Aerial view of Whanganui with Moutoa Gardens-Pākaitore in the lower right corner, Whanganui Regional Museum Collection reference: 2015.9.33
Aerial view of Whanganui with Moutoa Gardens-Pākaitore in the lower right corner, Whanganui Regional Museum Collection reference: 2015.9.33
The last object in our history of Whanganui is a simple black T-shirt with a white screen-printed image of the Tino Rangatiratanga flag flying above a wharepuni and a half-facial moko design on the porch.
This T-shirt was designed by Leon Rerekura and printed by Shane Bennet in Whanganui duringthe occupation of Pākaitore in 1995.
It was designed to be worn by supporters, both on and off-site, to spread the message and show support for the cause.
In 1988, the Whanganui River Māori Trust was founded as a result of the long history of legal action undertaken and the struggle of Whanganui Māori to defend their rights and interests in the river.
The Trust lodged a claim to the Waitangi Tribunal in 1993 requesting the riverbed be returned to Māori.
Issues raised in the claim included: the diversion of waters from the river and its tributaries for the Tongariro power scheme in the 1970s; riverboat tourism disrupting traditional fishing methods and practices; challenging the management of the Whanganui National Park; and historic land grievances, among others.
Māori had been fighting for their rights for more than a century and, frustrated with the lack of progress on their claim, began an occupation of Moutoa Gardens.
The site was originally known as Pākaitore. It served as a seasonal fishing village when inland iwi came to the river mouth to harvest seafood. Later, it was a shelter for upriver Māori who were visiting, and provided a place for them to stay, meet and trade.
After the Battle of Moutoa in 1864, the site was renamed Moutoa Gardens and became a public park.
Pākaitore T-shirt, 1995, Whanganui Regional Museum Collection reference: 1996.21
The site became a symbol of past grievances, with Māori stating that issues around the initial land sale for European Settlement were still not resolved, and claiming that the site of Pākaitore was not included in the land sale agreements due to its historic significance.
The occupation began in February 1995 and lasted 79 days, until a tripartite agreement between Māori, local government and national government was reached.
In 1999, the Waitangi Tribunal released a report stating that under Article Two of the Treaty of Waitangi, the river was a taonga (treasure) owned by the iwi, and ownership in legal terms was not needed to express their interests in the river.
Negotiations to settle the claim began in 2002. The Pākaitore Trust was set up as owner of and to manage the courthouse on the Pākaitore site. The rental money was distributed to aid Whanganui iwi.
In 2017, the Whanganui River was granted the same legal status as a person, after iwi had battled the Supreme and High Courts for more than 130 years for their rights as kaitiaki to be recognised.
The change in status reinforced the importance of the awa to Māori and reestablished their guardianship over it.
*Sandi Black is the Archivist at Whanganui Regional Museum.
