A small hapū in the Wairarapa is waiting to see if turning to social media will help them to regain their land.
Ngāti Kahukuraawhitia raised more than $300,000 through Givealittle in a bid to have a place for their whānau to return home to.
Ngāti Kahukuraawhitia uri Carlene Te Tau grew up in Greytown, a picturesque town in the Wairarapa. But she didn't see the history and stories of her hapū in the town's colonial surroundings.
"We've always been dictated to by colonialism, and yet on Māori tikanga, we have our own faith, our own beliefs," she tells The Hui.
Nowadays, most of the land around Greytown is no longer in hapū hands. But when a 182-hectare property came on the market, Amber Craig saw an opportunity for her hapū to reclaim some of its whenua.
Her whānau turned to Givealittle and ended up fund-raising more than $300,000 in just over a week.
"We had someone who koha-ed $43,000 just by themselves. We're just massively inspired by it and just really heart-warmed by the response."
The whānau put in a tender to buy the property, which is valued at up to $1.5 million.
But Craig knows it will be tough going up against developers and investors who have open cheque books.
"If we're not successful with this land... that money will only ever be for purchasing another block of land for Kahukuraawhitia - for the descendants of Kahukuraawhitia."
They're yet to find out if their bid is successful, but Te Tau's message to future generations when it comes to the whenua is clear.
"Make sure that when they do get it back, they never ever let it go."
Made with support from Te Māngai Pāho and NZ On Air.
