Assistant commander Renee Potae says crews are working to secure the fire line. Video / Mike Scott
A Te Pāti Māori MP says the fire that devastated the Tongariro National Park could be a message from a paramount chief who died earlier this year.
Oriini Kaipara, a former broadcaster who won the recent Tāmaki Makaurau byelection, said the blaze could be taken as a sign toreturn the land to Māori.
In a social media post, Kaipara said that as she drove back to Tāmaki Makaurau-Auckland along the Desert Rd, the wildfires made her “heart sore”.
“I whakapapa to these lands and in particular to Tongariro Maunga.”
She acknowledged the hard work done by emergency services, but also theorised the fire could be a reminder from beyond the grave.
“While the scenes and reports incite grave concern for safety and a deep regard for our emergency services, like other Tūwharetoa uri [descendants], I can’t help but wonder if this is a reminder from the late Tā Tumu that the maunga and surrounding Tūwharetoa lands must be returned.
Rural firefighters prepare for the third day of fighting the fire in Tongariro National Park.
Photo / Mike Scott
“It was gifted in good faith. It’s time to give it back.”
Ngāti Tūwharetoa paramount chief Tā (Sir) Tumu Te Heuheu Tūkino VIII died in September after a period of illness.
He chaired the Māori Heritage Council, held a myriad of leadership roles and was a key figure in heritage and environmental protection, both nationally and internationally.
Te Heuheu was respected across iwi and government circles for his calm authority and his dedication to kaitiakitanga (guardianship), particularly the protection of Tongariro, the sacred mountain first gifted to the Crown by his ancestor Horonuku Te Heuheu Tūkino IV in the 1880s.
Kaipara shared the statement along with videos of the fire’s destruction and a video of her standing on the road, pointing out the unnatural orange hue in the sky.
The post was also shared on Te Pāti Māori’s official Instagram page.
Kaipara also shared a post regarding a wildfire on Mauna Kea in Hawai’i, with the caption explaining it was too much of a coincidence for the fires to start on the same day.
Local reporting in Hawai’i said locals have been trying to block the installation of a 30m telescope on the sacred site for many years. In 2019, the site attracted thousands of protesters, who halted construction.
