16 Apr 2023

Stolen Lands | Episode 5: Descendants

From Stolen Lands: Betrayal of a Chief, 1:00 pm on 16 April 2023

Series Classification: PG (Parental Guidance)
For English translations, turn on by clicking 'English Subtitles' when hovering over the video

Meet one of Aotearoa's most compelling and misunderstood historical figures - Te Whakatōhea Chief Mokomoko.

In episode five, Chief Moko's descendants fight to have his name cleared and his mana restored.

On 14 May 1991, Tuiringa Mokomoko lodged a claim with the Waitangi Tribunal on behalf of himself and members of the Mokomoko whanau against the wrongful murder conviction.

Two years later, in 1993, the Crown issued an apology for the 1886 attack on Whakatohea in which property was destroyed and land confiscated.

In 1992, a loosely worded pardon of Chief Mokomoko did not state that he was innocent of the murder of Carl Volkner.

In an attempt to reinstate mana to Mokomoko and clear his name, his whanau fought for a new piece of legislation and the first bill in te reo Māori.

In 2013, the Mokomoko (Restoration of Character, Mana, and Reputation) Bill was passed.

In 2023, a decade on, there has still been no official compensation awarded to Chief Mokomoko's descendants for the loss of his life or their land.

Te Māngai Pāho Photo: Te Māngai Pāho

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