The Waikato River of New Zealand - Essay Example

The Waikato River and the Maori of The Waikato River and the Maori The Waikato river of New Zealand is very important to the people who were the original inhabitants of this area. In places where there have been settlements by colonizers, the original inhabitants of that area have had recourse to objects of nature to maintain a sense of fixedness and continuity as well. The Waikato River represents for the Maori people of New Zealand an entity that does not change in spite of the repeated encroachments in other areas of their culture by the forces of colonial modernity. In this regard, it is important to analyze the nature of the importance of legislations that have come up in the past in relation to the use of natural objects and in particular, water bodies. They hold special significance for people of the Maori tribes as they were the source of life for these tribes for a very long time. It provided the water for agriculture and at the same time, also provided the Waikato tribes with the fish that they needed for their survival. Having played such an important part in the lives of these tribes of New Zealand, it is easy to understand the insecurities that were experienced by people at the time when large parts of the land adjoining the Waikato River were sold to people who had come to New Zealand with the intention of colonizing the land. The matter became one of social and tribal prestige and hence is closely connected with the sense of loss of identity that these people faced at a point of time in history (The Waikato River and its Catchment, 2012). An analysis of the importance of the Waikato River in modern times for the tribes that have been using its resources for a very long time needs to be analyzed through the recent legislations that have been made in this respect. The Resource Management Act of the state of New Zealand sought to reduce the activities of construction that were considered to be harmful to the ecology of the area. This is indeed a commendable achievement since in most countries, protests and action for the dispossessed have been stalled or decimated by lobbies of businessmen and other interests that have more, supposedly, to offer a modern state. This leads one to think of the articles that are a part of this Act. It talks of the role that the state and its activities that are also related to the process of engineering and construction are to play in the lives and activities of interest to the Maori tribes. The act makes it clear, in the case of water that the activities that would lead to the degradation of the environment would not be allowed to take place at any cost. It also makes clear the New Zealand Government’s commitment towards the cause of sustainable development. This is also part of a turn that many countries have taken, that towards sustainable development. Many summits and conventions across the world have argued for such forms of development that would enable continuation of the human race on the earth. At the present rate of pollution and environmental decline, the race would not be able to sustain itself for very long. As a part of this effort, many countries and cultures have sought to protect the interests of their original inhabitants, many of whom have interests that are similar to those of programs aimed at sustainable development. The importance of the Waikato River for the Maori and other tribes in New Zealand also can be seen in the recognition of these rights by modern theories of economics and ecology. This is not to say that these tribes needed validation from these theories but is to say that these theories have, after much effort, reached a point where the Maori and other tribes have been at for centuries. This is the point of view that the Resource Management Act supports and seeks to promote. Since this is connected to the building or not building of new structures and modifying existing structures, the Act is connected to ethics and engineering and it is hence, important to look at the ethics that are meant to be followed by engineers while they practice their trade in New Zealand (Resource Management Act 1991, n.d.). For this, one needs to look at the priorities that are set for engineers by their collective body and their code of ethics. It is here that one needs to look at the IPENZ (Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand) code of ethics. This organization represents the interests of people who are engaged in the process of creating and designing buildings and constructions for the use of mankind. This enables a creative understanding of the centuries old relationship between the tribes of the Maori and the Waikato River. The code of ethics dictates that construction and sites of construction are to follow the conventions that are laid down by the conventions of sustainable development. It also makes it mandatory that the community that they are working for needs to be taken into confidence while a certain project is underway. These are written into the guidelines that are a key to understanding the ethos that drives the following of this code. The code makes it clear that the resources that are a part of the ecological and economic wealth of a community would be used for the benefit of that community (IPENZ Code of Ethics, n.d.). In this sense, it is very similar to the codes that are followed by the team of legislators who formulated the Resource Management Act. Therefore, one needs to look at the larger picture of sustainable development that has been behind these maneuvers. Apart from this, one also has to take into account the ethos that was behind the civilization of the Maori tribes that depended on the ecology for their survival. This ethos also was clear about the fact that this very survival of theirs depended heavily upon the protection of the environment and its betterment. This means that there is a convergence between the aims of different departments of the state. This situation is desirable and even essential for the successful management of a program of development. An understanding of the relationship between the Maori and the Waikato River requires an understanding of the relationship between that of the power of the colonizers and the colonized in New Zealand. The importance of this lies in the fact that many of the discussions that happen today in the academia in relation to the Original inhabitants of a place and their connections to the ecology are generated not through the relations that are built through engineering but those of politics. All of these are intrinsically connected. Yet, one needs to look at the postcolonial aspect of the New Zealand society to understand the relationship of the Maori and their heritage. The Saidian discourses that shaped the way in which people look at the societies that were once colonized would also lead one to look at the importance of the documents that were imposed upon the tribes (Said 2000) such as those of the Maori so