July 30, 2018
Tokanui eviction in sovereign rights battle
Supporters of a Tokanui woman are upset she has been evicted her home that is part of a treaty settlement landbank.
Georgi Job from the Kaputuhi hapu of Ngāti Maniapoto says Theresa Aperahama has a whakapapa connection to the land, which was taken from Kaputuhi under the Public Works Act to build the former Tokanui Mental Hospital and staff accommodation.
Kaputuhi want the land to go back to descendants of the original owners, but instead it's been earmarked for the Maniapoto settlement.
Ms Aperahama has lived in the village for 20 years and bought up her five children, but withheld her rent after an increase.
That led to the eviction last week by property managers Colliers on behaf of the Office of Treaty Settlements.
"They actually owe us rent. We don't owe them rent and that's how she looked at it, that's how we look at it. This was a position of sovereign rights we took and we still take over this whenua," Ms Job says.
She says Kaputuhi doesn't want to be part of the Maniapoto settlement, even though it is one of the largest hapu.
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