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National | Justice

"Pass the Rua Kēnana Bill" - Hone Te Rire

Descendants of Te Rua Kēnana gathered to give their submissions about the Rua Kēnana Pardon Bill this week.

Jonathan (Hone) Te Rire, one of Kēnana's descendants called on the government to do three things.

Firstly, "Pass the Rua Kenana Bill".

Secondly, Te Rire wanted the government to acknowledge their wrong, in shedding blood, and murdering Rua's son Toko Rua and Te Maipi Te Whiu.

Thirdly Te Rire wanted the government to, "Return Rua's mana, overturn his convictions and restore the taonga that was taken.”

Nika Rua, a great-grandson of Rua spoke of the intergenerational trauma that the raid inflicted on the Israelites (Kēnana's people).

Both expressed their happiness at what the Crown was doing to address this injustice.

Professor David Vernon Williams, said that 2019 was a good year as the government had agreed to teach the New Zealand Wars in schools, and that the raid on Maungapōhatu was considered the last battle of those wars.

Sir Williams hoped that the year would end with this bill passing into law.