Kāti Huirapa Rūnaka ki Puketeraki chairman Matapura Ellison said the site was significant as it was previously Te Pā a Te Wera (the village of Te Wera), the Ruahikihiki chief who fought with his cousin Taoka over the headland, known as Huriawa Peninsula.
"They fell out, in a rather big way, and it had an impact on the whole push of Ngāi Tahu into the South."
Representatives from Heritage New Zealand, the Department of Conservation, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage and Kāti Huirapa Rūnaka ki Puketeraki gathered at the Huriawa Peninsula yesterday to unveil the new pou (post), which marked the peninsula as an official Tohu Whenua site.
Huriawa became Otago’s 12th Tohu Whenua site — the first wāhi tapu (sacred site) in Otago to join the programme.
Mr Ellison said the Tohu Whenua status gave the site another "important layer of recognition".
"I think it's really important that our communities can appreciate the hītori (history) of a place, and they can have their own connection to it."
He hoped the site’s Tohu Whenua status would encourage visitors from all over the country to visit.
Tohu Whenua’s South Island regional co-ordinator Jill Mitchell-Larrivee said she was glad Huriawa received the status as the programme had been lacking iwi sites.
"I've been with the programme for three years and it's really been my focus to try and get a better balance of iwi sites to colonial-built heritage, she said.
"To actually have that come to fruition with such a special place as Huriawa is great ... there's a real living history here."
Chief executive of Heritage New Zealand Andrew Coleman said the site’s new status showed the "absolute importance" of Huriawa to mana whenua.
"You've only got to look around at the environment to understand why that's the case."
"Tohu whenua are the landmarks that tell stories, and this is a fantastic example of that," he said.
For further information on the site: https://www.odt.co.nz/lifestyle/magazine/tales-love-and-loss