22 May 2024

Committee Secretariat

Māori Affairs Committee

Parliament Buildings

Wellington

TE PIRE WHAKATUPUA MŌ TE KĀHUI TUPUA/TARANAKI MAUNGA COLLECTIVE REDRESS BILL

E te Koro e Taranaki e

Te maunga o Tītōhea Kua riro atu rā i te ringa raupatu o te Kāwanatanga Ko tō pūtake, ko tō tihi Ko tō rekereke, ko tō katoa He puna oranga mō te iwi Ko ō rerenga wai ko ō awa He puna oranga mō Papatūānuku Ka whanga mātou ki tō hokinga mai Hoki mai e koro, hoki mai rā e!

I riro atu rā i te ringa raupatu o te Kāwanatanga.

1. Te Korowai o Ngāruahine Trust (Te Korowai) is the Post Settlement Governance Entity established in 2013 as part of the Ngāruahine Settlement process and is the representative body for Ngāruahine iwi.

2. The Ngāruahine area of interest extends from the Taungatara Stream at the northern-most boundary to the Waihi Stream at the southern-most boundary. The area also encompasses Egmont National Park, including te Tupuna Koro o Taranaki (Mount Taranaki) and overlaps with Taranaki Iwi (west), Te Atiawa (north), Ngāti Maru (north-east) and Ngāti Ruanui (east).

3. Te Korowai, as a non-politically affiliated entity, is committed to the protection of the taiao, as our uri are kaitiaki across the Ngāruahine takiwā. Te Korowai has responsibility of ensuring an enduring settlement and that Te Tiriti rights, as well as Iwi and Hapū interests of Ngāruahine are upheld.

4. Taranaki Maunga is considered our tupuna and has borne witness to the historical injustice that has occurred throughout the region. Ngāruahine are bound to our whanaunga Iwi by our common reverence and regard for our tupuna.

5. As well as being of immense spiritual and cultural significance, Taranaki Maunga supports ecosystems and is the source of many of the region’s freshwater bodies. These streams, rivers and groundwaters are essential to support indigenous habitats and species throughout the region.

Te tū a Te Korowai

6. Te Korowai strongly support Te Pire Whakatupua mo Te Kāhui Tupua / Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill and acknowledge the wide support for the Bill that was expressed during the first reading in the House in April this year.

7. The pursuit for the return of our Maunga, confiscated in 1865 under the New Zealand Settlement Act, has been a long standing kaupapa that served as a constant source of sorrow for our uri. To have the Maunga rightfully returned is a positive step toward reconciliation and justice for Ngāruahine.

8. Te Korowai acknowledge the tireless work and significant dedication invested in this Bill by negotiators from both the Crown and Iwi and Hapū members. The negotiations were no small feat and we are grateful to the collective who have progressed this Bill.

Ko tō pūtake, ko tō tihi. Ko tō rekereke, ko tō katoa.

9. As the mandated PSGE for Ngāruahine, Te Korowai expect that Ngāruahine reo, kōrero and mātauranga associated with Taranaki Maunga is acknowledged and protected as the intellectual and cultural property of Ngāruahine.

10. As noted in Te Uru Taiao – the Ngāruahine Kaitiaki plan – Te Korowai will identify and promote opportunities to increase awareness and understanding the wider community has concerning the relationship of Ngāruahine to Maunga Taranaki.

11. It is also expected that access and activities upon Taranaki Maunga be recognised as a privilege which Ngāruahine reserves the right to prohibit should the tapu of our Tupuna be transgressed. We look forward to the future kōrero that will ensure these aspirations are realised.

12. Te Korowai recognise that tangata whenua and kaitiaki roles regarding Taranaki Maunga are a common responsibility shared with our whanaunga Iwi.

13. Co-management, between Iwi, Hapū and the Department of Conservation (DoC) is an objective of Te Korowai; as this will ensure that the special relationship and kōrero of Ngāruahine regarding Taranaki Maunga is recognised, strengthened and preserved for future generations.

14. The further assertion of Hapū and Iwi leadership on our Maunga, through the forming of co-governance entities Te Tōpuni Ngarahu and Te Tōpuni Kokorangi offers comfort to Te Korowai also.

15. Te Korowai acknowledges Te Anga Pūtakerongo and He Kawa Tupua and the agreements reached during early negotiations setting the stage for formal redress arrangements for Te Papa-Kura-o Taranaki.

16. Te Korowai celebrates the development of the redress framework He Kawa Tupua, emphasising our ancestral connections and traditional practices as the foundation for peace and cooperation, binding the physical and human landscapes. This cultural foundation being crucial for the redress framework.

He puna oranga mō Papatūānuku

17. Te Korowai are reassured that granting Te Kāhui Tupua all the rights, powers, duties, responsibilities, and liabilities of a legal person is the rightful mechanism used to facilitate proper recognition of our Tupuna Maunga.

18. We also acknowledge Clause 19 (e) which places an intergenerational responsibility on Ngā Iwi o Taranaki, the Crown and all the communities of Taranaki to actively protect the health and well-being of Te Kāhui Tupua.

19. We reiterate that the well-being of Te Kāhui Tupua is a fundamental component in the identity, tikanga, reo, and health and well-being of Ngāruahine.

20. Te Korowai are supportive of Te Papa Kura o Taranaki being the official name of the national park and Taranaki Maunga the official name of this important Maunga Tupuna. Restoring our Tupuna Maunga to Taranaki Maunga not only acknowledges the enduring significance of our Maunga, but it also validates the ancestral rights and sovereignty of Ngāruahine alongside our whanaunga Iwi.

21. We are also reassured that the names of four Tūpuna Maunga within Te Papakura-o-Taranaki will also have their ancestral names officially recognised – Pouākai, Patuhā, Kaitake, and Panitahi.

22. It is uplifting to know that the ingoa Panitahi, the Ngāruahine peak, also known as Rehua and Te Iringa, will be restored under this Bill. This marks a shift away from colonial naming conventions of the past.

Hoki mai e koro, hoki mai rā e!

23. Te Korowai supports Ngā Pou Whakatupua. Ngā Pou Whakatupua represents the intrinsic values of Te Kāhui Tupua, reflecting the cultural, spiritual, ancestral, and historical relationship between Ngāruahine, our whanaunga Iwi and Te Kāhui Tupua.

24. Ngā Pou Whakatupua embodies ancestral knowledge, supports the lands and people of Taranaki, and requires an intergenerational commitment from Te Korowai, Ngāruahine, our whanaunga Iwi, the Crown, and all Taranaki communities to protect its health and well-being for future generations.

25. Te Korowai are honoured to express our support for this Bill. Anticipating its enactment into law, we eagerly await the further collaboration that Te Korowai will have with our whanaungā Iwi and the Crown.

Pai Mārire

Emma Gardiner

Pouwhakarae

Te Korowai o Ngāruahine Trust