Tuaiwa (Eva) Rickard speaks about the tortuous negotiations with the government which eventually resulted in the return of the land.
The image shows Rickard pointing out her hapū’s ancestral land, which had been taken for an airstrip during the Second World War and never returned, to Minister of Lands Venn Young in 1978.
Transcript
The government took our land with promises of buildings, of meeting houses and compensation. They did not adhere to their promises and their offer was to return the land to my people, number one. Second, we pay 9,000 dollars and you must remember they wanted 61,000 at the beginning. Thirdly, we let the golfers stay there. So after the High Court decision just recently, where the lease has now become validated after 11 years of an unlawful occupation. We are now bound to 56 years, if that lease is to survive. So I am saying to the government we are not paying $9,000 to watch the Raglan golfers play golf on our land. So I will not accept it and it is the first time I believe that Māori's have taken the stand and I'm thankful for the support of the Arawa people, the Ngāpuhi people, this is now a tribal issue that has become a Māori issue.
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