Pukuohākoma we were happy with that, but we later felt that our hapū needed to assert itself. Indeed our primary claims are about land loss to confiscation and subsequent Crown purchase. So we have filed this Wai 1178 claim.

4. We have appeared before the Central North Island Inquiry alongside Waitaha and presented a general case for our hapū. I attach a copy of the evidence given for Ngāti Te Pukuohākoma by Te Awanuiārangi Black as an Appendix to my brief. I adopt this evidence.

Ngāti Te Pukuohākoma Issues in the Stage 2 Tauranga Inquiry

5. I would like to read out small sections of the attached Brief of Evidence of Te Awanuiārangi Black by way of background and to familiarise the Tribunal with our hapū.

6. The Tribunal will note that most of our hapū lands are within this Tauranga Inquiry District and were the subject of raupatu. For that reason we think we are a key Waitaha hapū within the Tauranga district. Our hapu have just a little customary land interests in the Central North Island District. These interests were centred in the Te Puke block and were lost through sharp Crown purchase tactics.

7. Of course raupatu has been covered in the Stage 1 inquiry so that the remaining issues for our hapū do not focus on land loss. All our land in this Inquiry District was lost to raupatu. I think the key issue following the raupatu has been the loss of our hapū presence within the region. There are individuals here, but we have no marae or hapū land left. So we don’t feature on the radars of the local council or government agencies.

8 . Our lack of presence makes it difficult to protect our continuing cultural interests . There is the loss of numerous of our traditional sites to Tauranga development, For example there is the development at Papāmoa. Our Waitaha relations have fought hard to stop the loss and damage to our sites and waahi tapu in that region, but I am aware it has