180 YEARS OF CIVILISATION, PEACE AND GROWTH IN NZ

Les Hole writes > I now always answer any question of maori rights under the 1840 Treaty the same way:

1. The Treaty offered all NZ tribes the opportunity to become subjects of the Crown, with ALL the rights and responsibilities of citizens…

2. In return, 500 plus tribes ceded any sovereignty claims and agreed to citizenship

3. The immediate benefit was the end of all tribal hostilities accruing to the 1800 – 1835 musket wars that saw up to 60,000 tribesmen and women slaughtered… And the freeing of up to 20,000 tribal slaves…

4. The result of the imposition of British law has been 180 years of civilisation, peace and growth in NZ, with the Equality of ALL citizens…

Of course, some have prospered more than others but generally NZ society accepts “with consistent hard work and effort,” any citizen can achieve success in their chosen field…