June 23, 2014
Land critical for hapu settlement
The head of a Waitara hapu says a decision by Te Atiawa Iwi Authority negotiators to leave the Waitara Endowment Lands out of the tribe’s settlement is a betrayal of 150 years of history.
David Doorbar says opposition to the deal by his Otaraua hapu and neighbour’s Manukorihi means they have been excluded from the post-settlement governance body.
He says the land is the remains of the Pekapeka block, whose purported sale to the Crown by Teira in 1859 sparked the first Taranaki war.
Rather than have the cost of the land taken out of their settlement, negotiators opted to take the money so they can try to negotiate for it later with the New Plymouth District Council.
Mr Doorbar says that reduces what the tribe has gone through to a simple cash transaction.
"All our lands were confiscated by the crown and they said they’d give it back when we behaved ourselves so we’ve been sitting under the raukura, whaikororia ki te Atua maungarongo ki runga te whenua whakaaro pai ki te tangata, we’ve been doing all of that, and then in the 90s the crown turns around and says that private property is not subject to claim so the only thing we’ve got left is what is in the council and some of the DOC sites. What little there is available to come back, it seems that we’re not going to see that either," he says.
Te Atiawa Iwi Authority is holding a ratification information hui at the Tui Ora board room in New Plymouth this morning.
Voting on the settlement ends on July 17.
FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH DAVID DOORBAR CLICK ON THE LINK
https://secure.zeald.com/uma/play_podcast?podlink=MTkzODU=
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