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RNZ News
3 days ago
- Business
- RNZ News
Hawke's Bay iwi Ngāti Kahungunu protest sale of ancestral mountain
Members of Ngāti Kahungunu protest the sale of Kahurānaki Station which includes the mountain of the same name. Photo: Supplied/Myra Lynn Barber Members of Hawke's Bay iwi Ngāti Kahungunu have gathered on Monday at Kahurānaki Station to protest the recent sale of the station which includes the ancestral mountain of the same name. Kahurānaki Station - a 1156 hectare sheep and beef farm south of Havelock North - came up for sale earlier this year, the first time the station had been on the market for over 100 years. The iwi launched a fundraising campaign to buy it, including the 'He Maunga Ka Taea' horse trek from Māhia to the summit of Kahurānaki over 10 days, but were unsuccessful in their bid. Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Chair and Waimārama Marae spokesperson, Bayden Barber said they didn't advertise the protest but the 'kūmara vine' did its work and about 70 whānau turned up. "From our point of view it's unacceptable that we're not the ones being negotiated with to buy back Kahurānaki Station, simple as that," he said. Barber said the station owner unexpectedly met the protest at the driveway and shared some information with the whānau who joined. It's been a month since the iwi bid was unsuccessful and the preferred purchasers had yet to engage with the iwi, he said. "We want to have an engagement, a conversation, so that they understand the importance of Kahurānaki to us. We'd love to buy it off them, we'd actually love for the settlement not to happen." Ngāti Kahungunu Chair Bayden Barber (center) at a protest against the sale of Kahurānaki Station. Photo: Supplied/Myra Lynn Barber Barber said the iwi is hopeful that the purchasers will engage in open dialogue about how the aspirations of marae and hapū can be met, but the iwi can't do anything if they don't know who they are talking to. Tamatea Pōkai Whenua Trust tendered the bid on behalf of the iwi, chair Pohatu Paku said both the trust and wider community were disappointed by the sale of the station to an undisclosed buyer. "We undertook an exhaustive due diligence process engaging with a wide range of stakeholders and conducting thorough investigations in our bid to repatriate this taonga for our people. The overwhelming support from Kahungunu whānau, marae and hapū was a powerful testament to the collective desire to see Kahurānaki returned. Initiatives like He Maunga Ka Taea for example, along with various other fundraising efforts were expressions of that shared commitment. "We are however deeply disappointed that the tender process itself did not allow for the kind of open and transparent dialogue that is essential to honouring the true significance of this whenua. The process was inherently limited, leaving little room for meaningful negotiation or the type of engagement we believe is necessary to safeguard the interests of our people." Paku hoped the preferred purchasers of Kahurānaki Station would engage with Tamatea Pōkai Whenua in good faith. "This is not just about reclaiming land, it is about restoring a deep cultural connection, and we believe there is a real opportunity to work together, honouring the mana of this maunga. By engaging with us, the preferred purchasers will not only acknowledge the ancestral significance of this whenua, but also contribute to a positive and lasting relationship, built on respect and collaboration. We would value the opportunity to share our history and outline our aspirations and expectations as a Trust and explore how we can move forward together in a way that again, honours the true significance of this whenua." He Maunga Ka Taea fundraising campaign organiser, Kelly Aroha Huata said this is not a normal land acquisition. "This is not a straight land and sale purchase. This is whakapapa. Do the right thing. Return the whenua to those who have a deep spiritual, cultural & emotional connection to the land. Come forward and let us buy Kahurānaki back." Kahurānaki Marae and Ngāti Kahungunu kaumātua Jerry Hāpuku said "my ancestor Te Hapuku's dying wish in 1878 was to be placed so that his eyes could close watching the sacred Kahurānaki mountain. To us this is not about the money, but the mana or prestige that Kahurānaki gives our people." Barber said this is the first time in a century that there has been a chance to buy back the mountain. There are 23 marae and over 50 hapū that have a direct connection to Kahurānaki and they won't give up on it, he said. "At the end of the day our final outcome, the only outcome, is for that mountain to be back in Māori hands, Māori ownership." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
