Abstract
The Report of the Waitangi Tribunal on the Kaituna River Claim was published in 1984, namely in the early stage of the Tribunal. At that time, the Tribunal could investigate only claims related from 1975 onwards because of the unretrospective power. Consequently, the claim was not a grievance stemmed from historical or colonised context but one of the contemporary environmental issues from a Maori point of view. The claimant Ngati Pikiao, one of Te Arawa's hapus, succeeded in getting remarkable findings and recommendations through the report. In the Report, pipeline proposal was regarded as inconsistent with the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi, so that the Ministry of Works and Development was recommended to abandon the scheme. In addition, the Maori's cultural and spiritual values in environmental programmes was acknowledged with high regards. As a result, the Tribunal recommended to the Crown that the related legislation be amended to take Maoritanga into account. It resulted in the Resource Management Act of 1991, inputted Maori perspectives. In conclusion, this report is significant not only for Ngati Pikiao but also for Maori generally. Nowadays, Maori can participate in the environmental decision- making process. Furthermore, this report can be regarded as high significance for whole New Zealand, in that the consequent situation enable New Zealand to achieve a bi-cultural society at least in terms of environmental policies. The details is described through the main part written in Japanese.
