He mahi whakamanakore : Destruction of indigenous heritage sites at Otuparae : a case study of the Otuparae headland development : a thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Resource and Environmental Planning, Massey University, Manawatu

Abstract

This thesis examines indigenous cultural heritage site destruction in Aotearoa, New Zealand. In particular, it examines what took place within a planning system to approve the destruction of the heritage site at Otuparae, near Taupo. This thesis seeks to identify what contributed to the decision to grant approval to developers without consultation with the local hapu, Ngati Rauhoto. The research is framed in a form of Kaupapa Maori Research (KMR) called whakawhanaungatanga. Analysis of critical ethnography, key actor interviews, participant observation, field notes in research journals, videos, and documents took place to gather data. A review of the colonial history of Ngati Tuwharetoa revealed that over time the Crown usurped the mana, power and sovereignty of Tuwharetoa. In doing so, the Crown left Tuwharetoa politically, socially, economically and culturally weak, forcing Tuwharetoa to enter into Crown-controlled and created legal and political frameworks. Additionally, the Crown instituted a governance model based on colonial thinking. This thesis contributes to the body of knowledge about the need to incorporate different worldviews into planning to achieve sustainable development. It does so by examining how the heritage protection frameworks, in particular the Historic Places Act 1993, the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) and the associated Crown agencies failed to meet their obligations, by neglecting to consult with the correct group and to meet their needs in terms of heritage protection. It then moves to provide a development framework for Ngati Tuwharetoa to better contribute to decision-making processes in the future based on the needs of hapu.