Rongowhakaata will meet with British High Commissioner Iona Thomas in Manutūkē near Gisborne today, five years after the British Government’s historic ‘Expression of Regret’ delivered to the iwi at Whakatō Marae.
The hui will revisit the British Government’s acknowledgment of the actions of Captain Cook and his crew during their 1769 arrival, which was delivered to the iwi in the form of an ‘Expression of Regret’ by former British High Commissioner Laura Clarke on October 2, 2019.
“This stands as one of the rarest recognitions in the history of global English colonisation, securing meaningful recognition of our historical grievances,” Rongowhakaata Iwi Trust said in a release.
The visit by Thomas, who assumed the role of High Commissioner in August 2022, will allow the iwi and British Government to continue their ongoing dialogue on key issues.
“Rongowhakaata iwi is calling on the British Government for continued action on key issues, including taonga repatriation, access to historic botanic records to support climate change research, and truth-telling of Rongowhakaata histories.”
Te Ao Māori News will provide coverage from the historic event.