WHITE MEN DON'T ROAST.

We think that John Keys attempt at  humour  by suggesting that he was likely to end up as part of menu if he was  dining with Tuhoe was funny. It came on the back of his unilateral decision to publicly state that Tuhoe would not get ownership of the Urewera National Park.

It's the sort of  self effacing humour that is so common among Maori - its  a part of  their verbal diet.

However we can also understand why Tuhoe didn't see the funny side of it. Its because Key chomped on their mana over the ownership of the Ureweras. So  Key's statement give them a springboard to   express outrage and hurt at the allusion they were cannibals.

We think Key  had no choice re the Park ownership. however he could have done it with a little bit more sensitivity.

We think  Co- management would have been a fine option  but the reality is that  if Tuhoe did not sign the Treaty, its hard to see how they can claim a treaty breach.

That being said they have been seriously dicked by the Government over the years. 

And as one Maori strategist suggested  to Roarprawn today -  the   " Tuhoe will not get their mitts on Urewera " declaration by Key had really come about because Tuhoe got all skitey about the ownership of the Park being  a go-er.

They over egged the issue and it became a source of real concern to middle New Zealand before both sides had a chance to sell the idea to the public.

So in reality the only thing that Tuhoe should be eating is humble pie for being loud mouth big swinging dicks.

If they had shut up,  they could have ended up with ownership  of the Park,  with the proviso that there would be full and unfettered rights of access to  the NZ   public  and  continued management by DOC and the tribe.

Sadly now because of their big gobs  - its not a runner.