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Trustees of Te Tii Marae in Waitangi have moved to limit the role of activist Hinewhare Harawira.
Taumata member Rihari Dargaville says Ms Harawira, who was acting as secretary, had demanded major changes to the running of next week’s hui to welcome manuhiri coming to Waitangi for treaty commemorations.
He says a meeting last night decided all communications from the trust would come under the signature of its chair, Emma Gibbs, and deputy chair Billie Taituha rather than the secretary.
The meeting also finalised a timetable, which includes powhiri for the Governor General, the Prime Minister and Government support parties, Opposition parties, the diplomatic corps, and for a large ope from Ngati Porou.
Mr Dargaville says there is a place for protest, but it's not coming from the marae.
"As a taumata we are saying you have a role, you have a function now and the function that you played out before is no longer relevant. You have to act as a responsible trustee of Te Tii Waitangi Marae. Whether they listen to that is another matter but as far as the taumata sees it we are going to ensure that process happens and we are taking every step besides tikanga to ensure it does," he says.
Mr Dargaville says there will be a separate powhiri for the protest hikoi, and the taumata has offered to let one or two from the protest group address their concerns directly to the prime minister.
FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH RIHARI DARGAVILLE CLICK ON THE LINK
http://www.waateanews.com/play_podcast?podlink=MjU5MTc=
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