By Lee Matthews
Manawatu Evening Standard
01 November 2005

A memorial to early settlers at Mt Stewart was defaced with pro Maori sovereignty graffiti at the weekend. The writing, which includes references to a little-known part of New Zealand history, will cost hundreds of dollars to remove. The slogans, in red, black and white, exhort the readers to"check your history" and that October 28, 1835, was the declaration of independence in New Zealand.

The graffiti said that Maori independance (sic) has never been ceeded (sic). Massey University history lecturer Geoff Watson thinks the graffiti refers to New Zealand's declaration of independence, which was signed at Waitangi on October 28, 1835 - predating the Treaty of Waitangi by five years. "The British government became aware that a number of other countries, notably France, were interested in staking a claim to New Zealand," Dr Watson said. "James Busby, the governor, was told to deal with it." Governor Busby and 35 ariki and rangatira, who represented iwi and hapu from the Far North to the Hauraki Gulf, signed a document declaring New Zealand to be an independent state under the designation of the Confederation of United Tribes of New Zealand.

It went on to say that all sovereign power and authority within the territory of the United Tribes would reside entirely and exclusively with the hereditary chiefs and heads of tribes, who would not permit any other legislative activities.

They agreed on a flag: the red cross of St George on a white ground, with the four stars of the Southern Cross in white, on a blue ground, in the top left-hand quarter. The red cross was also repeated in this quarter. "The flag was to denote New Zealand shipping. There were commercial advantages for tax reasons, especially when going to Australia," Dr Watson said. The declaration also "cordially invited the southern tribes to set aside their private animosities" and join the confederation.

The first Maori king, Potatau te Wherowhero of Tainui, signed the declaration, as well as Ngati Kahungnunu's Te Hapuku, and some of the South Island iwi. "It was a significant document for a number of reasons. The preamble to the Treaty of Waitangi says the Treaty would overtake the declaration, but there are still some groups, particularly in Northland, who believe they have not ceded Maori independence . . . they still hold to the original declaration," Dr Watson said. "You still sometimes see the confederation's flag."

Manawatu District Council's reserves manager Albert James said history was all very well, but the words have to be removed from the monument. Council contractors Fulton Hogan were expected to steam-clean it today. Graffiti vandals occasionally hit the memorial with the usual mindless scribbles, including swastikas, but nothing on this scale had been seen before, he said.

The memorial was unveiled on April 24, 1940, by MP JG Cobbe. A separate plaque was added in 1990 to mark New Zealand's sesquicentennial, when a time capsule was also buried.