Description Comments

"30 Angry Maoris wait for an answer/P.M. sets Maori land Plea Straight"

Object type

Image

More Info →

Description: This image depicts marchers from Te Roopu o te Matakite - the Māori Land March, likely travelling between Whanganui and Bulls on the 5th of October 1975. The Pouwhenua is held by Cyril Chapman.

The image was not published in the Evening Standard until 14th October 1975, in both the regular and city editions of that day's paper. There were two different headlines, and two different stories accompanying the image. Both articles were not credited to a named reporter but were provided by 'The NZ Press Association'.

City Edition Headline: '30 Angry Maoris wait for an answer. Caption: ‘The marchers...they've gone home.'

Article:
"A group of young Maori land marchers today pledged to continue to squat in front of Parliament until they are given assurances by the Government on demands they are making.

About 35 people slept at the top of the steps of the main parliamentary building last night, and a spokesman for the group said he was certain there would be 35 there again tonight.

They are waiting for the Government to meet their demands. But the Prime Minister, Mr Rowling, told a press conference today he would not give any assurances.

About 30 young people sat on the steps in bright sunshine this morning discussing the problems of the Maori people and their land.

A poster with the words ‘Te Roopu Ote [sic] Matakite’ was strung between two pillars at the top of the steps, but this was taken down after a police officer delivered a request from the Speaker that it be taken down before the Prime Minister came out.

"They were given the impression the Prime Minister was to speak to them, but Mr Rowling was later seen to leave Parliament by a side entrance.

A spokesman for the group, Dave Ruru, denied reports that those at Parliament were all members of Nga Tamatoa, an Auckland based radical group.

Referring to Whina Cooper, Leader of the march, he said: ‘I don’t think she thinks the memorial of rights was the be all and end all – we will stay till we get assurances from the Government on our land.’

He, with the other marchers sitting on the steps of Parliament today, believe Te Roopu Ote [sic] Matakite was ‘sold down the drain’ by the Government.

Mrs Titewhai Harawira, the Wellington organiser of the march, said she had left her family to camp outside Parliament because she believed Maoris must take a stand and fight for the retention of their remaining two million acres.

‘Te Roopu Ote [sic] Matakite always said that if we didn’t get an answer at Parliament to the things we are asking for, we should stop on Parliament grounds,’ she said.

On either side of the main entrance to Parliament, canvas screens were tied to the pillars to provide shelter at night.

Mr Ruru said about 20 people last night slept at the top of the steps behind the canvas while 15 others slept in cars or on the grass near the statue of Richard Seddon.”

Regular edition Headline: 'P.M. sets Maori land Plea Straight'. (No caption)

Article:
"The Prime Minister will not give any written or verbal assurances to militant Maori land marchers that their demands on Maori land will be met.

A group of Maoris, who had taken part in the Te Roopu Ote [sic] Matakite land march, spent last night in a tent in Parliament grounds.

They said they would not leave until Mr Rowling had given them a written assurance that Maori land would remain with Maoris in perpetuity.

Mr Rowling said the young protesters had left the mainstream of the Maori land marchers.

Any decision on the Maoris’ claims would be made by Parliament. ‘It won’t be taken unilaterally by me,’ he said.

‘I think they must understand that it’s not within my power to give them a written assurance.

‘Individual prime ministers or individual ministers do not change the laws of this land.’

Mr Rowling said he was sure this had been accepted by the march leader, Mrs Whina Cooper, and other Maori elders.

The right to retain or sell Maori land must ultimately rest with the people who owned the land. The question of whether there should be non-alienation in perpetuity was something the owners must consider themselves.

‘What we must do is provide protection for that land as long as the owners desire it to be protected.’

The alienation of Maori land in the past had sometimes been against the wishes of large numbers of owners, but new legislation meant that 75 percent of the owners would now have to approve the sale of Maori land.

The demands of the marchers would be given very close consideration by Parliament, he said.

Requests of Maoris in Tauranga and Taranaki over the ownership of Mt Maunganui and Mt Egmont were being considered.

He said he hoped the matters could be settled in a way in which principle and honour could be satisfied, without causing any disruption.”