Opihi Whanaungakore hearing: Ngāti Awa won't participate in 'desecration of sacred lands' 18 Feb, 2021 07:51 PM 9 minutes to read Whakatāne overlooking the ancient coastal urupa Opihi Whanaungakore in background . Photo / File Charlotte is a Local Democracy Reporter based in Whakatane. Iwi have made it clear they will not be participating in the "desecration" of their sacred, ancestral lands. At the final day of the hearing into the granting of a resource consent for a residential subdivision next to an ancient urupa in Whakatāne, tangata whenua were adamant they would not take part in any accidental discovery protocol if koiwi (bones) were found during development – to do so would sever their whakapapa to the land and make a mockery of their role as kaitiaki, they said.