February 28, 2024
Seed planted at Pākaitore for future generations
Today marks the 29th anniversary of the start of the 79-day occupation by Whanganui Māori of the Moutoa Gardens which are sited on Pākaitore pā.
The commemorations began with a karakia at the riverside and kōrero reflecting on the occupation, current issues and plans for the future.
Organiser Ken Mair says the 1995 occupation was to raise awareness of land disputes going back to the 1848 purchase of 89,000 acres of the lower Whanganui by Donald Maclean.
Those stories need to be passed down each generation.
“One of the most important things is to have our kura come down here and to remember the purpose of Pākaitore and to celebrate Pākaitore and of course to ensure we’ve planted the seed for future generations, around the kaupapa of why we came down to Pākaitore,” he says