This is our story!
Te Tira Whakaemi o Te Wairoa Treaty Claims Truth and Reconciliation Event The Ngāti Rakaipaaka Story
Pepeha
He manako te koura, e kore ai
Moumoukai te maunga, tu mai ra
Te whakaruruhau, te whare korero
E kore, kore e riro.
Waitirohia, te awa o Nuhaka, e rere ra
Te Matapuna o te ora
E kore e maroke
Rakaipaaka te iwi, e noho ra
Nga whare rau o Te Tahinga o t era
E kore e ngaro
Tihei mauriora.
This is who we are!
General Background of the Ngati Rakaipaaka Treaty of Waitangi Claims
Ngāti Rakaipaaka has agreed to work with the other whanaunga cluster groups in the Wairoa District. We do this first and foremost, because we are whanaunga. Secondly, the approach allows for us to be recognized as a Large Natural Grouping (LNG) which is a Crown policy. These cluster groupings include Ngāti Rongomaiwahine, Whakaki-nui-ā -Rua, Tapokorau 1, Tapokorau 2, Wairoa Waikaremoana Māori Trust Board and Ngā Tokorima a Hinemanuhiri for Treaty settlement negotiations. Ngāti Rakaipaaka will engage in workshops under the auspices of a Te Tira Whakaemi o Te Wairoa Post Settlement Governance Entity (PSGE) working group to develop a PSGE. This is a process that we HAVE to participate in as part of our commitment to the LNG. However Ngāti Rakaipaaka wants to ensure that their Tino Rangatiratanga is kept intact as they have some areas of development that can only happen from within the kainga o Ngāti Rakaipaaka. Therefore within this process Ngāti Rakaipaaka will seek support from the PSGE for resources to fully capacitate their current resource centre to assist them to achieve that.
Ngāti Rakaipaaka aims to initial with the Crown a Deed of Settlement based on their Agreement in Principle. The Deed will then be ratified by the people of Ngāti Rakaipaaka, and signed at a time and date yet to be confirmed. The settlement will be implemented following the passage of settlement legislation.
Ngāti Rakaipaaka is represented in negotiations with the Crown by the mandated Negotiator, Johnina Symes, and Ngāti Rakaipaaka mandated Representatives Paora Whaanga, Tāmati Olsen and Johnina Symes.
However, without our Ngāti Rakaipaaka Whānau we would not have achieved as much as we have and be sitting here talking with you all today. Nā reira e te Whānau o Ngāti Rakaipaaka, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.
The Office of Treaty Settlements, with the support of agencies yet to be identified but will likely include the Department of Conservation, the Ministry of Culture and Heritage, Treasury, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Māori Development, Ministry of Social Development and other government agencies, represented and will represent the Crown in day-to-day negotiations. The Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, Hon Christopher Finlayson, will represent the Crown in high-level negotiations with Ngāti Rakaipaaka.
Our Region
Ngāti Rakaipaaka tribe are situated around Nuhaka. The ahi kaa or heartland of the Iwi is historically and culturally defined in terms of significant phenomena, events, sites and geographic features. The Rakaipaaka rohe is as follows: from the Opoho Stream and Te Kaha O Tureia in the West Northward adjoining Hereheretau, then north to the Maraetaha blocks, then in an easterly direction to the Paritū block, in a southerly direction bounding the Kopuāwhara lands to the coast to Waikokopu, then running along the coast past Te Ngutu Awa o Nuhaka back again to the Opoho Stream.
Our rohe is rich with history, taonga, natural resources, assets and kōrero. Rivers, Moana, springs, fountains, land, the natural resources and the environment have been the mauri, life and sustenance for the tribe of Ngāti Rakaipaaka and always will be.
However, these things have been exploited for many years after Public Works Act opened up our resources and we continuously get approached from as far away as Tūranga and Wairoa.
