Mana Whenua sites questioned by Council candidate

Aucklander and Ngapuhi cultural expert, David Rankin, who will be standing for the Auckland Council in 2016 election, has lashed out at the latest Council moves affecting 'sites of cultural value' in the city.

Mr Rankin says that the Council's recent decision to remove 1373 locations from the list of supposedly culturally significant sites shows that the process has been what he describes as "a farce from the outset".

Mr Rankin, who relocated the bones of his ancestor, Hone Heke, says that the process of claiming these "sites of value" reflected a snatch and grab mentality, and was culturally ignorant.

"Traditionally, tapu [sacred] sites were made tapu only for a specific reason, such as being the site of a battle. Afterwards, they were made noa [ordinary] so everyone could return to using the site as required."

There is a brief karakia and ritual involved in returning a region to its noa status, says Mr Rankin, and he intends to perform this ceremony sometime next year. As he explains.

"Once the tapu has been lifted, these sites will no longer have any sacred significance, and can be used as any other land in the city."

ENDS

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