Young marcher wants Maori to be guardians of the land

By RENEE KIRIONA at the hikoi

Aperehama Remana Te Whata's passion about the foreshore and seabed issue has seen him travel from the top of the North Island to the bottom.

The 19-year-old Ngapuhi descendant has been on the hikoi against the controversial legislation since it began two weeks ago at Te Rerenga Wairua (Cape Reinga), the place in Maori folklore where the spirits of the dead go before their journey back to Hawaiki.

But yesterday, when Mr Remana Te Whata and about 20,000 other marchers arrived at Parliament, there was a small sigh of relief.

"It's been a long but worthwhile journey and while it felt great to finally get here, the hard work has just begun for Maoridom and the rest of this country," he said.

The teacher at Otangarei Primary School in Whangarei said he joined the hikoi because of his love for Maoridom and his hope to one day see Maori be acknowledged as the kaitiaki (guardians) of the land.

"The problem is that this legislation is racist because only Maori will have the resource taken away and not the private titleholders, most of whom are Pakeha.

"Non-Maori out there are saying that no one should own the foreshore and seabed and yet they don't kick up about the private titleholders."

Mr Remana Te Whata said he had copped a number of insults on the hikoi but refused to play the same game.

"On our way from Otaki to Porirua one man stood on the side of the road doing the fingers. I just put my head out the window to tell him, 'I love you, brother'.

"This hikoi has been rangimarie [peaceful] all the way through and no matter what iwi or what job you have, everyone has been welcoming and embracing."

Mr Remana Te Whata was assigned the job of kaitiaki pouwhenua and looking after the Ngapuhi elders.

"My job has been to look after the pouwhenua which led the 1975 march by Whena Cooper.

"Throughout the journey the pouwhenua was not allowed to touch any other ground except that of the marae that we went to, or to be left alone.

"There were many times when I slept next to it."

But despite being away from the comforts of his home, Mr Remana Te Whata has not gone without food or a warm place to sleep.

"We've stayed at a lot of marae along the way and the food has been great. None of us have starved."

And though he began the hikoi without a car, travel has not been a problem either.

"The feeling among the people has been so great that you could basically hop into anyone's car and be welcomed because at the end of the day we all knew we were heading the same way."

The young Whangarei man's last plea to New Zealand was to see the issue through the eyes of Maori.