Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei holds a hīkoi ahead of court proceedings against the Crown

Tuesday, 9 February 2021

Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei whānau hikoi to High Court to challenge Crown land settlements. (First published February 2021)

More than 300 members of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei have gathered to hold a hīkoi on their way to the High Court at Auckland.

The peaceful hīkoi started at 6am on Tuesday, from the Ōrākei marae and followed a route along Tamaki Dr, ahead of their proceedings against the Crown at 9am.

The court case brought by Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei challenges the Crown’s approach to the rights of mana whenua in their rohe (territory).

Hundreds of members of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei take part in a hīkoi on Tamaki Drive ahead of proceedings against the Crown.

It follows a 2018 Supreme Court ruling that raised serious concerns with the Hauraki-Marutūāhu and the Crown, and a 2019 Waitangi Tribunal report that was critical of the Hauraki-Marutūāhu and the Crown’s collective redress, the Auckland hapū said.

**READ MORE:

Whanau from the Ngāti Whātua Orākei marching while all wearing matching black shirts with yellow text

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Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei deputy chair Ngarimu Blair said the hīkoi was a chance for the iwi to express that “we have had enough of the Crown”.

The peaceful hīkoi started at 6am in response to the iwi’s challenge of the Crown’s approach to the rights of mana whenua in their rohe (territory).

People from all ages marched along Tamaki Dr.

Whanau from the Ngāti Whātua Orākei marae walked in a hīkoi from their marae.

Ngāti Whātua Orākei marched from the Orākei marae, following a route along Tamaki Drive to the CBD.

Ngāti Whātua Orākei at Auckland High Court before the iwi’s court proceedings against the Crown at 9am.

The hīkoi ended at the High Court at Auckland.

Ngāti Whātua Orākei marched while singing waiatas and waving Tino Rangatiratanga flags.

A Stuff journalist at the hīkoi said it was predominantly made up of tangata whenua with a few pākehā allies showing support.

Wearing black shirts with yellow text, people young and old marched while singing waiatas and waving Tino Rangatiratanga flags.

Ngamiru Blair, deputy chairman of Ngāti Whātua Orākei iwi, wrote in an opinion piece for Stuff that the march was a way for his people 'to express our shared despair and frustrations at the way we continue to be treated by the Crown”.

“It is a chance for our people to demonstrate in a powerful way that we have had enough of the Crown using whenua within the relatively small rohe of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei as compensation for the breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi of other iwi.”

A number of police and marshals were in attendance to minimise impact on traffic.