WelCom September 2022
Wellington South Parish are currently progressing through the sale of St Bernard’s church in Brooklyn to Taranaki Whānui Whānau, with the sale due to settle in September. A hui was recently held with Taranaki Whānui Whānau, to meet one another, whānaungatanga, discuss ancestry and history and how the relationship between church and iwi might develop into the future.
At the time of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, the iwi living in the Wellington Harbour area originated from the Taranaki region of the North Island. The collective name given to these iwi is Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika (Taranaki Whānui). Their occupation at the time and continued residence gives them the rights and duties of mana whenua – traditional guardians of the Wellington Harbour and associated lands.