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Date: June 26, 2008
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THE ARTICLE

New Zealand signs historic Maori land deal

History was made on June 25th as the New Zealand government signed over the ownership of huge areas of forest land to seven Maori tribes. The deal is the largest ever made between New Zealand’s government and the indigenous Maoris. It is part of efforts to compensate Maoris for land taken away from them by British colonizers in the nineteenth century. The two sides have been negotiating since the mid-1980s to settle historic disputes. Maoris have been angry ever since their lands were signed over to Britain in the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840. The new settlement means an area covering 176,000 hectares, worth over $500 million, is now back in Maori hands. The seven tribes have more than 100,000 members. They will manage the land to make sure it provides them with a sustainable future.


 
 

Around 800 Maori from across New Zealand’s North Island crammed into the parliament building to witness the historic handover. New Zealand’s Treaty Negotiations Minister Michael Cullen said New Zealand’s image as a nation suffered because of the past wrongs done to Maoris. At the signing ceremony he said: "It is a tragedy of our history that in the century and a half that followed the signing of the treaty, [we] failed to uphold [our] part of the bargain in so many ways." Prime Minister Helen Clark thanked everyone who worked on the deal: "We came into politics to address injustice and seek reconciliation. Thank you for walking that road with us,” she said. Maori spokesman Tamati Kruger said: “The land to be returned is culturally significant to us all." Maori make up around 15% of New Zealand's 4.2 million population.


 
 

WARM-UPS

1. NEW ZEALAND: Walk around the class and talk to other students about New Zealand. Change partners often. After you finish, sit with your partner(s) and share your findings.

2. CHAT: In pairs / groups, decide which of these topics or words from the article are most interesting and which are most boring.

 

history / ownership / forests / compensation / negotiating / disputes / sustainable / handovers / past wrongs / ceremonies / tragedies / injustices / culturally significant

Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently.

3. HISTORY IN THE MAKING: You are going to invent some history. With your partner(s), in the table, write the history that was made / is being made / will be made. Change partners and teach each other some history. Discuss as a class.

The history that was, is being, wil be….. made

Last week

Yesterday

This week

Today

Midnight tonight

Tomorrow

4. COMPENSATE ME: You are not happy with the way your government has treated you throughout your life. Talk with your partner(s) about the things below. What did your government do wrong and what kind of compensation do you want?

  • your education
  • your health
  • making you feel safe
  • work opportunities
  • providing leisure activities
  • protecting your environment
  • technology
  • other _______________________

5. HEADLINE PREDICTION: With your partner(s), use the words in the “Chat” activity above to predict what the news article will be about. Once you have your story, change partners and share them. Who was closest to the real story?

6. TRIBE: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word ‘tribe’. Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.


 
 

BEFORE READING / LISTENING

1. TRUE / FALSE: Look at the article’s headline and guess whether these sentences are true (T) or false (F):

a.

The New Zealand government has bought every last bit of Maori land.

T / F

b.

NZ is trying to make amends for wrongs committed by the British.

T / F

c.

The NZ government and Maoris have been in talks for two decades.

T / F

d.

Maoris will hand over management of the land to property developers.

T / F

e.

About 8,000 Maoris went to the capital to see the historic signing.

T / F

f.

A NZ politician said his country had not kept a promise for 150 years.

T / F

g.

A Maori spokesman said the returned land is important to his culture.

T / F

h.

There are about four million Maori in New Zealand.

T / F

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article:

1.

ownership

a.

deal with

2

deal

b.

injustices

3.

compensate

c.

gives

4.

disputes

d.

settlement

5.

provides

e.

pay

6.

witness

f.

keep

7.

wrongs

g.

settling one’s differences

8.

uphold

h.

arguments

9.

address

i.

possession

10.

reconciliation

j.

observe

3. PHRASE MATCH: Match the following phrases from the article (sometimes more than one combination is possible):

1.

signed over the ownership of

a.

part of the bargain

2

the indigenous

b.

significant to us all

3.

part of efforts to compensate Maoris

c.

huge areas of forest land

4.

negotiating since the mid-1980s to

d.

with a sustainable future

5.

make sure it provides them

e.

done to Maoris

6.

witness

f.

settle historic disputes

7.

past wrongs

g.

