The historical account contained in this bill catalogues the extensive loss of Ngāti Maru lands, reduced access to mahinga kai and other natural resources, and the erosion of tribal structures and cohesion during the 19th and 20th centuries, which negatively impacted on all aspects of Ngāti Maru life and severely limited the ability of the tribe to participate in the development of the Taranaki region. Ngāti Maru have continued to suffer from the effects of poverty, unemployment, poor housing, and diminished physical and spiritual health as a result. Ngāti Maru calculate that by 1920, more than half of their people had no surviving children. Many Ngāti Maru were forced to leave the district in search of employment, resulting in further damage to their community. This intense sense of loss and disconnection within Ngāti Maru whenua, and whakapapa is hauntingly expressed in the lament "Maru hāhā, hāhā te whenua, hāhā te tangata." Maru of extreme loss and breathlessness. The land is deserted. 