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Iwi around Gisborne are assembling grievances to air when a replica of Captain Cook's ship the Endeavour sails in next month.
Four Tūranganui a Kiwa iwi have said they won't take part in any official pōwhiri to mark the start of the Tuia 250 commemorations, because of the way the English explorer interacted with their ancestors and the subsequent colonial experience.
Instead they will hold a memorial service for the tūpuna who killed Cook's crew.
Marise Lant from Ngāti Porou says when the Endeavour arrives on October 8 it will be met with a protest that also covers issues such as the uplift of children by Oranga Tamariki, suicide, problem gambling, 1080 poison drops and the roll out of the 5G mobile data network, which she believes may have health implications that have not been discussed in public.
"These are problematic issues that are systemic from colonisation and the conversation with Māori has been ignored. There has been little regard for what Māori think. The crown continues to ignore Māori rights and sovereignty. 5G is just a concern that has been raised on top of a whole layer of concerns for Māoridom," Ms Lant says.
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