Central North Island tribes back $30m Treaty settlement

Tamahaki, Tamakana and Uenuku will begin preparations for the formal signing of the Deed of Settlement on Saturday, July 29 at Raetihi Marae.

Uri of the mountain and river tribes Tamahaki, Tamakana and Uenuku have endorsed the Crown’s $30 million package to settle their historical Treaty of Waitangi claims.

Iwi negotiator Aiden Gilbert said the ratification vote result was a milestone for the people of Tamahaki, Tamakana and Uenuku who had sought justice for the “systematic taking of our lands”.

“On behalf of us today who have carried the taiaha of justice to reach this corner milestone in support of the settlement for Tamakana, Uenuku, Tamahaki, nei rā te mihi ki a koutou,” Gilbert said.

Under the mantle of the treaty settlement grouping Te Korowai o Wainuiārua, the three tribes initialled Te Tihi o te Rae, their Deed of Settlement, on December 12 last year.

More than 95 per cent of those who voted in the ratification process approved the Deed of Settlement and authorised the trustees of Te Korowai o Wainuiārua Trust to sign the deed.

Nearly 94 per cent agreed the proposed Te Korowai o Wainuiārua Trust will be the post-settlement governance entity to receive and manage the settlement redress.

Iwi members were asked to cast two votes through the independent returning officer at electionz.com.

The voter return target of 30 per cent was achieved with just over 31 per cent of votes returned - a total of 592 votes cast from 1896 eligible voters. Three-quarters of people voted online and the remaining quarter voted by post or at information hui around the country.

Te Tihi o te Rae includes the Crown’s acknowledgement of breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi, an agreed historical account and an apology from the Crown for those breaches.

It also includes cultural redress with the return of several sites and a cultural revitalisation fund of $6.85m. Financial redress amounts to $21.7m plus interest and commercial redress includes rights to buy Erua Crown Forest licensed land and sites from the Treaty Settlements Landbank.

Tamahaki, Tamakana and Uenuku will now start preparations for the formal signing of the Deed of Settlement on Saturday, July 29 at Raetihi Marae.

The Deed of Settlement does not provide for redress from the Crown for historical claims relating to Whanganui or Tongariro National Park. This redress has yet to be developed in settlement negotiations between the Crown, Te Korowai o Wainuiārua and other iwi and hapū with interests in the national parks. The Deed of Settlement records that the Crown is committed to negotiating redress in good faith over the national parks with Te Korowai o Wainuiārua and others.

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