Latest News and Updates Canterbury Museum to Return Koiwi Tangata to Marlborough Iwi - July 1st 2008 Canterbury Museum has agreed to return to Marlborough iwi Rangitane 53 human skeletons (koiwi tangata) held in the museum, to be reinterred at Wairau Bar where they were formerly buried. The koiwi tangata are extremely significant from an archaeological perspective. Carbon dating has confirmed a 13th century occupation, which indicates they must be considered a 'founding population' for Aotearoa/New Zealand. The Wairau Bar site is among the oldest and most informative sites of the era popularly referred to as the moahunter period. Rangitane has sought the return of their ancestors for some years. With recent support for the transfer from its Ohaki o Nga Tupuna Advisory Board and from Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu, the Museum Board agreed last month to their return to Rangitane, with a target return date of August 2009. One of the conditions of the return is that detailed research is carried out on the koiwi tangata. Another is that a suitable site for re-interment is secured by Rangitane. Rangitane expects to secure such a site at the Wairau Bar in their current Treaty settlement negotiations with the Crown. The skeletons were first discovered by schoolboy Jim Eyles in 1939 and were displayed in Canterbury Museum until the 1970s. In 1999 they were transferred to a wahi tapu/crypt within the museum created for the purpose. Kurahaupo Iwi Recognised on  http://www.teara.govt.nz/  -  March 31st 2008 Te Ara is the official Encyclopedia of New Zealand and is edited by historians within the Ministry of Culture and Heritage.  The Ministry describes Te Ara in the following terms: “a comprehensive guide to the natural environment, history, culture, economy, institutions, peoples and social development of this country. An important feature is its Māori content. There are currently few reliable and accessible reference sources on Māoritanga; the Māori history, culture, science and stories contained in Te Ara will be a significant contribution to our understanding of the development of New Zealand.” One of the goals of the Kurahaupo Iwi from the Treaty settlement process has been to ensure that each of the constituent Iwi has its history and place in Te Tau Ihu accurately recognised, related and acknowledged.  For years we have been overlooked or our status undermined by the Crown and its officials.  When we initially reviewed Te Ara we were concerned that its history of Te Tau Ihu seriously understated the role, status and history of the Kurahaupo Iwi. We advised the Ministry of Culture and Heritage last year to correct this approach, guided by the findings of the Waitangi Tribunal’s First Report on Customary Rights in Te Tau Ihu.  The Ministry was receptive to our approach and invited us to table our own stories. The results can be seen on the website now.  Our thanks to the editor of Te Ara, Jock Phillips. http://www.teara.govt.nz/NewZealanders/MaoriNewZealanders/WhakatuTribes/en Kurahaupo Launches Nga Pakiaka Morehu o te Whenua  - October 4th 2006 The second booklet published by the Kurahaupo Trust was launched at an official ceremony hosted by the Crown Forestry Rental Trust in Wellington to coincide with the distribution of copies to each member of Kurahaupo. Nga Pakiaka Morehu o te Whenua (“We are Yet A Living People”) presents an overview of the history of the three Kurahaupo Iwi in relation to their grievances against the Crown as well as providing an overview of the Pre-Negotiations and Negotiations stages of the Treaty Settlement process. The function was attended by representatives of the Kurahaupo Trust, Crown Forestry Rental Trust, the Office of Treaty Settlements, Te Puni Kokiri, and the Marlborough District Council. Click on the booklet image (right) to download a copy        Mandating Hui Completed - October 2005 The Kurahaupo Mandating Hui were successfully completed throughout the country in June and the Crown has been advised that Kurahaupo received a very solid mandate to enter Treaty settlement negotiations. We are currently awaiting for the Minister to approve our Deed of Mandate. You can read more about these exciting developments in our forthcoming Kurahaupo newsletter. We will posting a copy of the newsletter to each address recorded in the Kurahaupo membership register so keep an eye out for it.