Kaikohe hapū take a stand against gang violence

A rāhui against the gang violence spilling into Kaikohe is just the first step as hapū take a stand against organised crime groups, a hapū leader says.

Five Mid North hapū came together before 8am on Friday to march down the town's main street and invoke a cultural prohibition of gang violence.

About 150 people took part in the hīkoi from the top of Broadway to the former Kaikohe Hotel site.

The move came after months of tension between rival gangs Tribesmen and Killer Beez, which started in Auckland but has spilled over into Kaikohe.

The situation escalated around 5am on Tuesday when, according to a neighbour spoken to by the Advocate, five shots were fired into first-floor windows of a gang-connected home.

No one was hurt but the rooms hit were usually occupied by children, the neighbour said.

That prompted Mane Tahere, spokesman for hapū collective Te Tiahotanga, to call Friday's gathering.

Several speakers expressed hope the surge of gang violence was the catalyst needed to bring the famously fractious Ngāpuhi together.

Hapū leaders, with Hirini Tau, centre, and Mane Tahere, right, lead the way down Broadway as the rāhui against gang violence is invoked. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Tahere (Ngāti Tautahi) said the rāhui was aimed at protecting everyone in Kaikohe, from gang members to pēpē (babies).

"This is about protection of all people and the prohibition of gang violence in our rohe ... Our tupuna used rāhui in all sorts of ways, and that tradition continues today."

Asked if the rāhui would be effective, especially if the perpetrators came from out of town, Tahere said it was the appropriate response within te ao Māori (the Māori world) and put the onus back on individuals.

The collective supported the other efforts underway in Kaikohe, including policing and punitive measures, but the rāhui was more likely to work.

It also focused on whakapapa and reminded members of Kaikohe's opposing gangs they were all related.

"It's about hapū standing up in their own rohe. It prohibits gang violence but in a tikanga Māori way."

Signs have been placed at Kaikohe's entry points informing arrivals of the rāhui. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Signs informing people of the ban were put up afterwards at the town's main entry points.

The collective planned more events in coming weeks, including working with police on a firearms amnesty, and was committed to long-term, hapu-driven solutions.

While the wording of the rāhui referred specifically to violence, Tahere said it encapsulated all gang activities including drug dealing and even patches.

Quinton Hita (Ngāti Ueoneone) hoped Friday's show of solidarity was the start of a more unified Ngāpuhi. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Quinton Hita (Ngāti Ueoneone) said his children told him a day earlier they'd been practising drills at school.

At first he thought they meant fire drills.

"But no, they were practising what to do if a shooter comes into the kura. What kind of world is that? Is that the world we want to leave our tamariki?"

Hita, who chairs Okorihi Marae Trust, said hapū needed a stronger voice when it came to issues affecting Kaikohe.

"Whenever something happens we hear from the police, which is only right, and we hear from other groups, but we don't hear te reo o te hapū. The hapū voice is drowned out by everyone else."

He hoped Friday's solidarity signalled the start of a more unified Ngāpuhi.

"We've been tearing down our house for a long time. When Mane called this hui I thought maybe this is the moment in time when we start to work together again."

Hirini Tau (Ngāti Whakaeke) urged everyone who took part in the hīkoi to think about how they could contribute to Kaikohe and its youth. Photo / Peter de Graaf

That was echoed by Hirini Tau (Ngāti Whakaeke), who said the iwi had always been divided.

"But this is one thing that may bring us together and repair the House of Ngāpuhi," he said.

Tau called on everyone at the event to play their part in solving Kaikohe's problems.

"Don't go home and go to sleep, but think: what is your contribution to our town, and what can you do to make a change in our youth?"

He believed the rāhui would work but it was only a first step. A lot more work was required, including engaging with the gangs.

A Kaikohe resident joins the waiata during Friday's ceremony. Photo / Peter de Graaf

The hapū collective Te Tiahotanga brings together Ngāti Ueoneone, Ngāti Whakaeke, Ngāti Tautahi, Te Matarahurahu and Te Uri o Hua.

One patch-wearing gang member, belonging to Black Power, took part in the hīkoi. There was no visible sign of the gangs embroiled in the current tit-for-tat violence.

Hapū leaders and a solitary patched gang member lead the way down Broadway on Friday morning. Photo / Peter de Graaf