Our population:
Ngāti Rakaipaaka Tribe is part of The WAIROA District Treaty Claims Large Natural Grouping (LNG) Te Tira Whakaemi o Te Wairoa and the population currently in the Wairoa District is 7890 (according to the 2013 Census). This includes the townships and rural localities.
Ngāti Rakaipaaka is an iwi based in the Nuhaka region of the Wairoa District. According to the 2006 Census, approximately (1,317) affiliates to Ngāti Rakaipaaka. However, in reality, the figure would be in excess of 10,000 that whakapapa to Ngāti Rakaipaka.
Information gathered from the 2006 census highlighted that the main issues for Māori living in the kainga of Nuhaka were te reo me o ngā tikanga, no formal educational qualifications, most whanau are Labourers’ and on a low income and just over half own their homes with or without a mortgage and Nuhaka Māori are more likely than their non-Māori peers to struggle.
The Māori population in Nuhaka is young, and it is said more Nuhaka Māori live outside the kainga either nationally or internationally.
De-population:
Another issue with a huge impact for Nuhaka and this is because the majority of Rakaipaaka whanau live outside of Nuhaka the rohe o Ngāti Rakaipaaka. However, part of our planning going forward is to have both a haukainga and rāwaho approach to building our people, including getting rāwaho back home culturally and in other ways yet to be determined. This community’s levels of service are changing. Jobs, levels of and access to services, education, trusteeship, housing, indebtedness, and health are a range of factors Ngati Rakaipaaka whanau face because many of the key whanau leadership live away from the whanau.
The 2013 census data confirms that on the night of the census 243 people were residing in Nuhaka compared to 324 in 2001. But the census usual resident count on the night of 2013 was 261 compared to 327 in 2001.
We want to pay homage to our Koroua, Kuia, Pakeke, Kaumatua who have passed on and their journey in this Treaty of Waitangi process that paved our pathway to be here standing today.
Ngāti Rakaipaaka have actively participated in Treaty of Waitangi Claims processes since the early 1980’s. That is almost 30 years ago.
Purpose:
The drive to continue with participating in these Treaty of Waitangi Claims processes has come from the episodic memories of our koroua, kuia, pakeke, kaumātua who fought hard for justice from the Crown for the breaches of the Treaty they grieved for many years and for their descendants not to settle until justice has been recognised, accepted, redressed, compensated and apologised to on their behalf.
Initial Thoughts and challenges:
At first these Ngāti Rakaipaaka Tipuna had to find ways to engage their people. Hui after hui, argument after argument, query after query from their own people were issues these Tipuna were facing. This was particularly due to the new environment our Tipuna were asking us to follow them into. “So foreign, so high level, so not tikanga”. However, after about 10 years the burdens that our Tipuna carried started to take its toll and a few of the younger generation identified that they needed to step up. So….
Collectively getting to business and Highlights:
This younger generation started to learn about the political environment and started to take this kaupapa to another level of engagement which is where it needed to be taken.
The processes and policies of the Crown to get the best settlement out of a Treaty of Waitangi Claim was what was needed and missing from those past years.
In the late 1980’s and at the time Te Runanga o Ngati Rakaipaaka submitted two claims to the Waitangi Tribunal and two WAI numbers were issued – WAI 300 for the Wharerata Forest and WAI 301 for the Morere Hot Springs.
Progress began on engaging research resources from the Crown Forestry Rental Trust to identify what the breaches imposed on Ngati Rakaipaaka of the Treaty were. As time went on it was realised that Ngāti Rakaipaaka needed to develop a structure to gain Legal Entity recognition. So in 1996 workshops were held to identify the best entity and develop a Trust Deed in line with that entity. In August 1996 Te Iwi o Rakaipaaka Inc. was established and legalised with the New Zealand Companies Office.
Then in 1997 WAI 964 our Ngati Rakaipaaka comprehensive claim was issued to us.
Since then Te Iwi o Rakaipaaka Inc. (TIORI) established a resource centre in the kainga, developed key relationships with key stakeholders, agencies, services and the wider community and gained recognition by its beneficiaries as a credible organisation to represent their Treaty of Waitangi Claims interests.
