Sites of contestation: perceptions of wilderness in the context of Treaty claim settlements

Abstract

During the hearing of the Ngai Tahu claim before the Waitangi Tribunal, it became apparent that lands currently managed by the Department of Conservation such as Aoraki, could constitute part of the claim settlement. This possibility saw the beginnings of a campaign by various interest groups to prevent any such lands being used in the settlement of any Treaty claims. This study is an attempt to facilitate a better understanding of the conflict through examining the world views of both Ngai Tahu and those who have publicly stated their opposition to Aoraki constituting part of the claim settlement. Having briefly examined the history of wilderness preservation from its North American origins, I turn to the New Zealand context and locate the groups opposed to the use of Aoraki in the Ngai Tahu claim settlement in this tradition. It is argued that their position on this issue reflects little of the sophisticated thought regarding wilderness evident in North America and that they are concerned primarily with defending their rights to recreate on lands owned and managed by the Crown. The way that the traditional world view of Maori has impacted upon the issue is then examined in terms of how traditions function as potentially powerful political symbols. An argument is presented in which contemporary articulations of the Maori world view place emphasis upon the differences between Maori and Pakeha culture, this being especially evident with regard to attitudes to the environment. Given this defines Maoridom relatively narrowly, the study proceeds to examine how a fuller understanding of contemporary Maori society can be engendered especially with regard attitudes to land. Important in this is the involvement of Ngai Tahu in various commercial activities that has given rise to the perception amongst many that vesting title of Aoraki in Ngai Tahu is paramount to privatisation. In seeking an understanding of this perception it is argued that there is evidence of a serious failure amongst groups such as FMC and PANZ to understand the complexities that constitute the reality of Ngai Tahu in the present.