Celebrants were welcomed to Kauhanga marae on Sunday, where the reciprocation of a gift of land back to its ancestral owners was made complete at last.
Celebrants were welcomed to Kauhanga marae on Sunday, where the reciprocation of a gift of land back to its ancestral owners was made complete at last.
A Far North church was filled to mark the fulfilment of a highly-anticipated generational kaupapa (cause) at the weekend - the formal return of the building and surrounding lands to the people of Te Paatu ki Kauhanga hapū.
Following a morning liturgy which recognised the return, the momentous occasion at Ōruru Valley was completed and celebrated through a pōwhiri at Kauhanga Marae.
Saint Barnabas Anglican Māori Church (Hato Panapa) and nearly 8.5 hectares of land became legally owned by Te Paatu ki Kauhanga Trust Board on June 30, when a Deed of Gift was signed with Te Hui Amorangi ki Te Tai Tokerau Trust Board, which holds legal title to all Te Tai Tokerau bishopric’s assets.
Ngaire Tauhara-White, chair of Te Paatu ki Kauhanga Trust Board, said the return of the land completed the mahi (work) of her grandparents and great-grandparents and was a cause for celebration.
“When we learned it would be returned, we were ecstatic. And we felt disbelief that land can be returned”, Tauhara-White said.
“I encourage them. It’s the right thing to do, without a doubt.”
A celebration rich in song. Ngaire Tauhara-White, Maihi Mete - an avid supporter and kaumātua of Te Paatu ki Kauhanga hapū, Ikanui Kingi-Waiaua and David Tapene at Hato Panapa/Saint Barnabas Anglican Māori Church.
Trevor Wi Kaitaia, a local kaumātua of Te Paatu ki Kauhanga, explained the celebratory event had completed the protocol and emphasised the importance of the gift - of the legal transfer of title - despite its essentially symbolic nature.
“The gathering is essential to completing the tikanga (customary protocol),” Wi Kaitaia said.
“Our ancestors gifted it to missionaries in about 1869, making that decision based on their engagement.
“But in our culture, when you gift something, you’re still connected to it. So our sense of connection - and of kaitiaki (guardianship) - was never lost.
“As hapū and as kaitiaki, the bottom line is that we’re happy that we’re able to continue our kaitiaki and that the gift made has been returned. That is very significant.”
Trevor Wi Kaitaia likened the relationship between the people, the land, and their spirituality to a triangle. “One cannot be without the other two.”
Despite acknowledgement by the hapū that missionary influence was not all positive - such as the impact of tūpuna (ancestors’) names being changed to names associated with the church - Wi Kaitaia said many Māori families had put their youth up to be ministers of the faith, and that some of them were buried at the church cemetery.
“They even served as ministers in other tribal areas in New Zealand, and practiced most of their priesthood in other parts of the country, away from their whānau,” he said.
“We considered it mahi rangatira – the work of a chief.
“It shows the commitment to the faith. And it’s a significant statement about the alliance between the church and our families.”
In fact, the Ōruru Valley produced so many priests - from many hapū - that it was known as “Valley of the Priests”.
During his liturgy which commenced the day’s celebrations, The Right Reverend Te Kitohi Pikaahu said the iwi of Ngāti Kahu produced the most clergy in not only Northland but indeed all of Aotearoa.
He spoke of the return of the whenua (land) to Ngāti Kahu in the title as a joyous occasion.
“I’m so glad this land here is being returned in title, ownership, everything. Thank God no one gave up.”
The Reverend, alongside chair of Te Hui Amorangi ki Te Tai Tokerau Trust Board, David Tapene, later said the kaupapa’s completion could be attributed to the hapū’s tenacity through unpredictable delays, and excellent organisation in terms of having the necessary legal structures in place to complete the transaction.
“This transaction was made more simple because it’s clear who the original owners are,” Tapene said.
“The church has held it in trust, acted as its guardian, and now it’s been returned.”
Wi Kaitaia explained how between the two world wars, and particularly after World War II, the thinking of his people had changed.
He said that was when they began asking whether there was a basis for the land, and the church, to be returned.
“My father and other families’ fathers started pursuing this shift, looking at a basis for it to come back. Their thinking was along the lines of what else we might be able to do with the land,” he said.
“Now our generation is considering practical matters, such as the need to expand our cemetery, and other needs like safer parking and livestock grazing.”
Wi Kaitaia said the return of the land would present opportunities to remember and celebrate a meaningful history.
