Ngāti Kauwhata to meet with 'Settlers Day' event organisers
Tangata whenua in the small Manawatū town of Kimbolton hope a meeting this weekend will help bring the community together.
Controversy was kicked up when posters appeared around the town for a Settlers Day event to be held on Waitangi Day - but no mana whenua were invited.
The organisers of the event will meet with local iwi, Ngāti Kauwhata, on Monday to discuss the history of settlement in the Oroua Valley.
The hui comes after comments were made by some locals questioning whether there had been any Māori settlement in the valley at all.
Professor Meihana Durie, a spokesperson for Ngāti Kauwhata, said the hui would be an opportunity for iwi to set the record straight and clear up any misconceptions.
"We were very concerned about the comments which in some ways were stating that there was, and is, no Māori - or particularly any iwi - presence there. That's incorrect.
"So we want to be able to use that opportunity ... to share a bit about our presence in the region, but equally our responsibilities and our obligations," he said.
Link to article: Manawatū: Ngāti Kauwhata to meet with 'Settlers Day' event organisers (msn.com)
