Reclaiming Pūtoetoe
Paiherea, kahore e whati; ki te wehea ka whatiwhati noa, e kore e mau, ngakongako kau. – Te Awaitaia, Ngāti Māhanga, 1860
United you cannot be broken; divided you will not endure; you will be torn to pieces.
The Reclaiming Pūtoetoe Project is a bold, community-led vision to create a self-funding cultural and community space at the historic Wi Neera/Bow Street site in Raglan. This project honours Ngāti Māhanga rangatira and Waitangi signatory Wiremu Neera Te Awaitaia, whose leadership and legacy continue to inspire unity and resilience today.
This is a reclamation; Reclaiming whakapapa, stories and a visible Māori presence that colonial processes tried to erase. – Lisa Thomson, Toitū Whaingaroa Project Team co-ordinator.
The site holds deep cultural and emotional significance for Ngāti Māhanga. Once part of a larger area occupied by Te Awaitaia, it was home to his residence and the 1863 Pūtoetoe Redoubt, a fortified site he helped establish. Although the land was taken in 1870 and placed under the Harbour Endowment administered by Waikato District Council (WDC), this is the only parcel of land in that endowment not bound by perpetual leases – creating a unique opportunity for restoration and renewal.
For many years, the need for a cultural community facility has been identified in Whāingaroa. (see RN Community Plan p25 and Waikato District Council Blueprint p103)
With support from WDC, the project is being guided by Raglan Naturally Community Trust and a Project Control Group made up of Raglan Naturally Board members, Ngā Uri o Māhanga representatives, and the Whāingaroa Ward councillor. They are working alongside Paua Architects and Deloitte New Zealand to deliver a feasibility study that is currently underway.
For further information about the Putoetoe project, contact info@raglannaturally.co.nz