Leaders to gather for tribal talks at birthplace of Kingitanga

Iwi leaders will convene in November at the place where the establishment of the Kingitanga was planned 150 years ago in what some hope will mark the resurgence of a pan-tribal political forum.

The event is being hosted by Tuwharetoa and will involve the opening of a wharenui at Pukawa.

Pukawa is the site where the powerful Tuwharetoa chief Iwikau te Heuheu Tukino III called iwi leaders together in 1856 to discuss turning the Kotahitanga (unity) movement into a more concrete political force - the Kingitanga.

He wanted Waikato's Ngati Mahuta leader Potatau Te Wherowhero to take the job, but he twice refused before finally accepting in 1857. Te Wherowhero was crowned at Ngaruawahia the next year.

Key kaumatua from iwi around the country met at Ngaruawahia on Sunday to offer Tainui their support for the new Kingitanga leader, announced yesterday.

While it was widely accepted that the succession was an issue for Tainui tribes, the leaders debated the wider political significance of the Kingitanga heading into the future.

Ngai Tahu kaumatua Sir Tipene O'Regan laid a challenge to the gathering, calling for the re-energisation of the movement as a vehicle for gathering iwi together to discuss the "macro issues" facing Maori.

Sir Tipene said that with the Maori Council a "dead duck" and the Maori Congress no longer operating, there was no national pan-tribal body.

He was not talking about a forum involving tribal "representatives" as such because it would immediately become "domesticated" by the Government.

But he believed it was time a body was discussed to spearhead inter-tribal debate and consultation with the Crown and the public.

These included the "parliamentary shredding of the Treaty", property laws and issues involving the distribution of assets.

Both the Kingitanga and Tuwharetoa had traditionally been pivotal in such a role, he said.

Timi te Heuheu, spokesman and brother of Tuwharetoa paramount chief Tumu te Heuheu, said yesterday it had been decided talks on the matter would be held at Pukawa - where a marae was being re-established for the first time in many years.

Tuwharetoa leaders including his late father Sir Hepi te Heuheu had previously gathered together iwi leaders, most prominently in the recent past during the fiscal envelope days and for the establishment of the Maori Council, and "it's not a responsibility we would shy away from [again]".

Sir Tipene had referred to Pukawa as the equivalent of New Zealand's Geneva - "a neutral, facilitation ground" - which was apt, but there needed to be specific proposals put down, Mr te Heuheu said.

"It's very opportune to be going back to that place to do the same work that was done a long time ago," he added.

Tainui kaumatua Tui Adams said the Sunday discussion was positive and could be developed under the mantle of unity the Kingitanga upheld.