Sir Douglas Graham discribes his work in the Māori world as a"Yoyage of Discovery".
When he entered Parlimanet in 1984, he was a Remuera lawyer with only the
beginning of an interest in and knowledge of things Māori. When he retired from
politics last year he was a staunch advocate for the settlement of Māori
grievances.
Sir Douglas' interest in race relations saw him become Treaty negotiations Minister
in 1991. He adopted a revolutionary approach to addressing historical injustices, and championed a number of major settlements.
His work in the Treaty settlements area effectively ruled out his chances of leading
the National Party, something he has no regrets about. And while his work was not
without controversy, he earned respect from a wide cross section of New Zealanders.
Sir Douglas' family association with the Māori world dates back to 1842 when his
great granfather arrived from Scotland. Robert Graham, like many early settlers, became
a fluent Māori speaker through his involment with Māori.
His interest in race relations started before he entered parliament, when he realised he
would have to learn more about Māori and their world if he was serious about
becoming a politician. He went on to become Minister of Treaty Settlements and a key
player in recent dsettlements.
Sir Douglas, according to one Māori commentator, "has a cross cultural competency with Māori elders like few other Pakeha politicians this century.....his work has been the
most significant since that of Sir Apirana Ngata".