A Gisborne hapū has blocked a road and attempted to stop work at a wharf in their latest move to reclaim ancestral lands.
Since a hīkoi on May 5, the hapū Ngāti Oneone has been calling on the council, Trust Tairāwhiti and Eastland Port to return ancestral lands not used for core business.
For over three months, they have taken day and night shifts to keep a fire burning at a shed they inhabit as part of their movement, “Reclamation of Whenua”.
Yesterday, at the dawn of the 101st day, the hapū blocked Hirini St from 5.15am until 7am.
Chairwoman Charlotte Gibson said the hapū blocked the road, as well as access to the log yard entrance and the wharf, “so the port could not go to work”.
She described the blockade as a “soft block” to remind officials and leaders that the hapū was still there.
Gibson said the hapū had been in negotiations with Trust Tairāwhiti over the past two months to create the Kawenata — an agreement on how to settle and move forward together.
Gibson said Trust Tairawhiti would meet on Thursday and the blockade was “to say, we’re still here, and it’s not just us, there are a lot of us that think this is right, and you should consider that before signing off [on the Kawenata]”.
The hapū originally committed to pursuing the movement for two months, up until July 5, before weighing up its approach depending on the outcomes.
However, over a month had passed since the two-month mark and the “Reclamation of Whenua” fire was still burning.
The hapū was inhabiting a warehouse-sized property on Hirini St, known as Te Pā Eketū shed.
Eastland Port owned the shed and several others on Hirini St, where the original Ngāti Oneone Te Poho Rawiri Marae and pā once stood before being removed to develop Gisborne harbour under the Public Works Act nearly a century ago.
Trust Tairāwhiti had a funding partnership with the council and functions as the region’s economic development and tourism agency, and was the sole shareholder of Eastland Port.
On June 26, the council voted to create a Statement of Intent to investigate the possibility of land return to Ngāti Oneone.
The statement would be considered for adoption at a council meeting on Thursday next week.
Gibson told Local Democracy Reporting the fire would remain burning until whatever is signed off by Trust Tairāwhiti on Thursday is agreed to by all parties.
After the sign-off, they have two months to make the exchanges, said Gibson, who noted the hapū wanted the outcome completed by Labour Weekend.
Trust Tairāwhiti chairman David Battin said it had worked closely with Ngāti Oneone to understand their concerns and explore how it can support their aspirations.
“We are optimistic about reaching a positive resolution and will share any outcome jointly with Ngāti Oneone,” said Battin.
Council chief executive Nedine Thatcher Swann said the council agreed in June to progress the kaupapa in a manner that upheld Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
“Engaging in good faith with Ngāti Oneone – exploring the return or vesting of land where there is no longer a genuine public need, and ensuring the process is transparent, timely and respectful of all parties.”
Thatcher Swann said the council had worked since then with the hapū and the statement of intent was ready for the council’s consideration at a council meeting on August 21.
“The statement provides a clear framework for investigating the future of specific council-owned lands and reflects the shared commitment of council and Ngāti Oneone to balance mana whenua aspirations with our statutory responsibilities and community obligations.”
As of Wednesday afternoon, 3106 people had signed an online petition created by the hapū that called for ancestral lands to be returned.
On June 3, the hapū started inhabiting another tented spot on the esplanade, one street over from Hirini St, called Pā Kāinga.
The movement had been a “mammoth commitment” from a lot of people to do night shifts, and “it hasn’t been easy”, said Gibson.
“One day, I got here at 7.15am, and it was zero degrees… but then you get the really rough, howling winds that are blowing all the walls around.”
