PGR News from the Pacific

Posted 3:43 AM by Luigi

Kumara claim becomes hot potato

By Jon Stokes, New Zealand Herald.

A Maori group has lodged a claim for the commercial rights to three varieties of kumara, and demands "the varieties of kumara in Aotearoa be restored to the control of Maori".

The claim to the Waitangi Tribunal is one of a number being heard in Wellington this week relating to the Wai 262 Flora and Fauna claim.

The group says the Crown breached the Treaty by failing to preserve pre-European kumara varieties, and deliberately allowed the last remaining stocks to be lost to overseas collections.

The group is seeking "the varieties of kumara in Aotearoa be restored to the control of Maori" and full commercial rights to the hutihuti, rekamaroa and taputini varieties - a smaller kumara with white skin and flesh.

However, the claim was yesterday thrown into doubt by the testimony of Crown witness and historian Dr Ashley Gould.

He said it was unlikely that the original kumara variety brought to the country by Maori about 1000 years ago still survived. He said the popularity of the new higher yielding varieties, introduced probably by American whalers in the early 19th century, began the demise of the ancient stocks.

The new varieties soon replaced the smaller variety of Maori kumara.

Dr Gould said doubt remained about the purity of at least two of the three varieties claimed by Maori.
He said the mericana, or kaipakeha, a sweet potato introduced in the mid-1800s, had similar characteristics to the hutihuti and rekamaroa. In the 1860s the waina variety was introduced with its distinctive red skin and yellow or cream flesh.

The waina was thought to have spawned varieties including the owairaka red, the most common commercial crop today.

"In my view, rekamaroa and, in probability, the ... hutihuti, are not survivals of pre-contact varieties." New Zealand's commercial crop centres around three varieties, the beauregard, a recent import, the toka toka gold, a 19th-century import, and the owairaka red. "There is no link between commercial lines and any varieties assumed to have been present in New Zealand pre-contact," Dr Gould said.

"Late 19th-century observers were clear ... new varieties of kumara and the impact of the potato on the Maori economy, saw the probable disappearance of most, if not all, the pre-contact varieties."

Dell Wihongi, a leading figure in the claim, said the hutihuti, rekamaroa and taputini were the last remaining varieties of the indigenous crop, and it was important Maori were recognised as guardians.

Ms Wihongi is a member of Te Pu Hao Rangi Trust, guardians of the early kumara, involved in a joint venture with Tahuri Whenua Inc, the National Maori Vegetable Growers Collective, to explore the economic potential of the early kumara.

The WAI 262 claim before the tribunal seeks exclusive and comprehensive rights to indigenous flora and fauna as well as all Maori cultural knowledge, customs and practices. It is a mammoth claim that began in 1991. Closing submissions from both sides are expected by the end of March.



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A Maori group has lodged a claim for the commercial rights to three varieties of kumara, and demands "the varieties of kumara in Aotearoa be restored to the control of Maori". The claim to the Waitangi Tribunal is one of a number being heard in Wellington this week relating to the Wai 262 Flora and Fauna claim. The group says the Crown breached the Treaty by failing to preserve pre-European kumara varieties, and deliberately allowed the last remaining stocks to be lost to overseas collections. The group is seeking "the varieties of kumara in Aotearoa be restored to the control of Maori" and full commercial rights to the hutihuti, rekamaroa and taputini varieties - a smaller kumara with white skin and flesh. However, the claim was yesterday thrown into doubt by the testimony of Crown witness and historian Dr Ashley Gould. He said it was unlikely that the original kumara variety brought to the country by Maori about 1000 years ago still survived. He said the popularity of the new higher yielding varieties, introduced probably by American whalers in the early 19th century, began the demise of the ancient stocks. The new varieties soon replaced the smaller variety of Maori kumara. Dr Gould said doubt remained about the purity of at least two of the three varieties claimed by Maori. He said the mericana, or kaipakeha, a sweet potato introduced in the mid-1800s, had similar characteristics to the hutihuti and rekamaroa. In the 1860s the waina variety was introduced with its distinctive red skin and yellow or cream flesh. The waina was thought to have spawned varieties including the owairaka red, the most common commercial crop today. "In my view, rekamaroa and, in probability, the ... hutihuti, are not survivals of pre-contact varieties." New Zealand's commercial crop centres around three varieties, the beauregard, a recent import, the toka toka gold, a 19th-century import, and the owairaka red. "There is no link between commercial lines and any varieties assumed to have been present in New Zealand pre-contact," Dr Gould said. "Late 19th-century observers were clear ... new varieties of kumara and the impact of the potato on the Maori economy, saw the probable disappearance of most, if not all, the pre-contact varieties." Dell Wihongi, a leading figure in the claim, said the hutihuti, rekamaroa and taputini were the last remaining varieties of the indigenous crop, and it was important Maori were recognised as guardians. Ms Wihongi is a member of Te Pu Hao Rangi Trust, guardians of the early kumara, involved in a joint venture with Tahuri Whenua Inc, the National Maori Vegetable Growers Collective, to explore the economic potential of the early kumara. The WAI 262 claim before the tribunal seeks exclusive and comprehensive rights to indigenous flora and fauna as well as all Maori cultural knowledge, customs and practices. It is a mammoth claim that began in 1991. Closing submissions from both sides are expected by the end of March. * Comments: Post a Comment	Archive October 2002 November 2002 December 2002 January 2003 February 2003 March 2003 April 2003 May 2003 June 2003 July 2003 August 2003 September 2003 October 2003 November 2003 December 2003 January 2004 February 2004 March 2004 April 2004 May 2004 June 2004 July 2004 August 2004 September 2004 October 2004 November 2004 December 2004 January 2005 February 2005 March 2005 April 2005 May 2005 June 2005 July 2005 August 2005 September 2005 October 2005 November 2005 December 2005 January 2006 February 2006 March 2006 April 2006 May 2006 June 2006 July 2006 August 2006 September 2006 October 2006 November 2006 December 2006 January 2007 February 2007 March 2007 April 2007 May 2007 June 2007 July 2007 August 2007 September 2007 October 2007 November 2007 December 2007 January 2008 February 2008 March 2008 April 2008 May 2008 June 2008 July 2008 August 2008 September 2008 October 2008 November 2008 December 2008 January 2009 February 2009 March 2009 April 2009 May 2009 June 2009 July 2009 August 2009 September 2009 October 2009 November 2009 January 2010 RSS Feed Alternative feed Contact Tevita Something new: Agrobiodiversity Weblog: For discussions of conservation and sustainable use of the genetic resources of crops, livestock and their wild relatives. 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