M?ori fishing rights were guaranteed by the Treaty of Waitangi, taken away by Crown actions, and, along with M?ori land rights and other grievances, contested throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Finally, after years of struggle in the courts, through the Waitangi Tribunal and in protests, M?ori fishing rights were restored. This book claims that four pou or elements significantly assisted in the recognition and eventual recovery of M?ori fishing rights: The Treaty of Waitangi; the courts; The Waitangi Tribunal and theresilience and tenacity of M?ori people, who never gave up fighting for what was right. The author argues that the strong tradition of fairness and justice in New Zealand society provided a platform for M?ori and P?keh? to support the four pou and address the injustices that included not only a denial of M?ori fishing rights but also a large number of others.