September 09, 2019
Tuia pōwhiri scaled back as Tūranga tribes tell own stories
Organisers of events marking the 250th anniversary of Captain Cook arriving in Tūranganui a Kiwa are downgrading plans for the pōwhiri for a replica of his ship the Endeavour.
Turanga FM station manager Mātai Smith says the whole commemoration, which includes events around the country at places the English explorer landed, have caused a great deal of debate within the community.
A pōwhiri on October 5 for the Tahitian voyaging canoe and other waka hourua will still take place, but some of the pomp and ceremony planned for the October 8 pōwhiri has been dropped in favour of a ceremony at Te Poho o Rawiri Marae.
He says growing up in Gisborne only one side of the story was ever told.
"Captain Cook, Captain Cook, Captain Cook, that is what we were taught in school, so I think this is a rather important time for us to use this as an opportunity for the local iwi Rongowhakaata, Ngāi Tamanuhiri and Aitanga a Māhaki as well as our Ngāti Oneone hapū, it's our opportunity to tell our story and what happened at that time and it's really about educating the greater Gisborne region but also Aotearoa whānui as well," Mr Smith says.
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