FOREWORD

The Hauraki Treaty Claims project has examined the nature and extent of the interaction of Maori with the Crown in the Hauraki tribal territory during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The claims, together with the research and supporting evidence are set out in eleven volumes. These are presented to the Waitangi Tribunal to support the Hauraki case.

The history of colonisation in Hauraki—the social and economic deprivation endured by those who have gone before us and their years of responsible protest—has not been told before. These volumes, the foundation of the Hauraki case, will forever rewrite our nation's history books, contributing, only now, a Maori perspective to the history of this region.

We began this project four years ago with a multi-disciplinary team approach. Professor Oliver was part of this team, contributing a socio-economic perspective to examine the condition of Maori consequent to colonisation by European settlers.

Professor Oliver's The Social and Economic Situation of Hauraki Maori after Colonisation provides a careful analysis of the plight of Hauraki Maori. His research describes the inequitable provision of health and education, combined with almost complete landlessness leading to the persistent deprivation and poverty faced by Hauraki Maori.

The Hauraki treaty claims are a consequence of the Crown's actions after it signed the Treaty of Waitangi. Professor Oliver's report will significantly support the Hauraki case in the debate that will inevitably surround the Hauraki claims. I take this opportunity to thank Professor Oliver for his contribution to this project.

No reira, noho ora koutou.

T J Mc nte

Claims   ager

Hauraki Maori Trust Board

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