Historic but tiring day for Ngāti Kahungunu

About 200 people from Ngati Kahungunu ki Tamaki nui-a-Rua took a chartered train down to Wellington on Tuesday. Photo / Dave Murdoch

It was a long and exhausting day for members of Ngāti Kahungunu in both the Wairarapa and Tamaki nui-a-Rua on Tuesday, but they still emerged victorious.

About 200 people left Dannevirke early on Tuesday morning, picking up another 180 in the Wairarapa on a chartered train, journeying to Wellington to hear the third reading of the Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-a-Rua Claims Settlement Bill.

Hayden Hape felt the responsibility of the settlement on behalf of those who had started the process. Photo / NZME

Ngāti Kahungunu Tāmaki nui-a-Rua Chairman Hayden Hape said it was rather nerve-wracking.

“We were coming to listen to something in regards to something that’s taken nearly 200 years to resolve. A lot of people have started this mahi and they’re no longer here.”

He said he felt a lot of responsibility in receiving that step in the process on the behalf of those long gone.

Listening to the reading wasn’t something that fazed him but for many of the families, it was the first time they had been in the debating chamber, and Hape said they were “really excited” to be able to go in there and listen to the Government talking about the settlement.

He said he enjoyed it, especially hearing ministers talk about how important it was and how they supported the iwi in “growing our people and growing our communities”.

The settlement, which now goes for royal assent, would give Ngāti Kahungunu the ability to start playing a bigger role in leading their own futures.

“Especially from a Ngāti Kahungunu perspective,” Hape said.

“We pride ourselves on the ability of how we connect, how we whakapapa to each other, to other iwi and how we have the ability to embrace all other cultures that live within our country now and make them feel at home.”

The settlement, at $115 million was the largest settlement in Ngāti Kahungunu, but that was only in monetary terms.

The properties and cultural redress added to that value.

The iwi would start looking at what to prioritise and in the New Year, Treaty Settlements Minister Andrew Little would be visiting the Wairarapa to give the apology to the iwi in person.

“That will be a huge event,” Hape said.

A celebration of the signing of the agreement in principle was held at Dannevirke’s town hall in 2016 and the iwi had agreed the apology would be held in the Wairarapa.

“As a settlement group we’ve worked together really closely through settlement but we will be working a lot closer together post-settlement,” he said.

The settlement also gave the iwi the ability to invest in education, housing and health for people in their community and there were also plans for the future which would benefit everyone in the community.

“We’ve had strong relationships with our European families that have been here for a long time as well, and we treasure our relationships with families and it’s those relationships that will help build us into the future.”