March 31, 2023
Fire restored on Taranaki maunga
After 172 years and more than 260 petitions lodged for the return of Taranaki Maunga, the crown will today initial a deed of collective redress with the eight iwi of Taranaki.
Negotiator Jamie Tuuta says while the ceremony at Aotearoa Marae near Hawera has been a long time coming, the iwi have never lost the fire in their belly.
“I recall a statement made by our board back in 1972: ‘we’ve tried war, we’ve tried non-violent action, we’ve tried everything to no avail. Today we are willing to sit down and negotiate with you, and by negotiating with you that does not in any way remove the fire that we have,'” he says.
Jamie Tuuta says his thoughts today are with the tupuna who are no longer with us.