Corrine Kawana, Pene Patea and Louise Sunderland tuck into fresh fruit at the Te Wānanga o Aotearoa stall at Pakaitore Day celebrations. Photo / Bevan Conley
Corrine Kawana, Pene Patea and Louise Sunderland tuck into fresh fruit at the Te Wānanga o Aotearoa stall at Pakaitore Day celebrations. Photo / Bevan Conley
The story of Pakaitore needs to be kept alive for the next generation as it approaches quarter of a century since the 1995 occupation, Jay Rerekura says.
Mr Rerekura is one of the organisers of Pākaitore Day which yesterday marked 23 years since iwi began their 79-day stay at Pākaitore/MoutoaGardens to highlight their grievances over river and land.
"Now there's a generation coming through that weren't around when we occupied and we've just got to be really cognisant of telling that story," he said.
And there were plenty of that younger generation in attendance with a group of Whanganui High School students turning up along with a group from Kelburn Normal School in Wellington who are camping near Mowhanau.
The day began at 5am before iwi moved on to Pākaitore/Moutoa Gardens mid-morning for a day of entertainment, food, stalls and kōrero.
Te Wānanga o Aotearoa marketing and recruitment adviser Pene Patea was at her organisation's stall handing our fruit kebabs and said the day had been exciting.
"That's just about keeping our people eating healthy."
