A comparison of Maori and Pakeha attitudes to land

Abstract

New Zealand is becoming increasingly marked by disputes over land use; the Motunui outfall, the Clyde dam, Manakau Harbour and the Waimairi landfill, are all disputes over what is the most appropriate use of land. These conflicts all stem from differing perceptions of land and of wise land use. Ultimately therefore, the way land is used is a product of the way it is thought about. This is the very heartland of landscape architecture. Although many of these disputes are between Maori and Pakeha, there is not, so far as I know, any source of information of the different attitudes to land of these two groups. This deficiency is particularly significant for landscape architects, for land is their business. "It is the intention of this dissertation to begin to fill this gap and more particularly, to pull Maori values, which are nearly always ignored, into focus alongside those of the Pakeha. At the same time it is intended to draw out the similarities and differences between the two groups by way of highlighting the real issues on the ground. In carrying this out I have gone through five steps. Firstly I consider why people think differently about land, then I review Maori and Pakeha attitudes to land, both separately and as they work in parallel. I close by seeking some tentative solutions to the problems of conflicting land use. In writing this dissertation I have been acutely aware that I am representing values frequently different from my own. It is my hope that I have done so in a way that is fair and just, and that in the longrun this paper might assist the journey to a more equitable system of land use.