Maoris

8.

we failed to uphold our

h.

the historic handover

9.

We came into politics to address injustice

i.

for land taken away from them

10.

The land to be returned is culturally

j.

and seek reconciliation

WHILE READING / LISTENING

GAP FILL: Put the words into the gaps in the text.

History was made on June 25th as the New Zealand government __________ over the ownership of huge areas of forest land to seven Maori tribes. The __________ is the largest ever made between New Zealand’s government and the indigenous Maoris. It is part of __________ to compensate Maoris for land taken away from them by British colonizers in the nineteenth century. The two __________ have been negotiating since the mid-1980s to settle historic disputes. Maoris have been angry __________ since their lands were signed over to Britain in the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840. The new settlement means an __________ covering 176,000 hectares, worth over $500 million, is now back in Maori __________. The seven tribes have more than 100,000 members. They will manage the land to make sure it __________ them with a sustainable future.

 

hands
signed
ever
area
deal
efforts
provides
sides

Around 800 Maori from across New Zealand’s North Island crammed into the parliament building to __________ the historic handover. New Zealand’s Treaty Negotiations Minister Michael Cullen said New Zealand’s __________ as a nation suffered because of the past __________ done to Maoris. At the signing ceremony he said: "It is a __________ of our history that in the century and a half that followed the signing of the treaty, [we] failed to uphold [our] __________ of the bargain in so many ways." Prime Minister Helen Clark thanked everyone who worked on the deal: "We came into __________ to address injustice and seek reconciliation. Thank you for __________ that road with us,” she said. Maori spokesman Tamati Kruger said: “The land to be returned is culturally significant to us all." Maori __________ up around 15% of New Zealand's 4.2 million population.

 

part
 
wrongs
make
politics
witness
walking
image
tragedy

LISTENING:  Listen and fill in the spaces.

History was made on June 25th as the New Zealand government signed over _______________ huge areas of forest land to seven Maori tribes. The deal is the largest ever made between New Zealand’s government and the _______________. It is part _______________ compensate Maoris for land taken away from them by British colonizers in the nineteenth century. The two sides have been negotiating since the mid-1980s _______________ disputes. Maoris have been _______________ their lands were signed over to Britain in the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840. The new settlement means an area covering 176,000 hectares, worth over $500 million, _______________ Maori hands. The seven tribes have more than 100,000 members. They will manage the land to make sure it provides them with a _______________.

Around 800 Maori from across New Zealand’s North Island ______________ parliament building _______________ historic handover. New Zealand’s Treaty Negotiations Minister Michael Cullen said New Zealand’s image as a nation suffered because of the _______________ to Maoris. At the signing ceremony he said: "It is a tragedy of our history that in the century and a half that followed the signing of the treaty, [we] _______________ [our] part of the bargain in so many ways." Prime Minister Helen Clark thanked everyone who worked _______________: "We came into politics to address injustice and seek reconciliation. Thank you for walking that road with us,” she said. Maori spokesman Tamati Kruger said: “The land to be returned is culturally _______________ all." Maori make up around 15% of New Zealand's 4.2 million population.


 
 

AFTER READING / LISTENING

1. WORD SEARCH: Look in your dictionaries / computer to find collocates, other meanings, information, synonyms … for the words ‘land’ and ‘deal’.

land

deal

 

 

 

  • Share your findings with your partners.
  • Make questions using the words you found.
  • Ask your partner / group your questions.

2. ARTICLE QUESTIONS: Look back at the article and write down some questions you would like to ask the class about the text.

  • Share your questions with other classmates / groups.
  • Ask your partner / group your questions.

