Published in: Kokiri Issue 25 - Hui-tanguru - Poutū-te-rangi 2012
Te Mauri o ngā kerēme o te rohe o Turanga.
Ko Horouta te waka
Ko Puketapu te maunga
Ko Te Arai te awa
Ko Ngai Tawhiri, ko Ngāti Kaipoho, ko Ngāti Maru ngā hapū matua
Ko Rongowhakaata te iwi.
“Na te kotahi a Turahiri ripo ana te moana”
Anō te ataahua a te nohotahi a ngā uri o Rongowhakaata. Muia ana te marae o Whakato i Manutuke i te tangata, tamariki mai, pakeke mai. Ko te hainatanga o te kawenata a Rongowhakaata me te Karauna (Deed of Settlement) te kaupapa nui o te rā. Ko tētahi o ngā wāhanga o te kawenata nei e hāngai ana ki ngā uri a Te Kooti Rikirangi. Timata mai te rā i te ata hāpara tonu, a, paoho ana ngā karakia o te Hāhi Ringatū.
I te tekau karaka i te ata i whakaemi mai te tira o te karauna ki te aroaro o te marae. Nā te Minita o ngā take o te Tiriti o Waitangi a Hon Christopher Finlayson i ārahi, ā, hei hoa haere mōna ko Hon Tariana Turia, Hon Tau Henare, me te Mema Pāremata mo te Ikaroa-Rāwhiti a Hon Parekura Horomia.
Mau ana te wehi i te pōhiri a Rongowhakaata. I tōna otinga ka hāngai te rere o ngā mahi ki te kaupapa matua, ā, nā te Hon Christopher Finlayson i waha i ngā kōrero e pā ana ki ngā hē o te Karauna mai i te tau 1865. I puta i a ia te kōrero e mea ana, ‘ko ngā he a te karauna ki ngā uri o Rongowhakaata ētahi o ngā tūkinotanga nunui rawa i te Tiriti o Waitangi.’ Me tana mea hoki e kore rawa e taea e tēnei kawenata te karo i ngā hē kātoa a te karauna. Heoi, hei tā Hon Parekura Horomia, ko te kaupapa nui o te rā ko te rongoā i ngā he.
Na Stan Pardoe te whaikōrero mo te taha ki a Rongowhakaata, ā, nā Peter Moeau i tuku i ngā korero mo Ngā Uri a Te Kooti Rikirangi. I tino pupu ake i roto i ngā korero te arohanui ki era o ngā Rongowhakaata nā ratau hoki i timata, i para hoki i te huarahi i ngā tau kua taha.
I te hainatanga o te kawenata nei ka riro i a Rongowhakaata te $22.24 miriona me wētahi wāhanga whenua, a, eke rawa ki te 133ha. Ko tā Ngā Uri a Te Kooti Rikirangi he $250 mano me te 50ha i Matawhero. Arā noa ngā wāwahitanga o tenei puretumu (redress), heoi ko te ariā matua i puta ko te titiro whakamua.
I puta mai wētahi o ngā taonga a Rongowhakaata i te whare pupuri taonga o Te Tairāwhiti me Te Papa hoki. Me te mīharo hoki o ngā hītori me ngā kōrero tūhono i aua taonga ki te kaupapa o te rā.