A group of Maori protestors is occupying a South Wairarapa dairy farm after a dispute about its sale to pay off debts.

The members of Ngati Kahungunu ki Wairarapa have been on the farm, south of Featherston, since Sunday afternoon.

They're trying to stop the Maori Education Trust selling the land to a private investor.

The land known as Mapuna Atea was donated to the trust by a Pakeha farmer 50 years ago to help raise income to educate Wairarapa Maori.

Maori Party co-leader Marama Fox says land's been on-sold from Maori all through history - but this is different.

"That has gone on for hundreds of years. This is just another one of those situations. What makes this more heartbreaking is that this is Maori doing this to other Maori."

Marama Fox says everything is being looked at.

"We've gone down a number of different avenues and the doors seem to be closing in front of us as each new path is tried, to see if we can get a stop of the sale."