3. GAP FILL: In pairs / groups, compare your answers to this exercise. Check your answers. Talk about the words from the activity. Were they new, interesting, worth learning…?

4. VOCABULARY: Circle any words you do not understand. In groups, pool unknown words and use dictionaries to find their meanings.

5. TEST EACH OTHER: Look at the words below. With your partner, try to recall how they were used in the text:

  • made
  • huge
  • taken
  • mid-1980s
  • seven
  • provides
  • witness
  • image
  • tragedy
  • seek
  • all
  • 15%

STUDENT LAND SURVEY

Write five GOOD questions about land in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper.

When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

STUDENT 1

_____________

STUDENT 2

_____________

STUDENT 3

_____________

Q.1.

Q.2.

Q.3.

Q.4.

Q.5.

  • Now return to your original partner and share and talk about what you found out. Change partners often.
  • Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

LAND DISCUSSION

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

a)

What did you think when you read the headline?

b)

What springs to mind when you hear ‘New Zealand’?

c)

What do you think of New Zealand returning land to the Maori?

d)

Do the indigenous people in your country have any disputes with your government?

e)

What do you think of Britain’s actions a century and a half ago when they took Maori land?

f)

Has your country ever colonized or been colonized? Has any good come from colonization?

g)

Does your country have any historical disputes with other countries?

h)

Whose hands your country’s land in? Whose hands should it be in?

i)

Is your country’s land being managed to provide a sustainable future?

j)

When was the last time history was made in your country?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

a)

Did you like reading this article?

b)

What do you know about the New Zealand Maori?

c)

Have you ever witnessed history being made? Would you like to?

d)

Has the image of your nation ever suffered?

e)

What past wrongs has your country done to your people or others?

f)

Do you always uphold (keep) your part of a bargain?

g)

What current injustices in your country need to be addressed?

h)

How significant is land to you?

i)

What do you know about other indigenous populations whose land was taken away by colonizers? Should all the land be returned?

j)

What questions would you like to ask Tamati Kruger about land?

LANGUAGE

History was (1) ____ on June 25th as the New Zealand government signed over the ownership of huge areas of forest land to seven Maori (2) ____. The deal is the largest ever made between New Zealand’s government and the indigenous Maoris. It is part of (3) ____ to compensate Maoris for land taken away from them by British colonizers in the nineteenth century. The two sides have been negotiating since the mid-1980s to (4) ____ historic disputes. Maoris have been angry ever since their lands were signed over to Britain in the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840. The new settlement means an area covering 176,000 hectares, (5) ____ over $500 million, is now back in Maori hands. The seven tribes have more than 100,000 members. They will manage the land to make sure it provides them (6) ____ a sustainable future.

Around 800 Maori from across New Zealand’s North Island crammed into the parliament building to witness the (7) ____ handover. New Zealand’s Treaty Negotiations Minister Michael Cullen said New Zealand’s image (8) ____ a nation suffered because of the past wrongs done to Maoris. At the signing ceremony he said: "It is a tragedy of our history that in the century and a (9) ____ that followed the signing of the treaty, [we] failed to uphold [our] part of the bargain in (10) ____ many ways." Prime Minister Helen Clark thanked everyone who worked (11) ____ the deal: "We came into politics to address injustice and seek reconciliation. Thank you for walking that road with us,” she said. Maori spokesman Tamati Kruger said: “The land to be returned is culturally significant to us all." Maori (12) ____ up around 15% of New Zealand's 4.2 million population.

Put the correct words from the table below in the above article.

1.

(a)

make

(b)

making

(c)

made

(d)

makes

2.

(a)

tribal

(b)

tribes

(c)

tribe

(d)

tribalism

3.

(a)

efforts

(b)

effortless

(c)

effects

(d)

effort

4.

(a)

settled

(b)

settles

(c)

settlement

(d)

settle

5.

(a)

worthwhile

(b)

worthless

(c)

worth

(d)

worthy

6.

(a)

for

(b)

by

(c)

with

(d)

to

7.

