Ngā noninga kumu ā ngā tūpuna - Wāhi tapu Walking the whenua once more

Work is underway identifying, protecting and reconnecting hapū with wāhi tapu on Parininihi ki Waitōtara whenua.

“Due to the consequences of raupatu, many of our people have been disconnected from these places for a long time,” says Puna Wano-Bryant, Te Rautitikura / General Manager - Shareholder Engagement.

“It’s often a very personal and moving experience when we go to wāhi tapu. The hapū are planting their feet back on these significant sites for the first time in a very long time.”

There are some 60 known wāhi tapu across PKW whenua, with most on whenua tūpuna/corpus land and leasehold farms. The Incorporation is focusing initially on whenua it actively manages and has full access to and control over.

“We have up to 10 wāhi tapu on our actively managed lands,” Puna says. “Some of them form a complex of sites. There could be two or three wāhi tapu within one area.

“Our objective is to accurately and comprehensively identify all 60 sites, starting with the first 10 as a priority.”

To do that, a range of data is obtained from different sources and cross-referenced. It’s a meticulous and layered process of research but necessary, given that the whenua has been through the process of confiscation and re-occupation.

The detailed identification process includes formal archaeological assessments and recommendations from local archaeologists. These assessments provide comprehensive historical information on the sites, any specific features, and what level of protection may be required (including whether the site should be listed with or further protected by, Heritage New Zealand).

After identification comes protection, enhancement and reconnection.

Working alongside the hapū who whakapapa to these sites is critical, Puna says.

“When we identify the sites and walk over the whenua, we do that with the hapū. And the next stages – protection, ongoing access and reconnection for hapū – are only done with their direct involvement and authority.

“While the general location of these wāhi tapu have been known within the PKW whānau and have been marked as ‘no-go zones’ for farming practices on operational maps, the process we are undertaking is much more than demarcations and delineations on maps. This is meaningful engagement with our hapū to ensure that their vision and aspirations for their sites are understood and supported by Parininihi ki Waitōtara.”

The PKW taiao team and kaitiaki Te Poihi Campbell (Ngāti Hine, Tūwhakaehu), Rukutai Watene (Hāpotiki) and Tāne Houston (Ngāti Tānewai, Ngāti Tūpaia) have already walked several of the sites, including Tauanui on the farm Te Ruru, Tāhuahua and Whakarauora on Farm 4, and Tirotiromoana.

“Many of these sites have special features that require fencing for preservation. However, in some cases, constructing physical structures on the site could damage the features, so wāhi tapu must be assessed for protection on a site-by-site basis. Every site is unique,” says Puna.

Once the sites are protected, wāhi tapu management plans will be agreed and put into operation to enable hapū access. Information that tells the history of those sites, such as storyboards and maps, will also be developed. These stories will be used as the hapū consider appropriate.

The work brings together teams across Parininihi ki Waitōtara.

“Our wāhi tapu are a really powerful point of collaboration and connection for us internally in all parts of our business, as well as with our hapū,” says Puna.

“The awareness and protection of these sacred spaces on PKW whenua requires us all to work together – ki te whakakaupapa i te kotahitanga hei painga mō te oranga o te whenua, mō te oranga o te tangata.”