Ngāi Tahu print media before and after settlement

Abstract

Treaty reparation processes are a key characteristic of postcolonial Aotearoa/New Zealand. In 1975 the New Zealand Crown established the Waitangi Tribunal designed to make recommendations on indigenous (Māori) claims regarding breaches of the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi (Tiriti o Waitangi). While in the face of things, this was a politically progressive act of reconciliation, the Treaty process still entails limitations, the most important aspect being that the New Zealand Crown continues to set the agenda for addressing historical injustices. New Zealand's mediated public sphere also helps set the agenda for understanding Treaty Claims processes. Mainstream media often frames these debates as a contestation over resource allocation and as a competition between Māori and Pākehā (people of mainly European descent). We argue that as iwi (Māori tribes) settle claims with the Crown, the country is increasingly witness to emerging articulations of identity that complicate orthodox understandings of New Zealand nationhood. Iwi media offer potential counter-publics that compete against, and negotiate with, more mainstream media outlets. Increasingly, these counter-publics focus on the post-settlement futures of iwi identity and New Zealand nationhood. Drawing upon the Treaty settlement of the predominant Māori tribe of the South Island, Ngāi Tahu, we discuss the role of the iwi's flagship magazine Te Karaka in revitalizing Ngāi Tahu identity and we outline the challenges facing Ngāi Tahu identity in a post-settlement era.