The 10 pou that were ceremoniously unveiled at Ahipara on Sunday were much more than stakes in the ground, Eru Harawira said after blessing the first of the markers.
The pou on Mapere, an ancient wahi tapu, were there as a reminder that the remains of their tupuna were there, he told the gathering, while those marking the wildlife sanctuary He Punanga would offer protection to species including the endangered NZ dotterel, now successfully breeding there, albeit in very small numbers.
Mr Harawira told Sunday's gathering that their forebears had fought on the land they were standing on, firstly for women ("Hard to believe, eh?") and later for the land itself and the gardens that flourished there.
"We come in unison to bless these pou," he added.
"Hopefully people will recognise that they are here to acknowledge the tupuna buried here."
Those who had been interred on the site included the victims of disease, including a typhus epidemic in 1894, the impact of the disease being exacerbated by starvation and cramped living conditions. The victims included many women and children.
Time and increasing use by two- and four-wheeled vehicles have led to significant erosion, however, the pou being designed to protect the ko iwi from intrusion.
Mr Harawira added that it was an honour to share the knowledge he had with younger generations, and urged them to embrace their Maoritanga, and to preserve their identity.
Meanwhile the pou marking He Punanga, which runs east along the beach from the Wairoa River to the Kaka Street beach access, were part of a conservation effort supported by the Far North Safer Community Council, Te Runanga o Te Rarawa, the Ahipara Komiti Taku Taimoana and the wider community, especially children at the local school.
The project had its beginnings in a successful campaign by school children to clear an area in the dunes known as The Bowl of rubbish that had been dumped there over some years, and to dissuade people from continuing to dump there.
The result was a massive response from businesses, organisations and the community with trucks, diggers and manpower to restore the area to its natural state. Since then people in the community and Coastcare Northland have planted hundreds of spinifex.
Meanwhile the He Punanga pou are were placed to help define crucial sites for bird repopulation, while people continue to access the river and the beach.