Meet the researcher
Dr Alistair Reese is a public theologian as well as a farmer and historian. Alistair's research focusses on Te Tiriti/Treaty of Waitangi as a doorway to reconciliation in Aotearoa New Zealand. His writing includes a particular emphasis on Pākehā identity and how we can live in a colonised land. He holds postgraduate degrees in History and Tikanga Māori including a PhD in Theology from University of Auckland. He lives near Te Puke in the district of Tapuika/Waitaha.
Overview
The report commissioned by Te Kohinga and the Ōtamataha Trust is a summary of a one-hundred-and-fifty-page report prepared for various parties, including local hapū, churches, and councils as a discussion document. The aim of the report is to provide an historical and theological framework to undergird the longstanding need for reconciliation between mana whenua and later settlers in the Tauranga district. Primarily, it deals with the impact of the purchase and alienation of the land known as Te Papa – the 1333-acre peninsula purchased by the Church Missionary Society in 1838, and which is now the “backbone” of the present-day city of Tauranga. It is hoped the report will provide not only information but also an impetus towards a reconciled city.