![]() ![]() It is a past that I find deeply troubling. ![]() When I signed the Crown – Tūhoe relationship agreement at Mataatua marae in Ruatahuna in 2011 I spoke of the need for the Crown to acknowledge our shared past. I am thankful that, through your settlement, you have provided the Crown with the opportunity to do this. The Crown must work hard to regain the trust of Tūhoe. I am of course acutely aware that there have been previous agreements between the Crown and Tūhoe that the Crown has broken. While it is not possible to undo the harm the Crown has caused, or fully compensate Tūhoe for the losses you have suffered, your settlement provides the foundation for a more prosperous future for Tūhoe and a better relationship between us. We have achieved a great deal since we started these settlement negotiations in July 2008. I am so very privileged to be here with you on this historic occasion to celebrate your settlement and to deliver the Crown’s formal apology to Tūhoe for breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi. I address you the people of the Iwi – Tūhoe. As the descendants of the statesmen and stateswoman of these homelands, the tangata whenua of Te Urewera. I address you all, as descendants of Chiefs. Today we bow to your sacred mountain - Maungapōhatu If you should stoop let it be to a lofty mountain." He said if that were to happen, it would be a tragedy.Te reo Maori has many wonderful sayings, for example: all these places have been commemorated in the last year or so and really must capture that history for this generation and generations to come or it will simply be lost." Its at Kororāreka, its at Ruapekapeka, its at Pukehinahina in Tauranga. "We've got our history right on our back doorstep. Mr Flavell said the hurt was still evident. And indeed, to understand that even just coming here, knowing that there was a huge, vibrant village here that had its own tikanga - it had its own rules, regulations and ways of looking after itself - to have that destroyed and the effects that are felt today, you know, you've got to wonder." "Those sorts of photos are pretty telling. He spoke of photographs of the police raid, including one of Rua being dragged behind the horse of a senior policeman. Mr Flavell said he would take the message from Maungapōhatu to Wellington. Maungapōhatu marae, in the heart of the Urewera. That fell foul of the law that forbade Māori buying alcohol at an off licence. He said Rua was surprised to see police turn up because he had previously received a suspended sentence for supplying alcohol at a large gathering. "One of our uncles, before he died, one of the things he did say to us was that time in the wool has seen that Rua, really, had nothing to answer." That sentiment was echoed by Mr Te Kaawa. Mr Nikora called on Māori Party co-leader Te Ururoa Flavell, who was at the commemoration, to take that message back to the government. "So they need to be held account, to come back and admit that Rua and his family did absolutely nothing wrong." Tūhoe kaumātua Paki Nikora said the Crown had apologised to Tūhoe at Taneatua two years ago but they needed to come to Maungapōhatu and address what had happened at the place where blood was spilled. The jurors failed to reach a decision on charges of counselling others to murder. Rua was later cleared of sedition charges but found morally guilty of resisting arrest. It's not clear who fired the first shot but the late historian Judith Binney said the evidence suggested it was the police. I think when that happens the healing will start to happen on both sides - not just for us but for the descendants of the policemen too." "He started the process of taking that first step, that maybe further down the track, others will start making contact. Mr Te Kaawa said one of the actors was a descendant of an officer in the contingent of police that included 57 from Auckland and smaller numbers from Whakatāne and Gisborne. "It's like the ancestors have come back and are showing the people on the marae exactly how it happened through the eyes of our parents and our grandparents." Tūhoe kaumātua Lenny Te Kaawa, whose auntie was one of Rua's wives, said it was important for the people of Maungapōhatu to tell their own story. ![]()
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