Oriini Kaipara’s Tongariro claim is out the gate

When flames tore through Tongariro National Park, most people saw an ecological tragedy. Te Pāti Māori MP and Māori supremacist Oriini Kaipara saw a supernatural sign. She claimed the blaze was a “message” from the late paramount chief Sir Tumu Te Heuheu Tūkino VIII, urging that the land be returned to iwi. “It was gifted in good faith. It’s time to giv…