

No Reira e Hoa ma Nau mai, Nau mai, Haere mai!

Te Roopu Ote Matakite