October 25, 2012
Mokomoko bill to lift burden off family
Labour’s Maori Affairs spokesperson is welcoming the introduction of a bill to restore the character, mana and reputation of a Whakatohea chief.
Mokomoko was executed in 1866 for the murder of missionary Carl Volkner, a crime he denied to his grave.
The incident was used to justify land confiscations in the Eastern Bay of Plenty.
Parekura Horomia says attempts to resolve the issue in the 1990s didn’t go far enough.
“There was a lot of whakama by the family and the iwi. The family has said they have had to wear the whakama through the generations and the issue with the apology given by (former Governor General) Dame Cath (Tizard) was about the individual himself. This is about the family being recognised and the uri of Mokomoko in relation to what the crown did wrong,” he says.
The bill passed its first reading yesterday and was sent to a select committee.
IMAGE: Robley, Horatio Gordon, 1840-1930. Illustrated London news :The Matata Pa, New Zealand.
Copyright © 2013, Uma Broadcasting Ltd