However, TIORI has had to run its projects and programmes to keep its beneficiaries involved and informed continuously on the smell of an oily rag. This has caused stress, not only financially, but spiritually, socially, economically, physically and emotionally as well.
The Crown would not deal with Ngāti Rakaipaaka alone in the past and had a policy of settling with Large Natural Groupings (LNGs). Given this, Ngāti Rakaipaaka grouped itself with other whanaunga who were similarly unable to progress their claims individually and argued that the Crown should negotiate with us. This process took some time and further delayed Ngāti Rakaipaaka getting the best settlement for its claims. The LNG was finally recognised through its Deed of Mandate in 2008.
Nā reira, e ngā rangatira o mua, ka hāere tonu matou ki te whawhai i te whawhai kia oti rā anō
Haka o Rakaipaaka
We now begin to provide you with evidence for some specific areas of significance that impacted on our Ngati Rakaipaaka Tribe. Full Narratives are attached as Appendix 1.
This is our Story
This is a historic occasion. It has been a long, long time we have waited, and many others had waited, in the hope of seeing and hearing the developments of the last 150 years plus. Their waiting is not over yet, and the Urupa, surrounding hills and whenua hold their breath, while they wait.
Our time and presentation will be short in comparison to all the time we have waited since 1840.
The genealogical and historic account of the Rakaipaaka relationships and dealings with and from the Crown have echoed the heartland of our people over and over again from Kaumaatua and Kuia, Pakeke and our Tamariki Mokopuna, Tohunga, Wananga and Historians. To be told, taught, recited to, remembered and never forgotten, for the cause of the Ngati Rakaipaaka Tribe, in its own time.
The time is drawing closer and we now present to you part of our story for the re-establishment and recognition of our Rakaipaakatanga.
Let us begin from the great migration of the early 1350’s.
(For those founding ancestors and the same founding characteristics evidenced and serving to the generations that have descended).
The Takitimu Waka captained by Tamatea Ariki Nui and under the Tohungatanga of Ruawharo High Priest, brought with them sacred practices and taonga of the Io cult, sacred and essential for founding and settlement purposes. Interesting to note, accompanying the waka personnel were Grandfather Tamatea-Nui and father Tamatea-Roa.
Genealogical lineage
Tamatea Ariki Nui = Toto
Rongokakao = Muriwhenua
Tamatea Pokai Whenua = Iwipupu
Kahungunu = Rongomaiwahine o Nukutaurua
To them were born 5 children:
- Kahukuranui (Papa o Rakaipaaka)
- Rongomaipapa
- Tamatea Kota
- Mahaki Nui; and
- Tauheikuri
Tamatea Ariki Nui espoused Toto, they begat Rongokakao (the giant strider). He espoused Muriwhenua of Hauraki, they begat Tamatea Pokai Whenua, he espoused Iwipupu, they begat Kahungunu who espoused Rongomaiwahine. She was a descendant of Paikea, Ruawharo, Popoto and Kare Tumoana. She became Rongomaiwahine o Nukutaurua.
All of these children were to have important roles in the surrounding districts of Wairoa even to this day.
Kahukuranui and others were drawn to Turanga to meet up with other whanaunga.
While at Turanga, Kahukuranui travelled to Taradale, Otatara Pa to seek the hand of widowed Tuteihonga, who would consider his offer of marriage, if the death of her late husband was avenged.
Kahukuranui (the victor) returned to Turanga with his new bride.
To Kahukuranui and Tuteihonga were born two children, Hinemanuhiri and her brother Rakaipaaka. Kahukuranui and Rakaipaaka had influence in and around the surrounding districts of Wairoa[1].
Rakaipaaka espoused Turumakina and they settled around the Waerenga a Hika District with their growing family.
The story is well known and recorded of why and how Rakaipaaka and his sister Hinemanuhiri left their place of birth with whanau and kin.
