Local Focus: More kaumātua protests against Te Uru Taumatua

Tūhoe kaumātua led another peaceful protest in Taneatua on Monday.

Up to 100 chairs lined the hill facing the building of Te Uru Taumatua, the Tūhoe iwi governing board.

It was the second protest by the Tūhoe council of elders against leadership that's been described as "dictatorship" by one kaumatua, Paki Nikora.

"We were put into structuring committees seven years ago and when settlement came along, they didn't ask us our view," Nikora said.

"They told us exactly how it was going to be and now we've got a dictator running everything within the iwi. He then becomes the go-to person for the crown."

Tame Iti was also among the kaumātua.

"We've had 200 years of slavery mentality and so we're now in a position to have a voice," he said.

"Just in the last two or three years things kind of changed. The landscape, the behaviour and attitude changed.

"So you've got the bureaucrats telling you how to suck eggs."

Lawyer Annette Sykes said the protest reminded her of another time in Tūhoe history.

"A particular period of time during colonisation where Tūhoe set up a group called Te Whitu Tekau which were rangatira of that time who asserted their mana motuhake and their territorial sovereignty in Te Urewera.

"Each of the rangatira were nominated from various hapū of the time and stood together and met over a number of years to assert their sovereignty and their rights to their lands and the taonga.

"Today's gathering is a reminder to those managing Tūhoe's assets that mana motuhake still exists and Te Whitu Tekau dreams for their people continues."

Te Uru Taumatua declined to comment on the issues raised with Local Focus.

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