May 01, 2024
Title to Ō-Rākau written in blood
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved a step closer yesterday with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara – The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill.
The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west of Kihikihi, in ngā tūpuna o Ō-Rākau.
This acknowledges all those who were present during the battle or had traditional connections to the land.
The Minister for Māori Crown Relations – Te Arawhiti, Tama Potaka, says it gives effect to a deed signed between the Crown and iwi representatives from Maniapoto, Raukawa and Waikato-Tainui in October 2023.
He says the story of Ō-Rākau is one of national significance as the site of the last major battle in the Crown’s 1863-64 invasion of Waikato.
Between 31 March and 2 April 1864, around 300 Māori, many of them women and children, defended themselves against an attack by 1,400 British troops.
Around half the defenders were killed during the fighting and subsequent retreat.
The battle site will be managed by a body representing the descendants of ngā tūpuna, as well as their whānau, hapū and iwi.