Tutekohi a well-known chief invited Rakaipaaka and his whanau to visit with him, but failed as host to make welcome his visitors. His preference to let his dog Kauerehuanui roam on and about the food table and be fed the choicest morsels was more than an insult.
Rakaipaaka was able to curb his hurt, not so his followers, as the dog disappeared that night, was cooked and eaten, blame pointing personally at Rakaipaaka.
This domestic included other whanaunga as well, making it impossible for Rakaipaaka, his sister and their whanau to continue living in the area.
Having heard of Te Mahia and grandmother Rongomaiwahine, Rakaipaaka his whanau and followers followed the coastline from Turanga to Te Mahia where he was well received by resident whanaunga.
His sister Hinemanuhiri and husband Pukaru (son of Ruapani) travelled overland to the Hangaroa District.
Rakaipaaka anxious to settle traversed the lands and entered Te Ngutu Awa and named it Nuhaka (after tipuna wahine) with (Urupa) and Pa Harakeke announcing an entrance to the Ngutu Awa.
200 years previously, the Waka Takitimumade a stop and berthed in the Ngutu Awa to carry out much-needed repairs[2]. Stories have been told that “rango” were visible to some of the tribe, while kaitiaki, tipua and Guardian of the Rango resided in an adjoining stream named Parekore.
[2] See Ref – Old Wairoa pg262
[1] See Ref Takitimu Book pgs 96-99
There were occasions when Te Ngutu Awa closed entry and so Waikokopu was used as dockyard for berthing and launching into Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa. Place names from Waikokopu and Opoutama to Te Ngutu Awa verify this.
Te Rere O Tu (Nuhaka River) provided a highway by which founding and the settling of the heartland commenced.
The Ngāti Rakaipaaka people lost no time building, erecting kainga noho and marae, manifesting a founding character and establishing a culture that was evident in the generations to follow.
In the year 1550 (approx.) the great eminence Moumoukai (Pukenui) was discovered. Ngati Rakaipaaka established their mountain refuge that became their whakaruruhau and mountain home, impregnable for generations to come. (Approx. 400 years or 18-22 generations ago).
Following are indications of how Rakaipaaka established this young nation as they worked hard, fought hard, picked up their wounded, mourned and buried their dead, then moved forward to achieve further goals.
Surrounding hapu and whanaunga often called on Rakaipaaka for help in settling their challenges.
Success and growth can be gauged only by the established features.
Ngā Pa o Ngā Uri o Rakaipaaka mai i Te Mohaka, Te Mahia me Nuhaka as recorded 23 ([1]).
Pa and Kainga Noho 85.
Hapu, Whānau 67 ([2]).
By the years 1580-1600, (Rakaipaaka having had 11 children, some of whom had more than one family), Ngati Rakaipaaka became Te Whariki or base upon which this Iwi is established.
Rohe rohenaga and Boundaries:
Tamanuhiri in the North, Te Rakato to the East, Te Moana-Nui-a-Kiwa to the South and Ngai Te Ipu in the West. Tried and tested intermarriages took place and decisions needed to be understood, ‘which hat to wear and when, nevertheless, they thrived and grew.
The history of the Treaty began with the arrival to Aotearoa by Captain James Cook, in 1769. Cook reported back to the Crown in England of this newfound land.
Together with other ships, they made more exploratory and survey visits which took over 9 years.
The Crown became aware of the possibility for further growth and extension to the Colony.
70 years after Cook’s arrival (on 5 May 1839) the ship Tory was despatched to Aotearoa with the preliminary expedition of the NZ Land Company to purchase land in Aotearoa and prepare a site for the first settlements. The ship Tory was fitted with 8 guns and small firearms for all the ships’ companies.
The following year, early February 1840, the introduction to a well prepared Treaty, took place at Waitangi, marking a historic event in the lives of those present and all those to come.
[1] Ref – Old Wairoa pgs 211- 216
[2] Ref – W.C Min Bks pgs 5-8