Whakahokia mai te Whenua

Kelvin Davis said, ‘we heard the significance of this land, we already knew how special it was to Ngāti Kahu, and as the MP for Taitokerau, I would love to see it returned to Ngāti Kahu.'

The Ngāti Kahu tūpuna Kahutianui and Te Parata are closely associated to this whenua. The land was traditionally known as Maheatai, and many years ago it was offered as part of a ‘tuku whenua’ to a doctor at a time when the people of Ngāti Kahu were exposed to serious illness. By Māori customary right, the land was meant to be given back to the Ngāti Kahu people but that never happened.

Ngaire Tauhara-White of Kauhanga Marae, Ngāti Kahu said,’ It’s quite simple, they just need to give an answer back as soon as possible. They need to purchase this land to be land banked so we can use it as part of our settlement. So, whakahokia mai te whenua.’

Shane Jones an iwi member of Ngati Kahu and Ngāi Takoto said, ‘the precedence has been set and the government purchased Ihumātao from private landowners and that brought the end to an occupation, the government purchased the Poroti springs in Whangārei from private commercial owners and its held in trust for the Ngāpuhi Settlement.’

Ngāti Kahu iwi members seek the return of whenua tupuna that is on the market at Taipa Point Reserve on the shores of Tokerau Moana (Doubtless Bay). The land in question was recently put on the market.