as to dominate them. This can be seen in the second article of the Treaty of Waitangi- Her Majesty the Queen of England confirms and guarantees to the Chiefs and Tribes of New Zealand and to the respective families and individuals thereof the full exclusive and undisturbed possession of their Lands and Estates Forests Fisheries and other properties which they may collectively or individually possess so long as it is their wish and desire to retain the same in their possession; but the Chiefs of the United Tribes and the individual Chiefs yield to Her Majesty the exclusive right of Preemption over such lands as the proprietors thereof may be disposed to alienate at such prices as may be agreed upon between the respective Proprietors and persons appointed by Her Majesty to treat with them in that behalf. (Read the Treaty 2012) Such documents have been instrumental in more purposes than one. They have at the same time, perpetuated the dominance of the Crown of England which was the colonizer at that point of time and also to help the Maori feel a certain sense of oneness, however, false that sense may be. This leads to many complications whereby the person who is a part of that society may feel a sense of conflict between their loyalties. This is what is important about the present situation’s ability to coordinate different parts of the state’s machinery to at least some amount of unity. This is important in a post-colonial society where there would be great tensions between different communities that are then turned into tensions over the situations that exist in relation to the division of labor and also the division of resources. This is precisely where the problem in regard to the relations between the Maori and the water of the Waikato river and the other resources that are to be and can be extracted from it are concerned come up. The problem, if left unsupervised, has the potential to turn into something much worse. Today, there is a great deal of harmony in the way in which the Maori and the resources of the Waikato River interact and how the role of the government and the other communities are shaped. This is a healthy sign for any democracy and the democratic aspect of the entire process should not be downplayed in this discussion. The fact that the Maori are equal citizens in this country where Universal Franchise has been implemented is a great factor in influencing the decisions that have been taken in favor of the Maori and their traditional rights to the resources of the Waikato River. Even though the Treaty of Waitangi talks about the rights of the Maori, there are clauses that talk of the ultimate authority of the colonizing power. While there may be postcolonial theorists who argue that the influence of the colonizer can be seen in most of the economic decisions that are taken in a post-colonial society, it is a fact that New Zealand is no longer a part of the empire that Britain once was. Following the disintegration of the British Empire, many of the documents that were once employed for the domination of tribes such as the Maori have lost a large part of their significance. However, even now, they do play a part in the lives of people as part of consciousness of people of that society. This can be seen in their influence on later legislation that sought to rectify historical mistakes. The language of the colonizer and the terms that were sued to refer to the Maori are then sought to be discontinued as is seen in the lack of acceptance that terms such as ‘aborigines’ find in today’s time and age. There is at times a resistance from communities that never belonged to oppressed communities to such efforts and an attempt to continue historic modes of oppression that were sanctioned by the erstwhile colonial state for the purpose of enhancing their own privileged existence. However, the political will of the state in the country of New Zealand has managed to control such elements and also make people understand the benefits of a state that manages to create a harmonious environment for people of different communities and cultural backgrounds. In this context, one also needs to look at the unfortunate change in the strategy of the government. This is seen in the decision of the government to sell its shares in the main electricity generation firm, Mighty River Power Limited. Till a certain point of time, it operated in cooperation with the Maori tribes. At this point, however, there is considerable disagreement as a result of the government’s insistence on looking at itself as nothing more than an individual shareholder. By selling its shares, it has put the Maori establishment in danger of being subsumed by the large private interests at play. This would then lead also to the loss of the ecological interests that the Maori seek to protect. This again has to do with the legality of the Treaty of Waitangi that holds on to the worldview of the crown, leaving the Maori at the mercy of the state that derives its power from the structures that were left behind by the colonizers. In this sense, it is important to look at the aspect of the legality of the treaty. The treaty does not possess any legal authority. It is a part of official lists of documents; however, it has not been ratified by any democratic power (Palmer, 2008) and hence, its power is inherently suspect. The very aspect of the Maori ownership is challenged by the decision of the state to not accept the advice of the Maori as it came out after consultations. This again puts the economic worldview of the state and the erstwhile crown and the ecological worldview of the Maori into conflict. The Maori’s relationship with the Waikato River is one that reminds one of the relationships between man and nature. It reminds one of the importance that engineering has in our lives but tells us that human and natural relationships are even more significant as they have a power to threaten all the structures that man erects. It can finally lead, then, to a destruction of the very ‘modern’ structures that man seeks to construct. The Maori’s relationship also enables one to understand the need for a mode of development that incorporates nature into the larger plan. References “IPENZ Code of Ethics”. (n.d.). IPENZ. Retrieved from http://www.ipenz.org.nz/ipenz/who_we_are/ethics_inc.cfm Matthew S. R. Palmer. (2008). The Treaty of Waitangi in New Zealands Law and Constitution. Wellington: Victoria University Press. “Read the Treaty”. (2012). New Zealand History Online. Retrieved from http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/politics/treaty/read-the-treaty/english-text “Resource Management Act 1991”. (n.d.). New Zealand Legislation. Retrieved from http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1991/0069/latest/DLM231974.html Said, Edward. (2000). Orientalism. New York: Penguin. “The Waikato River and its Catchment”. (2012). Waikato River Authority. Retrieved from http://www.waikatoriver.org.nz/about-the-waikato-river/history/ Read More