(a)

historian

(b)

historic

(c)

hysterical

(d)

history

8.

(a)

as

(b)

us

(c)

is

(d)

as is

9.

(a)

halved

(b)

half

(c)

halves

(d)

50%

10.

(a)

so

(b)

such

(c)

some

(d)

sum

11.

(a)

over

(b)

inside

(c)

in

(d)

on

12.

(a)

number

(b)

take

(c)

give

(d)

make

WRITING: 

Write about land for 10 minutes. Correct your partner’s paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find out more about the New Zealand Maori. Share what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. LAND: Make a poster about land in your country. Describe the different parts of it. Who owns it? How is it used?  Show your work to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all have similar things?

4. COLONIZED: Write a magazine article about someone whose land was taken away by a foreign power. Include imaginary interviews with the person who lost their land and the colonizer.

Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Write down any new words and expressions you hear from your partner(s).

5. LETTER: Write a letter to Tamati Kruger. Ask him three questions about his land. Give him three pieces of advice on what he should do to make it sustainable. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your partner(s) will answer your questions.

6. DIARY / JOURNAL: You have just bought a huge piece of land. Write your diary entry about your first day walking around it. Include your feelings on what it’s like to own land. How important is it to you? Read your entry to your classmates in the next lesson.

ANSWERS

TRUE / FALSE:

a. F

b. T

c. T

d. F

e. F

f. T

g. T

h. F

SYNONYM MATCH:

1.

ownership

a.

possession

2

deal

b.

settlement

3.

compensate

c.

pay

4.

disputes

d.

arguments

5.

provides

e.

gives

6.

witness

f.

observe

7.

wrongs

g.

injustices

8.

uphold

h.

keep

9.

address

i.

deal with

10.

reconciliation

j.

settling one’s differences

PHRASE MATCH:

1.

signed over the ownership of

a.

huge areas of forest land

2

the indigenous

b.

Maoris

3.

part of efforts to compensate Maoris

c.

for land taken away from them

4.

negotiating since the mid-1980s to

d.

settle historic disputes

5.

make sure it provides them

e.

with a sustainable future

6.

witness

f.

the historic handover

7.

past wrongs

g.

done to Maoris

8.

we failed to uphold our

h.

part of the bargain

9.

We came into politics to address injustice

i.

and seek reconciliation

10.

The land to be returned is culturally

j.

significant to us all

GAP FILL:

New Zealand signs historic Maori land deal

History was made on June 25th as the New Zealand government signed over the ownership of huge areas of forest land to seven Maori tribes. The deal is the largest ever made between New Zealand’s government and the indigenous Maoris. It is part of efforts to compensate Maoris for land taken away from them by British colonizers in the nineteenth century. The two sides have been negotiating since the mid-1980s to settle historic disputes. Maoris have been angry ever since their lands were signed over to Britain in the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840. The new settlement means an area covering 176,000 hectares, worth over $500 million, is now back in Maori hands. The seven tribes have more than 100,000 members. They will manage the land to make sure it provides them with a sustainable future.

Around 800 Maori from across New Zealand’s North Island crammed into the parliament building to witness the historic handover. New Zealand’s Treaty Negotiations Minister Michael Cullen said New Zealand’s image as a nation suffered because of the past wrongs done to Maoris. At the signing ceremony he said: "It is a tragedy of our history that in the century and a half that followed the signing of the treaty, [we] failed to uphold [our] part of the bargain in so many ways." Prime Minister Helen Clark thanked everyone who worked on the deal: "We came into politics to address injustice and seek reconciliation. Thank you for walking that road with us,” she said. Maori spokesman Tamati Kruger said: “The land to be returned is culturally significant to us all." Maori make up around 15% of New Zealand's 4.2 million population.

LANGUAGE WORK

1 - c

2 - b

3 - a

4 - d

5 - c

6 - c

7 - b

8 - a

9 - b

10 - a

11 - d

12 - d

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