April 01, 2019
Marae space for battle, not blockades
A Whakatōhea claim negotiator says marae should not be held hostage to disputes within iwi.
The Whakatōhea Pre-Settlement Trust had to shift the venue for its annual meeting on Saturday after a small group from within Ngāi Tamahaua barricaded access points to Opape Marae east of Ōpōtiki.
Maui Hudson, who is also Ngāi Tamahaua's representative on the Whakatōhea Māori Trust Board, says opponents of the settlement are becoming increasingly strident.
He says they're losing sight of the proper way to challenge decisions they may not agree with.
"We're all whānau at the end of the day. We're all going to have to live together post any settlement and actually through the settlement process we are all using the marae and that should be a place we can welcome all of our whānau and hear what's going on," Mr Hudson says.
He says social media reaction to the marae blockaders has been strong, and there are likely to be consequences.
Ngāi Tamahaua chair Peter Selwyn says the Pre Settlement Trust and the Whakatōhea Trust Board are crown entities, and the hapū should be allowed to navigate their own path to a settlement.
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