A HEATED public forum discussion about the ownership of New Zealand’s tree of the year the Te Papa o Karewa, said to be present when the Tainui canoe moored at Kāwhia some 800 years ago, was shut down before the two participants began actually shouting at each other. In the Kāwhia Community Board public forum last Friday, Ngāti Hīkairo rununga chair Susan Turner spoke for 36 minutes about the iwi, before asking if there were any questions. “I’ve just got a few questions regarding your letter to the mayor,” board chair Dave Walsh said. “Basically I was quite offended by what you put down here.” In June Dave had said Tainui owned the historic tree and should help pay for its upkeep, because the ratepayers were looking at paying $45,000 to prop up a limb that threatened to block a road if it fell. Susan said this was incorrect as Ngāti Hīkairo had mana whenua over the site for the last 200 years. “Yes, you had mana whenua,” Dave said. “I’ve talked quite a lot with our local kaumatua. Their view and my view is it was Tainui waka that tied up to the tree right? So all of us that whakapapa back to that Tainui waka, are owners of that tree.” “Well I guess it comes down to which kaumatua you are talking to and all that sort of stuff. And that is not the narrative of our history,” Susan said. She said there were other statements that were made in the report on the meeting, (King Country News June 2, 2022) in terms of portraying a negative context of Māori culture. “Can you give me a specific example?” Dave said. “To imply that people who take leaves from there are…” “I never implied they took leaves.” Susan said she contacted the paper (Your Letters, June 16, 2022) and wrote to Ōtorohanga mayor Max Baxter and CEO Tanya Winter expressing the rununga’s concerns. “This is not just my concern,” she said. “Ngāti Hīkairo own the tree, is that what you are saying?” Dave said. “Ngāti Hīkairo are kaitiaki and manu whenua of the tree, yes,” Susan said. “Kaitiaki is the caretaker. We are the caretakers.” At that point, the conversation between the two got more heated, with Susan accusing Dave of using semantics when he asked if Ngāti Hīkairo was caretaking for Tainui – who actually owned the trees. “I didn’t come here to have an argument about that letter because I felt that it was resolved,” Susan said. “Because you had your say and now no one is allowed to answer?” Dave asked. “And I appreciate that you are concerned about that. I’ve come here to indicate the importance for us to have a relationship with the community board,” Susan replied. “Well, this is not a very good start is it? This sort of letter. “No, its not a very good start with you.” “No it’s not. Issue three here where you accuse me of racism? Racism? “Where did you get that from? “Because I was saying that Tainui owned the tree which it is my belief that they do?” Dave asked. It deteriorated from there. “You’re the chair and you are supposed to be controlling this meeting and I’m wondering how this meeting is going to get controlled because I think that you are a biased person. “I think you should have declared a conflict of interest,” Susan accused him. Kit Jeffries said he couldn’t see the conversation going any further, but Susan wouldn’t hear it, saying she wanted to respond to Dave’s accusations, and said he had a conflict of interest because he was disgruntled with her letter to the mayor and CEO. “The letter was about me. “Are you saying I don’t get to reply?” Dave said. Tanya Winter said they would stick to standing orders and proper conduct. They had heard the deputation, asked some questions, and thanked the speaker. In the meeting proper Mark Lewis said Hinga Whiu (absent) was going to be looking at funding options. The current prop was still doing its job. Kit said he had raised the matter with Tainui and the Māori King. Susan Turner, who as per council meeting protocol no longer had speaking rights once it had officially commenced, interjected that the council should liaise with Ngāti Hīkairo and they would then liaise with Tainui. Mark said there was a safety rail for the concrete wall being fabricated, but any excavation about the tree will require a resource consent, and it would be a reasonable piece of work to get it to that stage.
