In February, the Ōrākau Remembrance Bill was passed into law. Hon Tama Potaka, the Minister for Māori Crown Relations: Te Arawhiti, presented the bill, which acknowledges the Ōrākau battle site as one of the most significant locations in New Zealand’s history. This battle, fought in March 1864, marked a turning point in the New Zealand Wars, and the loss of life and whenua (land) deeply affected the whānau, hapū, and iwi of Waikato.
Te Waru Tamatea of Ngati Hinemanuhiri, Ngati Hinganga and Ngati Hika played a significant role in the Battle of Ōrākau. He led a contingent from the East Coast alongside other leaders such as Tamatea and Raharuhi. Te Waru and his group fought against the Crown forces, and a high proportion of his taua (war party) were killed during the battle.
The year after the battle, the Crown confiscated over 1.2 million acres of land in Waikato—land similar to what our whānau in Taranaki also lost, including the Ōrākau site.
This legislation returns the whenua to those who were involved in the battle or have traditional connections to the land, ensuring that this painful chapter in our history is properly recognised. It also creates a body of representatives from Maniapoto, Raukawa and Waikato to manage the site, with funding from the Crown to support groups sharing the stories and histories of the battle.
After the Ōrākau battle, Te Waru returned home and was involved in further conflicts leading to his eventual exile and resettlement at Waiotahe in the Bay of Plenty in 1874. His descendants refer to themselves as Ngāi Tamatea ki Waiotahe. Ngāi Tamatea is a hapū listed in our trust deed with Ngāi Tamatea and Maromahue marae a member of our kāhui, Ngā Tokorima ā Hinemanuhiri.
