Ngāti Pūkenga launches digital history of their iwi

Ngāti Pūkenga whānau in attendance for the launch. Photo: Supplied/ Ministry for Culture and Heritage

Ngāti Pūkenga have launched a digital history of their iwi, from the first arrival of their tīpuna in Aotearoa, all the way through their Treaty Settlement to the present day.

The stories were launched yesterday to coincide with the iwi's Hui Ahurei, and feature 27 videos and 10 podcasts showcasing the history of each Ngāti Pukenga kāinga.

They are told through the kōrero of their descendants, and featuring interviews with iwi leaders and key members involved in treaty negotiations.

The four kāinga of Ngāti Pūkenga are Maketū in the Bay of Plenty, Ngāpeke near Tauranga, Manaia on the Coromandel Peninsular and Pakikaikutu near Whangārei.

Chief negotiator for Ngāti Pūkenga's treaty settlement Rahera Ohia hoped this resource would help iwi members understand who they were.

"[It] is going to be a resource for our own people to become more familiar with our own history, with who we are, how we come to be and the kind of people we are.

"Because there's definitely an intergenerational theme of being able to use the knowledge we have, use the experience we have to make things better," she said.

Rangatahi of Ngāti Pūkenga Melissa Rangikotua said seeing their home and stories online will help engage young people better.

"There was a lot of excitement in the whare just to see a resource being developed that engages with our rangatahi and with our young ones, moving on with the times and going into technology, because a lot of our rangatahi know that world really well."

Ohia said in the past it was difficult to maintain iwi records, which made going through the treaty settlement process much more arduous.

"What was really significant was the extent to which... our information about our history and what went on with us as a tribe couldn't be found, we couldn't find those records easily."

She said making sure their presence was recognised in the four geographically isolated kāinga, without encroaching on the mana of other iwi was a difficult balancing act.

"We had to handle this with real honour and honesty and integrity, so that people realised we weren't trying to undermine their mana but we definitely wanted ours recognised."

Ngāpeke Marae (Also known as Te Whetū o Te Rangi Marae) Photo: Supplied/ Ministry for Culture and Heritage

Ngāti Pūkenga's story will become part of Te Tai Whakaea, a digital storytelling project available to all iwi who have reached settlement and managed by the Ministry for Culture and Heritage.

Rangikotua said it was heartwarming to know that in the future whānau living outside of the iwi's rohe would be able to access their history easily.

"Having it for Ngāti Pūkenga is a good thing I feel, and moving forward we get to look back at all the ones that we have lost and grasp the knowledge that they left behind for us."

Published 25 March, 2023 by RNZ