Peaceful southern marae rich in history

By CHRIS DANIELS and WARREN GAMBLE

Helen Clark will celebrate Waitangi Day on a small marae at the end of a winding dirt road on the Banks Peninsula where South Island chiefs signed the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840.

The historic Onuku Marae, 5km southwest of Akaroa, also witnessed a 1998 apology from the then Prime Minister, Jenny Shipley, to Ngai Tahu, sealing the tribe's treaty settlement with the Crown.

It was on this day that protocol was changed, and a woman was permitted to formally speak, as Mrs Shipley was allowed to deliver the Crown's apology.

Molly Mary Robinson, an elder of the Onuku runanga (council), said marae protocol was fairly basic. "We're pretty laid-back people, but the protocol does mean a lot.

"They allowed Jenny Shipley to speak here and, as far as Helen goes, if you allow one ..."

Mrs Shipley had initially been unsure about protocol at the marae when she attended in 1998, but had then relaxed, stayed for a meal and enjoyed her time.

"I have not known any other woman than Jenny Shipley to speak on the marae, but we'll see - I have always felt the women ... will take over."

Overlooking Akaroa Harbour and backed by hills, the marae would seem a fittingly peaceful place for the Prime Minister's wish to put "wrangles of the past behind us."

Onuku Marae's significance stems from the May 30, 1840, signing of the treaty by Ngai Tahu chiefs Iwikau and Tikao - among the few southern chiefs to place their mark on it. The treaty was brought to the South Island by Major Bunbury on HMS Herald.

The appearance of a new carved meeting house at Onuku in the past five years has been interpreted as a sign of the iwi's increased financial and cultural strengths.

A Ngai Tahu spokeswoman said that, while the timetable for the Prime Minister's visit had yet to be finalised, there would be a multicultural aspect to the day.

Cultural groups from different ethnic groups in Canterbury would be invited to take part in the celebrations.

"That's something we're very excited about."

Helen Clark will be greeted with a powhiri at 9 am, and is expected to be at Onuku Marae until 2 pm.

Ngai Tahu is the largest iwi in the South Island. It signed a settlement with the Government in September 1997, after years of negotiations led by one of Maoridom's most influential figures, Sir Tipene O'Regan.

It was then the largest Maori land claim settled, costing the Government $170 million.

The settlement also recognised the tribe's special standing in land management and conservation, requiring it to be considered in development and conservation proposals.