Trust likely to ban marae ‘stirrers’

Press, 10 February 1981, Page 1

Trust likely to ban marae ‘stirrers’

PA Whangarei Non-Maori. “stirrers and agitators,” were no longer w.elcOme oh the Waitangi National Marae, said the chairman of the marae trustees, Mr Tupi Puriri, yesterday. “This includes all nonNew Zealand Maoris,- not just Pakehas but Hawaians and any others,” Mr Puriri said. “If there is to be a protest about Maori- matters on the marae, in future’it must come from the Maori people,” he said. The ban on non-Maori protesters was confined to “protesters” and did not mean that pakehas or any other; visitors were not welcome on the marae. “Frankly, we could not live without the support of many pakehas for the marae/. but we are sick and tired of non-Maoris coming in as srirrers and manipulators,” he said. He said the move -followed the violence which erupted pn (he.,marae during . last Friday’s • historic investiture. proceedings. . The regulations, governing Maori reservations were quite ; ciear and called bn the trustees to ensure 'the marae .was maintained “for the benefit of the persons entitled to its use and enjoyment.” Trustees were obliged by the regulations to * ensure good conduct of the persons using the facilities and to preserve law and order,” ... Any Maori, whether .a protester or not, Would still.be accorded the welcome required of a marae. “But no marae is open for

their non-Maori invitees. We reserve the right to say .who comes, on to the marae,” he said. The non-Maori demonstrators. on the marae on Waitangi Day had been there without invitation. and had done a great deal to bolster and encourage the disruption which followed. “It was significant that as a 7 result of the disruption, that none’of these non-Maoris wound up under arrest,” he said. ' Mr Puriri also defended the presence of the police on and about the marae during the -investitures. He said the police had been there by invitation. The marae committee had acted to ensure their guests were fully protected. Mr Puriri praised the manner in ' which the police had performed their duties bn the day. "We were impressed with the swiftness' and efficiency of the police intervention," he said. If they had not been present; . the protesters could well have been in considerable danger from some of those who were very angry with the way they were disrupting things,” he said. The chairman of the Tai Tokerau District Maori Council,. Sir Graham Latimer,, wants to see. Waitangi Day protesters banned; from future treaty, ceremonies on the Waitangi National Marea. “We. ;nbw have to decide whether we are going to let the protesters disrupt

the future marae ceremonies,” he said. Sir Graham said he personally had “had enough” of the disruptions. (His investiture on the marae was one of the events criticised by the protesters on Friday). He said he had been approached by “one member of the council . after another” after Friday’s arrests, saying that they had had enough of the disruptions. He said it was no good trying to use half measures, such as banning white protesters from the marae. “It has got to be all or nothing,” said Sir Graham. Sir Graham said that the protesters were basi-. cally from one family and were not representative of young Maoris. He said he had known that there was going to be trouble from the time the protesters were allowed within the ceremony circle. ■ The apti-apartheid organisation, , HART, has come out in support of the protest against the celebration of the Treaty of Waitangi, which it described as a “farce” according to an Auckland report. The national organiser of HART, Mr J. Minto, said that with 20,000 young Maoris unemployed, any celebration on an equal Maori-pakeha relationship was a mockery and that one'could only be amazed 1 at the restraint ,of the protesters. .