Ngāti Kahu: Portrait of a sovereign nation: History, traditions and Tiriti o Waitangi Claims: Kia Hakapūmau tonu te Mana o ngā Hapū o Ngāti Kahu: Ngāti Kahu Deed of Partial Settlement – Margaret Mutu et.al. (2017)
This extraordinary book, 'Ngāti Kahu', provides a unique insight into a long and difficult Treaty of Waitangi claims process that began in 1984 with McCully Matiu lodging the first Ngāti Kahu claim with the Waitangi Tribunal and which continues today.
Publication details
Mutu, M., Pōpata, L., Williams, T. K., Herbert-Graves, A., Rēnata, R., Cooze, J., Pineaha, Z., Thomas, T., Kingi-Waiaua, T. I. (2017). Ngāti Kahu: Portrait of a sovereign nation: History, traditions and Tiriti o Waitangi Claims: Kia Hakapūmau tonu te Mana o ngā Hapū o Ngāti Kahu: Ngāti Kahu Deed of Partial Settlement. Wellington, New Zealand: Huia.
About the book
Ngāti Kahu - Portrait of a Sovereign Nation gives real insight into Treaty of Waitangi Claims process. Many iwi have been through the Treaty of Waitangi Claims process to try and resolve past injustices, however very few have been able to document the detail of the process, provide an analysis of the policy and behaviour of the government both before and during the process and then write a book about it, while still waiting for a partial settlement of their claims. Ngāti Kahu have done just that.
The book provides an in-depth history of Ngāti Kahu describing the iwi of Ngāti Kahu through the traditions and histories of each of the sixteen hapū as told by kuia and kaumātua in order to keep the past alive for future generations. These include histories of poverty, deprivation and marginalisation at the hands of the Crown, and the loss of 95 percent of the lands of the iwi along with remedies needed to redress these injustices. The book also examines the range of techniques used by the Crown to justify its actions and the way these laid the groundwork for continuing injustices.
Ngāti Kahu was written by Professor Margaret Mutu, Archdeacon Lloyd Pōpata, Te Kani Williams, Ānahera Herbert-Graves, Reremoana Rēnata, JudyAnn Cooze, Zarrah Pineaha, Tania Thomas and Te Ikanui Kingi-Waiaua. At the time the book was launched Professor Mutu described the vision for the book as: “We wanted to make sure that our tamariki mokopuna know our traditions, our histories, our stories as we know them. We wanted to empower them to recover what rightfully belongs to Ngāti Kahu and to ensure that the Crown honours the promises made by Queen Victoria in 1840 to uphold the tino rangatiratanga and sovereignty of all hapū.”
This is a comprehensive, detailed, well-researched, illustrated history for current and future generations of Ngāti Kahu and will appeal to all those interested in iwi and Māori history, New Zealand political and social history, Treaty of Waitangi issues, social injustice and redress, indigenous peoples’ sovereignty and self-determination, and the relationship between Māori and the Crown.
Further information
This publication is part of the series Te Takarangi: Celebrating Māori publications - a sample list of 150 non-fiction books produced by a partnership between Royal Society Te Apārangi and Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga.