Te Kokoti Moeroa a Tangiharuru Action Group Media Release

Subject:  CNI.       

Ngāti Manawa Demand Mana Whenua Not Money Whenua  

The Chairman of the newly established action group Te Kokoti Moeroa a Tangiharuru Pem Bird of Ngāti Manawa, Murupara says it is rubbing salt into Ngāti Manawa's wounds to have to go to court to force Tuhoe, Tuwharetoa, Raukawa amongst other Iwi to comply with the law as clearly spelt out in the CNI Act to settle mana whenua through the process of adjudication.

'Not only were we  wronged by the allocation of forestry rentals from trees grown on our land  in the first place by Crown sleight of hand but these iwi have now taken a leaf from their benign benefactor's book and also completely ignored proper process. They are scoffing at the process of adjudication and treating Ngāti Manawa who have sworn to honour the process with contempt and disdain.

'We have no recourse but to go down the litigation track an action that will cost us several hundred thousand dollars that we can ill afford to lose on a wasteful exercise but they don't want to play by the rules they signed up to. We are compelled to act! Our mana is at stake!"

'The reason for their tactic is quite simple! They have little or no mana whenua in Kaingaroa but will press on regardless in the hope that the smell of money will hold sway over Ngāti Manawa as it does over them. They stand to gain well beyond their actual interests and for them the monetary motive is all that matters. Kaingaroa is the cash cow, the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow!'

'Kaingaroa by contrast is part of our cultural DNA. And that’s the long and the short of it. The dividing of Kaingaroa into equal shares that is being advocated for by these iwi is clearly driven by commercial imperatives. It is a money deal! And this more than anything else is proof about who has mana whenua around here who is the mana and conversely who is all about 'money whenua". After all what self respecting iwi would trade off their birthright, their turangawaewae!"

Te Kokoti Moeroa a Tangiharuru an autonomous body with links to all Ngāti Manawa marae will continue to push for justice, supporting the stand taken by Te Runanga o Ngāti Manawa.
 
Pem Bird
Chairman
Te Kokoti Moeroa a Tangiharuru

ENDS
 

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