Students from Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Atihaunui-a-Pāpārangi at Pākaitore Day in 2022.
A pre-dawn ritual at the edge of the Whanganui River on Tuesday will start the 28th year of celebrations marking the reclamation of Pākaitore by Whanganui hapū and iwi.
On February 28, 1995, a group of Whanganui Māori, including Niko Tangaroa, Henry Bennett, Tariana Turia and Ken Mair, moved on to the whenua to reassert hapū and iwi ownership.
Mair said their 79-day stand at the riverside park, also known as Moutoa Gardens, had been remembered on February 28 every year since.
“It’s 28 years since we went on to Pākaitore to celebrate, recognise and reaffirm our Whanganuitanga,” Mair said.
“We went there also to bring about a strong awareness that we have every right to assert our rangatiratanga, our mana motuhake in a manner that is consistent with our values and with the expectations of our tūpuna [ancestors].”
Mair said the reclamation of Pākaitore was his generation’s effort to continue the work of their tūpuna.
“There have been many events and examples over the last 180-odd years since the arrival of the Crown, the European, into our tribal domain, of our tūpuna standing up against that system, in particular around the awa.
“Pākaitore was one small part of the journey to bring about awareness and understanding of our history, and become stronger within ourselves in the pursuit and affirmation of our Whanganuitanga, our hapūtanga.
“I think Pākaitore, alongside historical events and events of recent times, has added to our strength in affirming who we are as a people, as hapū, as iwi, as Whanganui.”
Before Europeans arrived and for a short period afterward, Pākaitore was a critical site for Whanganui River Māori, used as a seasonal fishing kāinga and trading post by hapū and iwi of both the upper and lower reaches.
“On Tuesday we’ll be celebrating in our usual manner – that is, inviting and bringing all our people, our community, our kura, our schools on to Pākaitore to celebrate our Whanganuitanga,” Mair said.
Pākaitore Day will begin at 5.30am with karakia with the river, followed by kōrero and breakfast at Pākaitore.
“At 9am we will bring on our kawe mate [those who have died recently] and have a pōwhiri for anyone who hasn’t been on to Pākaitore.
“It’s our understanding that the new council and the mayor may come down at nine o’clock and we’ll bring them on. After that, of course, there will be the usual cup of tea and kai with our manuhiri.”
Mair said everyone was welcome.
A large contingent from a police conference was to have attended, but most had been sent to flood-hit areas of the North Island.
“Anybody in our community can come from 5.30 in the morning for karakia if they so wish, right through the day – pop in and out or stay down there.
“I’ve never worried about numbers. Whether there’s one, 10, 100 or 1000, we’re all there to celebrate the kaupapa of our Whanganuitanga, our rangatiratanga.”
After breakfast, kōhanga reo and kura will perform and give their kōrero until lunchtime, and in the afternoon the floor will be open for kōrero and discussions on issues of the day.
“Some of us will talk about Pākaitore and remind ourselves why we went to Pākaitore, why we’re celebrating our Whanganuitanga, why we wanted to highlight the many issues that we were and continue to be involved in around asserting our rangatiratanga, mana motuhake and Whanganuitanga.
“We’ve been here over 1000-odd years and we shouldn’t allow our tikanga and rights as a people to be in any way whatsoever undermined by a system that continually marginalises us.”
Mair said the annual celebration may change over the coming years as the next generations began to step up as keepers of the kaupapa.
“Some of us who were young 28, 30 years ago are hearing, ‘Uncle, we’d love to be part of organising Pākaitore’. And my response is, fantastic – take the lead. I’m not hesitant about our young ones, our rangatahi fulfilling the roles. That’s what succession is about.
“I do think the time is right and I’m hoping to see the succession of some of the younger ones who were at Pākaitore, and others, of course, coming to the fore and celebrating Pākaitore in their own particular way without losing the fundamentals of the celebration.”
In the late afternoon, live music until 7.30pm will round off the day, when karakia whakamutunga will bring the event to a close.
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