Hundreds gathered at Auckland's Ōrākei Marae to pay their respects to Joe Hawke on Wednesday, including many who were there 44 years ago when the Takaparawhau/Bastion Point occupation was evicted.
The Ngāti Whatua ki Ōrākei kaumātua led the 506-day Takaparawhau occupation in the 1970s. He died this week, aged 82.
Wednesday was day three of his tangihanga, but it also marked 44 years to the day since the Government sent 800 police and New Zealand Defence Force personnel to evict the occupiers. Two hundred and twenty-two people were arrested.
Decades later, many of the old campaigners and supporters were back on the whenua to farewell their friend, reminiscing about their time at Takaparawhau and the day of the eviction.
Hone Pene was there. What stood out to him most about May 25, 1978, was the peacefulness of the protesters, despite being forcibly removed.
"I was only a young fella, 22 I think back then. So it was amazing, all the police everywhere and people being pushed off, the old kuia being dragged out.
"Even though they were being pushed and shoved by police and that, there was no retaliation. It was just so moving to see the unity."
READ MORE: The 1977 Bastion Point occupation - What happened?
Kereama Pene, Ratana apostle, was one of the 222 people arrested. Looking back, he said it was all worth it.
"Forty-four years ago Uncle Joe did something. The only whenua we owned was a cemetery, a quarter of an acre - we were landless.
"It was all worth it. Seeing all these people come and honour the old fulla, money can’t buy those kinds of people."
Supporters arrived from all corners, some even driving up from Wellington to get to Bastion Point, including Josie Keelan.
"There was an urgency to get here to be part of the rōpū (group) that would demonstrate to the Government that this was a serious issue," she said.
Activist Hilda Halkyard-Harawira said there was huge support for the occupation from all corners of the community.
"Bastion Point became a living wānanga on the whenua over there. Every day there the kaupapa was the forefront of Tāmaki Makaurau, every day people dropped food off for the hau kāinga that were staying there.
"There was heaps of tautoko (support) from multi pockets of the community. People related to it, to support not just the Hawke whānau, the Ngāti Whātua ki Ōrākei whānau that were here, but also the little camp that was here."
Thursday marks the last day of Hawke's tangi at Ōrākei Marae.
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