On Kaiti Hill, a sacred mountain for the local Ngati Oneone tribe, a statue commemorates the landing of Captain Cook in 1769 .
Near what is now the town of Gisborne, in recent days the statue has been defaced reigniting a conversation around the British invasion of New Zealand.
Within four days of arriving on Kaiti beach , Captain Cook’s men had killed and injured several Maori.
One of those shot and killed was the ancestor of Ngati Oneone tribe spokesperson Nick Tupara.
Mr Tupara says that due to this history, the statue is an issue that needs to be addressed.
One of the many solutions proposed is to place a statue of Rakaiatane – a chief at the time of Cook’s landing, on the hill.
Mr Tupara says that it’s important for both stories to be told.
