Delegate Name: John Cooney
School: Academy of Allied Health and Science
Committee: United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
Topic: New Zealand

Because our great island nation of New Zealand has been colonized multiple times by various countries, historical artifacts that are very important to indigenous New Zealanders have been illegally taken to different places around the world. About one hundred years ago, the Republic of France illegally seized multiple heads from Maori Warrior statues and brought the heads back to France. This is a most prominent indigenous issue as these heads are very important to the Maori people of New Zealand. The cultural and sentimental value that the Maori people have for these artifacts should not be overlooked and should be a top priority for the governments of both New Zealand and France. In 1840, the Treaty of Waitangi transferred control of New Zealand from the Maori people to the white settlers who came to New Zealand on behalf of the Great British Empire, which has long been dissolved. This treaty needs to be annulled and control of Maori lands should be returned to the Maori people. In New Zealand, education on Maori culture and tradition is practically non-existent. Back in1870, the Maori people strongly resisted the “whitening” and colonization of New Zealand, but this resistance was put down. These events are not taught in New Zealand schools, which is why many Maori families shun New Zealand public schools and prefer