​Council Votes to Return Land to Iwi

A block of confiscated land where one of the major battles of the land wars in South Taranaki was fought is being returned to its original owners by the South Taranaki District Council.

The 16-hectare block adjoins the 4-hectare Te Ngutu o Te Manu Reserve near Kapuni, which was returned to Ngāruahine following its 2014 Treaty of Waitangi settlement.

At its Policy and Strategy meeting on Monday (31 Jan), councillors voted unanimously to sell the parcel of land, and another at Manaia, to Te Korowai o Ngāruahine Trust for $1 each.

In the late 1850’s some Ngāruahine helped northern Taranaki Iwi who were resisting Crown efforts to acquire land. The Crown declared these Maori to be rebels and began hostilities against them. In 1865 the Crown indiscriminately confiscated 1.2 million acres of Taranaki land including all the Ngāruahine rohe.

In 1868, the site near Kapuni was where Major Gustavus von Tempsky died in a battle between Crown forces and Māori led by Riwha Tītikowaru, starting a war known as the South Taranaki Campaign, or Tītokowaru's War.

The other piece of land is on Kaipi St, Manaia, a section of former road reserve that has been leased for grazing.

Both sections were cultural redress properties that, as part of 2014 Ngāruahine settlement, the Government intended Council to negotiate the return of.

South Taranaki Mayor, Phil Nixon said it was only right that the land, confiscated by the Crown and vested to the Council, was returned to its rightful owners.

“This is a good step forward for reconciliation, and we look forward to whatever it is you do to develop these sites in the future.”

Ngāruahine’s Phil Nuku said the land at Te Ngutu o Te Manu was known as a place of peace and sanctuary before it became a battle site.

“It’s going to be a place of peace and wellbeing for our children to move forward, not just our children of Ngāruahine but our children of South Taranaki, a place where we can be as one, and in this time of Covid, we need a place where we can find that wellbeing.”

Te Ngutu o te Manu retains public access as an historic reserve.