NZ ancestors begin journey back to rightful homeland

The return of the Moriori ancestors is "an important act of respect", Dr Arapata Hakiwai said. Video by AAP

Transcript

00:00The last known native speaker of Moriori most likely died in the late 1800s, perhaps since

00:09the early 1900s.

00:14For a long time, Moriori were considered extinct.

00:19I'm not feeling very extinct.

00:28Our story is one that's actually reflected in the stories of many indigenous peoples.

00:38Yet our experiences and our recollections are unique in their own way.

00:45So once again, we acknowledge the traditional owners and we acknowledge the generosity of

00:50spirit and hospitality that's been shown to us as we've embarked on our mission to

00:57take these karapuna back home, eventually to Rekohu.