Kaumatua driven from his home

Elder fears for safety in backlash over deal

Ngati Kuri elder Pineaha Murray and his wife have been driven from their home at Te Hapua, where Mr Murray was born 73 years ago and where they returned to live 10 years ago, by the anger directed at him by opponents of the iwi's signing of its deed of settlement with the Crown.

Mr Murray said last week that he and his wife could not remain in Te Hapua, and were in the throes of returning to a home they own in Otara.

He said he had not favoured allowing opponents of the settlement to speak at the signing ceremony at Ngataki, and that the iwi had made a "hash" of it. That did not excuse the incident that had followed, however.

A woman had come to his door, he said, and refused to leave until neighbours took her away. He had laid a complaint of assault with the police.

Disgusted by the lack of respect, a phenomenon that went far beyond this particular incident, he had now relinquished his affiliation with the Ratana Church, and had resigned from his kaumatua status and chairmanship of the Ngati Kuri Kaumatua Council.

"People must beware the protesters," he said. "It is not a good thing when young people show no respect for elders. Who's next?"

He did not believe those who opposed the settlement were numerically strong, perhaps numbering no more than 30, and a significant number of them did not live within Ngati Kuri's rohe. They were having an impact far beyond their numbers though.

Now there are only eight kuia and kaumatua left.

Mr Murray recognised the right of those who did not support the settlement to protest, but it was wrong that he or anyone else should be fearful of the younger generation. His home had been burgled three times since he had returned to Te Hapua, "and now this".

"We don't know if they are good people or bad people, or if we are being told lies," he said.

"Comments are being made that they will wait until the old people die. We are old, and when we die they will take over.

"If they thought they were going to frighten me [by confronting him at his home], they did," he added.

"People are saying it will blow over, but it's all very well for them. I don't know who to trust now. Who knows how far they will go?"