Rūātoki Tribal Response to the return of Te Houhi

RŪĀTOKI TRIBAL RESPONSE TO TE KAUNIHERA KAUMĀTUA

THE DELIBERATE MISINFORMATION OF TE HOUHĪ ……..

Tamati Kruger is the personal owner of Te Houhi

THIS IS UNTRUE BECAUSE…..

THE FACTS ABOUT TE HOUHĪ AND TŪHOE KAITIAKITANA OF ITS LANDS……

Tamati Kruger is not the personal owner of Te Houhi. Tamati signs as Chair of TUT. Tamati is not the personal owner, he is not responsible for any of the liabilities of the lands.

Tūhoe resources were used to purchase Te Houhi. The land title of the two Te Houhī blocks completed and settled on the 1st of August 2019 sits in the Tūhoe Custodian Trust. Tamati together with the TUT Board is responsible for the use of Tūhoe resources for this purpose.

It was bought from JM McLaughlin Family Trust. The two blocks purchased were 48 and 48A Kopuriki Road, Galatea respectively. The entire sale and purchase agreement was conveyed by Attewell, Clews and Cooper Lawyers.

TŪHOE IWI’S APPROACH ADMINISTERED

BY TUT AND TŪHOE TRIBAL AUTHORITIES This purchase was endorsed by all Tūhoe Tribal Authorities led out by the Rūātoki Tribal.

Te Houhī blocks 48 and 48A respectively were bought for a total of $971, 049.00. Just short of 1 million dollars despite the properties being advertised for 1.5 million.

That the original Tūhoe claim for the return of Te Houhī was lodged by one hapū for return to one hapū exclusively, Nāti HakaPatuheuheu.

The first Wai Claim lodged was lodged by Te Whitu McGarvey in 1974 as Chair of Tauarau Marae on behalf of Nāti Rono, WAI 560. The main intent of his claim was for Te Houhī to be returned to Nāi Tūhoe as an iwi.

It traces its beginnings back to the rigorous and unrelenting efforts of the Whitu Tekau in the 1860s and 1870s to protect Tūhoe lands and people by placing an ‘aukati’ on the sale, purchase, leasing and surveying of whenua.

The series of vigilant endeavours by te Whitu Tekau to stop the alienation of Tūhoe land was then carried through by Tūhoe claimants in the past two centuries.

The objective was to consolidate the whenua of Tūhoe as one whole unified land base once again to prevent any future risks of fragmentation and europeanised titles which gave rise to individual shareholdings further dividing the whenua into easily disposable plots of land vunerable to land sales.

Te Houhi was and is a justice issue for Tūhoe. Its theft – loss from Tuhoe has never been forgiven.

Because Te Houhi was owned privately TUT bought out the private owner with Tūhoe Iwi resources to see the return of Te Houhi to Tūhoe.

THE DELIBERATE MISINFORMATION OF TE HOUHĪ ……..

That Tūhoe lands are better protected in individual ownership.

THIS IS UNTRUE BECAUSE…..

THE FACTS ABOUT TE HOUHĪ AND TŪHOE KAITIAKITANA OF ITS LANDS……

By the late 1800s nearly half of all Tūhoe land had been taken through deception, confiscation, illegal means and the aggressive mechanism of the Native Land Court. And also by sale by Tūhoe hands. By the early 1900s only 16% of Tūhoe land remained.

TŪHOE IWI’S APPROACH ADMINISTERED

BY TUT AND TŪHOE TRIBAL AUTHORITIES To return to mana whenua, ahikaroa, and therefore whakapapa connection and responsibility to Te Urewera.

Te Houhī on the western borders of Te Urewera was settled solely by Nāti HakaPatuheuheu hapū and therefore it is the exclusive land base and asset of that hapū alone.

Many hapū settled at Te Houhī as a central crossroad travelled by surrounding communities and neigbouring iwi.

The original hapū who eventually settled at Te Houhī came from Ōhāua-te-rangi. They were first known as Nāti Rākei and Nāti Rono. By virtue of these whakapapa lines all of Nāi Tūhoe find place and collective responsibility to the recently returned lands of Te Houhī.

We regard Te Houhi as a place of healing, such is its significance to Tūhoe.

That the example of the Waiōhau Fraud cannot be repeated.

Our history records Tūhoe people as sellers of land. These are both historical and recent facts. Examples like the Waiohau Fraud can and likely will be repeated. It is our Tūhoe values that fortify against the loss of our whenua.

Our new and modified relationship with the Crown and its ministries are still being tested and shared understandings about Tūhoe Mana Motuhake into the future is in its infancy but solid progress is being made to ensure our future relationship prevents any further Crown confiscation and conflict.

SMP – Services Management Plan – managing the way the Crown engages with Tūhoe, by requiring any effort or resource to be aligned with Tūhoe Tribal – Hapū priorities.

The history of Tūhoe land tenure prior to colonial invasion was that Te Rohe Pōtae o Tūhoe’s land base was held together as a whole land mass, uninterrupted for the benefit of future generations. Land was far more difficult to confiscate and alienate to outside interests through crown purchase when held together as a whole.