Ihumatao is one of Auckland's oldest settlements and a historic landmark, and recently there has been a protest that has been going on for a few years now. The protest is about the government trying to take the land of Ihumatao for the construction of more houses. As the protesting group called SOUL (Save Our Unique Land ) said that “we believe that the housing idea would only destroy Auckland and destroy one of the few unique and significant cultural, spiritual and social spaces we have left in Auckland”.
First, Let us look at the history and see if we can understand why many people do not want the land to be sold and have houses built there. Ihumatao was found and settled by Maori way back in the 14th century and is believed to be one of the first places where people in Tamaki Makaurau had settled, farmed and lived. In 1863 the land of Ihumatao was taken by Waikato by proclamation during an invasion, after Waikato had taken it the land was quickly confiscated by the british as it violated the Treaty of Waitangi agreement and was later claimed by the British Crown, 2 years later it had been sold to a man who was believed to be a descendant of the Wallace family. And now we go to the modern times, in which in 2016 it was sold to a company called fletcher residential, who planned to make houses. It was believed to be occupied by Waikato-Tainui
Then on September 2016 the protests had been started by the founder of SOUL (Save Our Unique Landscape). Many people had started protesting because Ihumatao was a sacred land and was believed to also be a burial site. A petition was created by SOUL and others who supported SOUL had gone to parliament demanding that the government would put an intervention to the houses being built. But there was another petition made by the taxpayers union against the government intervening. The disputes have been already addressed Maori Land Court and the Environment court. To this day there are still protests going on in Ihumatao. Although there can be a way for Jacinda Adern or the Auckland council to put a stop to this, they do not want to be involved with the issue, although some Auckland councillors had stated that they regretted signing for Ihumatao to be used as a housing plot.
Recent news shows that Tainui Waikato may be buying the land and putting the whole protest to a stop. There was also a petition that was signed by over 22,000 people that was hand delivered to the prime ministers electorate office in Mount Albert to make Jacinda Adern go and walk through the land of Ihumatao, As many people think that Jacinda does not know why the land matters so much to them and what will happen if it is lost. Fd Fd fd fd fd f d f s fs d fdf df d fd fd
So there we have it. My research about the protests, the petitions and the sacred land of Ihumatao, here are the facts about Ihumatao, what is at stake at the moment and why people do not want to lose Ihumatao. In my opinion I believe that the government shouldn’t touch Ihumatao as it is a historical landscape and is significant to New Zealand. I hope that houses do not get built in the land. As Maoris and other people have been working on Ihumatao for centuries and it could get thrown away because of the government.
References: http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1907/S00381/taxpayers-union-petition-against-intervention-at-ihumatao.htm
https://www.protectihumatao.com/
https://www.odt.co.nz/opinion/editorial/ihumatao-cause-celebre
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12252461
Hi ms if your looking at this well trust me it's not what it looks like
Zoom zoom zoom zoom zoom