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

00:07most likely died in the late 1800s, perhaps since the early 1900s.

00:12For a long time, Moriori were considered extinct.

00:19I'm not feeling very extinct.

00:27Our story is one that's actually reflected in the stories of many indigenous peoples.

00:36Yet our experiences and our recollections are unique in their own way.

00:43So once again, we acknowledge the traditional owners

00:47and we acknowledge the generosity of spirit and hospitality that's been shown to us

00:51as we've embarked on our mission to take these karapuna back home.