Ngāti Tukorehe to fly more flags after 'racist attack' on its whenua

Ngāti Tukorehe members are flying their flags even higher following what they call a "racist" and targeted act of vandalism.

The Horowhenua-based iwi say they're angered after multiple Tino rangatiratanga, He Whakaputanga and Toitū Te Tiriti flags were torn down from their marae and whenua in Kuku over the weekend.

The flags, which line both sides of State Highway 1 between Ōtaki and Levin, were originally erected in November 2024 to support the Hīkoi mō Te Tiriti - a march to Parliament opposing ACT's Treaty Principles Bill.

They've since stood as a visible symbol of mana motuhake and identity for whānau within that rohe.

However, over the weekend, multiple flags were torn down in what a spokesperson for the iwi said was a "racist attack."

"We had someone that was racially motivated to tear down our flags at the front of our marae," Tipi Wehipeihana said, speaking on behalf of Ngāti Tukorehe.

Wehipeihana said the vandalism first occurred on Saturday night, when five of the 40 to 50 flags were pulled down. Whānau re-erected them on Sunday.

But the attack escalated on Monday afternoon when an unknown man returned and began ripping down more flags "in a fit of rage and anger, motivated by racism", Wehipeihana said.

Unlike the Saturday incident, whānau witnessed the attack, confronted the man and recorded his number plate.

"Our iwi are angered by this act of racism. Some would call it an act of aggression. Some would even call it an act of terrorism. But at the very least, it's vandalism of our belongings on our land and our property."

Wehipeihana believed it was the same person responsible for both incidents.

"We also believe it was the same person that pulled the flags down on Saturday night because, unlike Saturday night, we have witnesses to his behaviour and his actions."

He said a full description of the individual and the car have been given to police in Levin.

'Who we are as Ngāti Tukorehe'

Ngāti Tukorehe first installed the flags ahead of the Hīkoi mō Te Tiriti as a show of support for those travelling south to protest government policies affecting Māori rights.

Located on State Highway 1, Ngāti Tukorehe Marae sits in Kuku, Horowhenua, between Levin and Ōtaki.

"You can't go north or south without going through Kuku," Wehipeihana said.

As the hīkoi passed through, the iwi gathered outside the marae to wave their flags and tautoko the kaupapa.

Since then, the flags have remained standing as a visible expression of their identity.

"All the flags that fly on our whenua in Kuku are on Māori land, whenua Māori, Māori-owned properties," Wehipeihana said.

"It's just a show of, firstly, who we are as Ngāti Tukorehe in our own whenua of Kuku. It was also a show of our support from our iwi to the hīkoi, which we were a part of, to voice our opinion about the Treaty Principles Bill that we were dead against.

"Since then, it's been our way of restaking our mana whenua in Kuku."

While Wehipeihana acknowledged the flags "might be triggering one way or another", he said many people have supported them.

"Regardless of that, if I don't like the colour of that individual's house or their letterbox per se, I'm not going to stop, get out of my car, rip the letterbox off the stand and chuck it on the ground just because I don't like the colour of it.

"That is not tika," he said.

The incident has not deterred the iwi, Wehipeihana said, as members plan to fly even more flags in response.

"We won't take a backward step to anybody, and particularly not this individual," he said.

"What he's done has spurred on our people to put more flags up.

"Of the 40-plus that are already standing at the moment, that number will increase exponentially over the coming weeks."

'Standing proud as tangata whenua'

Kuku has been described as the "Māori Flag Highway" by some whānau, with the vibrant displays now stretching along both sides of the road.

"We've heard growing up all our lives, 'Kuku is just a blip on the map, don't blink because you'll miss it.' Well, I tell you what, people aren't blinking and missing it now."

To those who felt uncomfortable, Wehipeihana said the door was open.

"Call into any one of those houses where those flags stand and have a kōrero with any one of those homeowners, because you'll be surprised at the conversation that you have.

"It's not one of hate. We're not about that. We don't hate people. We love people.

"We are Ngāti Tukorehe, we love our people, we love our whenua, and this is one way of showing that for us.

"These blatant and violent acts of racism that were performed by this one particular individual taint all of that for us."

He said what mattered most was being able to stand proud as tangata whenua on their own whenua.

"We live in a democratic society. We have the rights. And we are free to do these things, to erect our flagpoles and show our support of our tino rangatiratanga, our Tukorehetanga, on our whenua in Kuku.

"We may be a small iwi. We may be a small rohe in a small area, but we hold our own."

In a statement to RNZ, the police said they had received a report of "wilful damage" at a property on SH1, Kuku on 7 July.

"Enquiries into the incident are ongoing to locate the persons responsible."

They encouraged anyone with information who could assist in their enquiries to contact them.

Police could be contacted online or by calling 105, using the reference number 250708/4661.

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