Ihumātao: 'Protectors' mark Christmas with kai, waiata and 'reflection'

Wednesday, 25 December 2019

Ihumātao 'protector' Matira Madden-Hulena says the occupation has changed her as a person.

About 50 'protectors' who remain at Ihumātao will mark Christmas Day with 'big kai and lots of waiata'.

Pania Newton, Save Our Unique Landscape (SOUL) leader, said protectors had celebrated the Summer solstice on Saturday and were celebrating Christmas.

'We are having lots of reflection on the last year and the last six months in particular,' she said.

'We are still here on the whenua and looking towards positive resolution for the whenua. We are still maintaining our peaceful presence on the land.'

* Ihumātao protest: meet the 'protectors' still occupying the site

* Ihumātao protest: Former landowner the Wallace family speaks out against stand-off**

Around 12.30pm, Christmas lunch would begin.

Protesters have been trying to stop a Fletcher Building housing development at the disputed site near Auckland Airport.

In September, mana whenua reached a unified position on the future of Ihumātao and wanted the land back, according to the Māori King.

Earlier, reports Tainui was set to buy the land at Ihumātao and stop protests was labelled 'pure speculation' by the groups involved.

SOUL representative Pania Newton says 'protectors' will be reflecting on the last six months during Christmas Day celebrations.

In October, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern promised to visit Ihumātao after more than 300 protesters took part in a hikoi from the land in south Auckland to her electorate office in Mt Albert.

Flags still fly at Ihumātao, with about 50 'protectors' continuing their presence at the site at Christmas.

The group delivered an invitation to Ardern with more than 26,000 signatures for her to visit them at the site.

Ardern first spoke out about the protests three days after they began, saying no work would take place at the site until a solution was found.

Protesters had called on Ardern to resolve the situation but she had earlier said it would be inappropriate for the Government to intervene as the local iwi, Te Kawerau ā Maki, supported the development.

Protests have taken place at the site after those occupying the land for the past three years were handed an eviction notice in July.

Fletcher bought the land off private owners the Wallace family in 2016.

Local iwi Te Kawerau a Maki reached an agreement with Fletcher that would see houses given to local Māori in a shared equity scheme, but protesters say that iwi has no mandate over the land.

Colonial troops forced Māori from the land during the 19th century Waikato Invasion: a campaign to stamp out the Māori King movement and clear lands for European settlement.