NZ Herald
20-05-2025
- Politics
- NZ Herald
Ngāti Kahungunu wants te reo road works signs reinstated
Ngāti Kahungunu chair Bayden Barber said the decision to not allow the taihoa/haere sign was not about 'rules', but about 'racism'. 'Te reo Māori is not a translation, a novelty or a risk. It is official. It is sacred. It is ours. It belongs on our roads just as it does in our wharenui, classrooms, homes and workplaces,' he said. Barber said he loved seeing the use of te reo in roading signage and said as the sign is only two words surrounded by green or red, most people would understand this as stop or go. 'This is a perfect opportunity to introduce te reo to the masses,' he said. Barber said Ngāti Kahungunu wanted the immediate reinstatement of bilingual signs in te reo Māori and English and a full rewrite of NZTA's rulebook so that 'this never happens again'. 'Te reo Māori is a language of this land. It must be seen, spoken, and protected – not paused, not questioned and not erased." A spokesman from NZTA said in response to Ngāti Kahungunu that it appreciates te reo Māori is an official language of New Zealand and will continue to use it in many parts of its work. But the spokesman said safety on the road was 'non–negotiable" and the use of approved signs was 'critical to ensuring all road users and traffic crews remain safe around work sites'. 'NZTA would welcome the opportunity to discuss the work with Mr Barber and he is welcome to get in contact with regional leaders.' The spokesperson said there were a small number of traffic signs in the Traffic Control Devices Rule conveying a message in te reo only (e.g. Marae, Kōhanga reo, Tangi), but most traffic signs were presented in English. 'The taihoa/haere signs are signalling critical messages for traffic (stop, go, slow) which could impact on safety,' the spokesperson said. 'Careful consideration and testing would be needed if replacing English with te reo Māori or adding te reo Māori to make a sign bilingual.' The Traffic Control Devices Rule is a transport regulation. It is the responsibility of the Minister of Transport and NZTA is not able to change it, NZTA said. It must adhere to the law and only use signs specified in the rule. The spokesman said the new Government Policy Statement on land transport 2024 had been finalised and bilingual/te reo Māori traffic signs are not identified as the Government's priority. A representative for the Minister of Transport directed Hawke's Bay Today 'squestions to NZTA.
NZ Herald
02-05-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
Iwi misses out in Hawke's Bay sheep and cattle station Kahurānaki bid
In a social media update on Thursday, Pōhatu Paku said it was with 'great sadness' that he was informing iwi that the trust's tender was not accepted - 'with no scope for further engagement, including negotiation'. He said the tender was based on 'significant due diligence', including an independent valuation by a registered valuer, but it was 'not the party whose tender was accepted,' he wrote. Bayden Barber, recently re-elected to a second term as chairman of wider Hawke's Bay-Wairarapa iwi Ngāti Kahungunu, echoed the disappointment. But he now looks forward to meeting the new owners and discussions around protection of the 'maunga' from such influence as forestry or housing and the access which has been enjoyed with the goodwill of past owners. 'Access would be a high priority,' he said. 'We wanted the mountain back, so we are really disappointed - gutted - that we didn't get it back.' Kahurānaki is the outstanding feature of the station and the wider landscape, with views from an elevation of 646 metres stretching in the east to the Pacific Ocean, Mahia Peninsula to the north east, and Ruapehu to the west, along with the outlook over the Heretaunga Plains. Attention was drawn to the opportunity of a buy-back on an iwi-support donations platform and in a maunga to maunga trek originating in Northern Hawke's Bay, including multiple sites of historical significance. The trek concluded with an ascent of the mountain that holds significant cultural and historical importance in the Heretaunga region, particularly for Ngāti Te Whatuiāpiti hapū and Ngāti Kahungunu iwi, serving as a navigational landmark and a site for ancient burial places (wāhi tapu). It is also part of the story of the Tākitimu waka, the arrival of ancestors, and the pursuits of leaders over the centuries.
