The descendants of Te Whakatohea chief Mokomoko, who was wrongfully executed in the 1860s, have received a pardon from the Government.
Mokomoko and three people from Ngati Awa were wrongfully tried for the murder of the Reverend Carl Volkner.
The Crown issued a pardon in 1992, but Mokomoko's family felt it did not restore his mana, which the Government acknowledged on Wednesday.
Another pardon was given by Maori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples at Waiaua Marae near Opotiki, but this time it was passed into law.
One of the descendants, Karen Mokomoko, says it's been a huge occasion that has taken years to get to.
