INDEPENDENT NEWS

Historical Waitangi Tribunal Hearings Now Moves To Bulls

Published: Thu 5 Nov 2020 09:21 AM
The Ngāti Raukawa iwi confederation will again be presenting their treaty claims to the Waitangi Tribunal at Parewahawaha Marae in Bulls. This is the third week of hearings and will run from 9 -13 November 2020.
Dennis Emery (Ngāti Kauwhata) chairperson of Te Hono ki Raukawa Council, a main claimant groups, said this is one of the last big treaty claims in Aotearoa.
“The iwi comprise some 30,000 members and belong to Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga, Ngāti Kauwhata, Nga Iwi O Te Reureu, Ngāti Tūkorehe and Ngati Wehiwehi and are based in the Manawatū, Horowhenua and Kapiti Coast. The main grievance and highly contentious issue is termed “te pene raupatu” or land loss by the stealth of the pen for over 320,000 acres.”
One particular purchase, of some 240,000 acres, is described as one of the most fraudulent in New Zealand history, which was backed by a Native land Court decision. The purchases and the Native Court Land laws of that late 1890 – 1900’s that removed the capacity of each hapu or tribe to manage its lands meant that the Rangitīkei, Manawatū and Horowhenua iwi became the most landless in the country.
Mr Emery said we lost more than most iwi in the proportion of our land taken by the Government.
“We also suffered in terms of cultural loss, loss of papakāinga (settlements) and consequently the tribes self-sufficiency. We suffered a much greater loss than others emanating in the opportunity of not being able to participate in the country’s economy.”
This is the third of 12 designated hearings that started at Hato Paora College, Feilding on 9 March 2020 and will progress to Horowhenua and Ōtaki following a clear historical sequence of events. The original claim Wai 113 was lodged in 1989 by kaumātua, Whata Karaka Davis, Ngārongo Iwikatea Nicholson, Te Maharanui Jacob and Pita Richardson. They have now all passed on.
Local hapū Ngāti Parewahawaha and Ngāti Manomano will be speaking to their claims and technical researcher Dr, Heather Bassett will speak to her report on the effects of the Public Works Acts on the entire iwi estate.
The hearing commences with a pōwhiri at Parewahawaha Marae, 9am on Monday. At 8am a separate pōwhiri will be held for taonga and iwi/hapū groups.
Hearing Week Four has been scheduled for 7-11 December and is expected to be hosted by Nga Iwi O Te Reureu at Te Tikanga Marae at Tokorangi. The 2021 schedule of Hearings begins with Week Five in April.

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