Ōtaki hapū present their case to tribunal
A Kāpiti Coast hapū hopes to reclaim its prosperity after what it says has been historical undermining by the Crown.
Another week of Waitangi Tribunal hearings for the Porirua ki Manawatū began at Te Pou o Tainui Marae at Ōtaki yesterday.
The inquiry is for the Ngāti Raukawa iwi confederation claim, which has been presenting its claims to the tribunal for four years.
The claims cover how hundreds of thousands of hectares of land from Manawatū to Kāpiti was taken from Māori by the Crown via pene raupatu, or confiscation by the pen.
Ngāti Kapu is presenting its claims this week and lawyer Heather Jamieson said in her submission the hapū had been and continues to be prejudicially affected by the policies, practices, legislation and omissions of the Crown.
This included their rangatiratanga (right to exercise authority) being undermined, almost all their land and taonga (treasures) being taken and their language being marginalised.
She said the hapū was seeking to reclaim prosperity, self-sufficiency and self-determination.
“Ngāti Kapu aspire to return to a place where their rangatiratanga is exercised, respected, and upheld.”
Hapū member Rupene Waaka presented evidence about Ngāti Kapu’s history, as well as land loss, the Ōtaki township and Ngāti Kapu’s adherence to Catholicism and the Kīngitanga.
Due to colonisation, their people were “behind the 8 ball when they woke up every morning”.
In gathering his evidence, he had spoken to elders over the years and looked at Native Land Court records.
He said their cupboards were empty of knowledge, but they were now adding more chapters to their kete (basket).
“This is the platform, the footprint for our future generations this week.”
One significant part of their history was a flag Ngāti Kapu erected for the first Māori king, Pōtatau Te Wherowhero, in 1860. A replica still flies proudly at the marae today.
It is the colours of the French flag, but has the Tainui name and Tainui waka on it, as well as a star representing a god.
In the years after it was erected there were discussions about removing it and Governor George Grey wanted it taken down, but Ngāti Kapu did not comply and it remained to this day.
“Mr Governor General with all his might behind his hands, with the military and all that, didn’t want to come under our flag,” Waaka said. “That's how much mana it had. He sent his emissaries, the Crown, to tell our people give up your flag and cut the flagpole down.”
Waaka then issued a greeting to the Crown lawyers. “So to the Crown, welcome, welcome, welcome. I hope you haven’t come to tell me to cut the flagpole down.”
Greg Carlyon gave evidence about how the region had been affected environmentally over the years and he said waterways, including Lake Horowhenua, were in a dreadful state because of the effect of things such as intensive vegetable growing.
He said there were some improvements in Lake Horowhenua and the Hokio Stream now, but for many hapū it had been a decades-long fight as the stream was used as “a community cesspit” and the Levin Landfill was right next to it.
The rights and interests of iwi and hapū had been put to the back, so there had to be an opportunity for them to state their views or be at the heart of decision making, he said.