In the latest of a line of opinion pieces concerning the current socioeconomic and political climate for Maori in the Bay of Plenty, kaumatua Colin Bidois details historical cases of injustice against Maori and sets the scene for the upcoming completion of treaty settlement negotiations, and how the money should be handled.

History will eventually recognise that the period between 1860 and 1950 was the darkest years of New Zealand's social evolvement because of the human atrocities, the many apartheid systems, and other deceit towards Maori by those in power. The challenge is now to put this in the past, learning from that sad history and moving forward in a positive manner.
The human atrocities I mention were the land wars caused by proven land confiscation, wherein many Maori were killed, permanently wounded and left in a position of dependency. The slaughter at Te Ranga was plain murder of 120 unarmed Maori men and women, mercilessly gunned down. Had the reverse happened and Maori killed 120 pakeha men and women it would have gone down in world history as mass murder.
Throughout Aotearoa thousands of Maori were killed for their land.
I cannot forgive the brutal murder of my great, great-grandmother, Hineiturama, by colonial troops at the Battle of Orakau 1864. Historian Cowan recorded that as she tended to her dead husband lying in the mud inside the pa site, English troopers killed her by bayoneting her several times.
Then there were several apartheid systems. Maori workers on Maori Development Schemes were paid a lesser rate than other agricultural workers until 1942 – why? Up until 1936 'relief payments”, Maori were paid a lower rate than others by 14 to 45% - why?
The only exception being a married Maori male worker with no children who then received a shilling a day more than his pakeha mate - how disgusting. To make things worse, Maori were not eligible to receive sustenance payments, the equivalent of today's unemployment benefit - why. As mentioned previously, Maori women were banned from public toilets - apartheid in all its glory.
Of course there was the wrongful confiscation of 48,000 acres and the forced sale of 94,000 acres - more than half of Tauranga's most arable land - which left Maori devastated.
Also health facilities were very difficult for Maori to access, hospital services were ratepayer funded, which Maori couldn't afford. They relied on the district nurse services, however there was one only serving from Katikati to Opotiki rural community.
A person in our family committed a major breach of Maori etiquette by selling to the Auckland Museum the prow of the Miripekapeka waka which had been dug up from Te Puna swamplands. It now stands beautifully on display in Auckland. This was the only way our family member could put a small deposit on a vehicle which was necessary for the only permanent job he had been offered albeit a hundred miles from Tauranga in the Urewera country.
My experiences can be retold 100 times by others of what they suffered through humiliation and deprivation.
However, recently the Waitangi Tribunal hearings in Tauranga gave us the chance to air our frustrations.
The Government has responded with its redress to Ngati Ranginui Iwi which I believe is the maximum it can afford in cash, land and others at this point in time. Offers to the other two iwi in Tauranga Moana are pending. It is now in our hands to emulate Ngai Tahu in the excellent handling of their redress but it will take at least three generations to overcome the negative effects of the past. We are determined to do this.

Colin Bidois, Pyes Pa.