Historic Northland pā site with links to Ngāpuhi chief Hongi Hika to be handed back to iwi

Northland chiefs Waikato and Hongi Hika with missionary Thomas Kendall in England, depicted in an 1820 oil painting by James Barry.

An historic Northland pā site with links to Ngāpuhi chief Hongi Hika is to be handed back to iwi, after collaboration between the Government, private landowners and local hapū.

“It is fitting that the ceremony for the return of the Pākinga Pā site is during Waitangi weekend,” Regional Development Minister Kiri Allan said when making the announcement on Sunday.

Allan said the return of the site west of Kaikohe reflects the continuing partnership between the Crown and iwi, and the determination of local Pākehā and Māori landowners to honour the shared history of their community.

“The Coleman family and the Nikora whānau currently own the farmland, which includes the location of the historic pā, as well as the access road needed to open up the site as a heritage, cultural and education centre for visitors and locals,” she said.

“Thanks to the generosity and respect shown by these private landowners, and [a] $750,000 investment by a Government regional economic development fund, the Pākinga Pā site will be transferred to a Whenua Tōpū Trust to manage in perpetuity on behalf of Ngāpuhi.

“The Government-funded restoration of the site includes new fencing, surveying, the construction of road and foot access onto the pā, sensitive clearing of vegetation on the archaeological site, and providing car parks and signage. The work was done by local companies, sub-contractors and workers and is expected to lead to the creation of 15 new jobs to support visitor tours and maintenance of the land.”

Allan said the project also delivers on a commitment to make New Zealand’s history better understood and taught in schools and kura. Central to this is understanding the big ideas about our shared histories, knowing the local contexts, and thinking critically about the past.

“We are backing communities all over the country through our regional economic strategy to strengthen community resilience and infrastructure. These investments are even more important as we respond to global economic shocks by supporting local livelihoods,” Allan said.

“In total there are 268 current projects worth $784 million being managed in Tai Tokerau/Northland region by Kānoa, the regional development unit in MBIE [the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment].”