As part of the Treaty settlement process, the Te Korowai o Wainuiārua Negotiations Team took Crown officials to Mangapapapa, Tieke and other sites along the Whanganui River last Thursday (November 23). The areas visited are all Tamahaki wāhi tapu, accessible only by boat or helicopter.
The journey was made to give Crown officials an insight into the identity, history and geography of our tūpuna rohe. It is the second site visit organised to introduce the Crown to the sites of significance of the three tribes, Uenuku, Tamakana and Tamahaki. In May, the then Treaty Negotiations Minister Chris Finlayson and officials visited significant sites in the Waimarino and other areas.
The officials on last week’s full-day visit included the Office of Treaty Settlements negotiations team and historians, the Department of Conservation’s national Treaty team and regional operations manager, and Heritage NZ. The Te Korowai o Wainuiārua Negotiations Team, headed by lead negotiator Chris McKenzie, is negotiating the settlement of Treaty of Waitangi claims on behalf of Uenuku, Tamakana and Tamahaki.
