Ngati Hikairo considers claim strategy
Friday 4th November, 2011
Kawhia hapu Ngati Hikairo is preparing its historical claims for its land, harbour and coast.
Claims co-ordinator Tony Spelman says the hapu is determined to conduct its own claims, rather than having the job done for them by Waikato-Tainui.
He says Ngati Hikairo is north of Te Rohe Potae or the King Country claims, and south of the Tainui raupatu area - even if some of its land loss was confiscation by stealth.
“Government tried to settle settlers around Pirongia. There’s been desecration of pa sites (like) Whatiwhatihoe. We’ve been lumped, in terms of the public perception, with Waikato-Tainui, which we certainly are but that’s not all of us and certainly the whenua and the moana is outside the raupatu area,” Mr Spelman says
The Ngati Hikairo claims hui at Waipapa marae in Kawhia kicks off at 11am Sunday.
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