works by The Tu Wai Indigenous Resource Centre, Aotearoa

Essay by Te Tui Hoterene

Ko aku nei take pu ka watea tou rangatiratanga i au i rangatira ana.
Ko au nei take pu ka tangohia toku nei rangatiratanga i a koe e rangatira ana.
When I am stronger than you, you retained your freedom because that is according to my principles.
When you are stronger than me, you take away my freedom because that is according to your principles.

Aotearoa is being smothered by New Zealand. A hundred years of environmental and cultural desecration has occurred in Aotearoa since the Pakeha took control. The clearing of the vast forests massacred the forest life to make way for the alien grass, cows, and cowboys. They came with their agricultural culture. A culture with specific religion, resource use and management, property rights, law enforcement, roles for men and women, and the differences go on. Therefore there is now an idea in Aotearoa that the rights of cow boys and farmers supersede the rights of Tangata Whenua. The rights of farmers, the rights of the dairy industry, deny the existence of the native. In 1840 100% of the land in Aotearoa was in Tangata Whenua hands, now only about 6% of land remains in Tangata Whenua hands.

Detail - Noku Te Whenua 2003

for information about works, please contact the Tu Wai IRC: tuwaiirc@hotmail.com