The Hauraki Treaty Claims project has examined the nature and extent of the interaction
of Maori with the Crown in the Hauraki tribal territory during the 19th and 20th
centuries. The claims, together with the research and supporting evidence, are set out in
volumes. These are presented to the Waitangi Tribunal to support the Hauraki case.
The history of colonisation in Hauraki—the social and economic deprivation endured by those who have gone before us and their years of responsible protest—has not been told before. These volumes, the foundation of the Hauraki case, will forever rewrite our nation's history books, contributing, only now, a Maori perspective to the history of this region.
We began this project four years ago with a multi-disciplinary team approach. Mr Taimoana Turoa was part of this team, contributing the perspective of a senior kaumatua to briefly profile the iwi of Hauraki.
Mr Turoa's Nga Iwi 0 Hauraki is a rich storehouse of matauranga about the tribal histories and whakapapa within Hauraki. It provides a platform and context to enable the detailed iwi, hapu and whanau histories and customs to be described by the appropriate representatives in the course of the Waitangi Tribunal hearings.
The report makes it clear that tikanga Maori continued to evolve and develop prior to and after 1840 to meet the exigencies of the time. An equally important element is the clear acknowledgment of the complex nature of iwi domains within Hauraki. Much contemporary thinking is coloured by concerns to identify the iwi with exclusive mana whenua rights for particular areas. This report suggests that will not work in many places in Hauraki. The modern political initiatives leading to the formation of the Hauraki Maori Trust Board reinforce this more inclusive approach.
Finally, Nga Iwi O Hauraki describes the special generosity of Hauraki tribes in their relationships with Maori from other areas which continues to the present day.
Taimoana Turoa's scholarship and korero evident in this work is characteristic of one who has been trained and taught in the old ways—I to paepae o nga kaumatua. The sharing of this knowledge is greatly appreciated. I take this opportunity to thank Taimoana Turoa for his contribution and guidance to this project.
