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March 02, 2023
Whanganui iwi share Pākaitore history with tamariki
Peter Verschaffelt
Posted On March 2, 2023
Download AudioA commemoration was held this week for the start of the 79-day occupation of Pākaitore-Moutoa Gardens in Whanganui – and one of the protest leaders says he still hopes all stolen iwi land in the rohe will be returned.
Ken Mair says the event was a chance to celebrate the iwi and hapu of Whanganui and to highlight their mana motuhake.
He says not only was Pākaitore Pā stolen but so were 90,000 acres of the tribal domain, including the land Whanganui was settled on.
Iwi and hapū have spent the years since the occupation going through the claim process for their land and awa.
“We’re going through, we’re nearly there, completing the settlement of our land and of course, Pākaitore is part of that and we expect Pākaitore alongside other lands to be returned to us and we will continue the journey of being hopefully all our lands back – it might take a couple of generations,” Mr Mair says.
Ken Mair says the celebration was a chance to share the history with the hundreds of tamariki from the region’s kura who came along.
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