A group of Maoris have traveled over 19,000 kilometers (11,806 miles) to reconnect with their Spanish heritage in the small town of Valverde del Majano, Segovia province, Spain.

About 16,000 members of the Paniora (Spanish Maori) trace their lineage to Manuel Jose de Frutos Huerta, born in Valverde del Majano in 1811, who emigrated to New Zealand in 1835.

John Manuel, a leader of the Paniora group from Rangitukia on the East Cape, expressed mixed emotions about the journey. "I'm happy because some of us were able to come, but I feel sad for those who weren't able to come because they have already passed away," he said. On arriving in Spain, he kissed the soil in honor of his ancestor.

Frutos Huerta, who worked as a whaler in New Zealand, married five Ngati Porou women, beginning the Paniora lineage with nine sons, 41 grandsons and nearly 300 great-grandsons.

Devi Ann Hall, another Paniora member, felt a deep connection upon arriving in Valverde del Majano. "We immediately felt the wairua (spirit) of the family and the presence of Manuel Jose," she said. "You could feel his spirit, a happy one, happy because we are here."

Santiago Ayuso, a descendant of Frutos Huerta's sister, was enthusiastic about meeting his "distant cousins." He remarked, "Their spiritual strength and belief are contagious. Now I care a lot more about the genealogy of the family."

Although the Paniora of Ngati Porou knew of their Spanish roots, they only discovered their ancestor's origin in Valverde del Majano in 2006. Since then, both branches of the Huerta Frutos family have been in contact. A small group of Maoris visited Valverde in 2007, and in 2010, a Spanish delegation visited Gisborne, establishing a sister city relationship between the two towns.