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The New Zealand Maori Council is calling on the Catholic church to apologise for its role in the confiscation of Maori land and colonisation. The Council's Executive Director Matthew Tukaki says the request for an apology came after a number of hui last year aiming to address issues of historic racism. Central to the request is what's known as the Doctrine of Discovery - Pope Alexander the sixth's 15th century papal bull, a Catholic law which permitted any Christian to claim land belonging to non-Christians. According to Mr Tukaki the Catholic Church says it's open to the New Zealand Maori Council's request for an apology. Matthew Tukaki joins me now.