Nga Whenua Rahui

Forest and Bird, Issue 266, 1 November 1992, Page 21

Nga Whenua Rahui

-" HE KAUPAPA ot vision of Nga Whenua Rahui is wider f the Forest Henit(i aly Ce? coiasea Wate

ee AOR ee ee ues such as the spiritual or symbolic significance of an area, the tribal Jandmarks 1t contains, or its use as a source of cultural materials or medicinal plants weigh equally with ecological criteria when its committee considers applications for funding to help with protection costs. poy See setae See eee 4 Laadoet of

aoe OO ie ye Nga Whenua Rahui has been less than half that of the Forest Heritage Fund although a major proportion of privately owned forest, including many of the larger, more ecologically valuable areas, are on Maori land. In its first 18 months Nga Whenua Rahui had commitments to protect -y Ba as ce th

some TO) Ne ae proposals to protect another 10 hectares in the pipeline. One of the more significant has been the agree ment with the Pohueroro Trust an Te Whanau A Apanui to covenant 5,615 hectares of tawa, rimu, hardmt 4 alaha forest NCA ae

94 O) © Se ccpnet tame et Pine Kaha on the East Coast. Purchase is not am option for Nga Whenua Rahut because it undermines tino rangatiratang (sovereignty)- Reserves under the Maori Affairs Act 1953 are used instead, OF,

more commonly, covenants Uld* snclude a review of conditions and objectives after 25 years. "Some people have criticised the oe Sena but tsone Ge:

PCNA Ne bg sot vs tion of trust 4 d of giving future enerations a part in decision making, It allows swi to exercise rangatiratanga, says executive officer Mike Mohi of Ngati Kahungunt "After all, the forest has been protected by its Maori owners UP ;

COMIN Or eae a fence which will last 30 years. Committee chairperson, Tumu Te Heuheu of Tuwharetoa says he is proud of and encouraged by, the flow of applications to Nga Whenua Rahui. "There has been criticism from some quarters that Maoridom is being denied use of their resources. a fa) es en cations

Pirie ere shows that people are interested in the long-term protection of their taonga, providing their identity and beliefs are kept intact." The observance of tikanga Maori in the com mittee’s meetings and procedures and the recognition that negotiating with ee Be Hme. 1S

tet vata ths ', Lo aie ae ga Whenua Rahui to overcome the legacy of distrust among some iwi from previous dealings with the Crown overt land. sever helping N