Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Andrew Little and Te Mana o Ngāti Rangitihi Trust chair and lead negotiator Leith Comer at the signing of the Deed of Settlement. Photo / Supplied
Te Arawa iwi Ngāti Rangitihi is one step closer to a Treaty settlement of more than $11 million.
The Ngāti Rangitihi Claims Settlement Bill passed its first reading in Parliament on Tuesday.
Ngāti Rangitihi grievances include large areas of land taken from them by the Crown for public works and not being given sufficient land in the aftermath of the Tarawera eruption.
The Crown also failed to act in good faith when it leased and purchased blocks of Ngāti Rangitihi land blocks.
If the bill becomes law, Ngāti Rangitihi will receive $4m in financial redress and $7m in commercial redress, and have 19 sites of cultural significance returned to them.
Minister for Treaty Negotiations Andrew Little apologised on behalf of the Crown.
"The Crown acknowledges it breached its Treaty obligations when it failed to protect the tribal structures of Ngāti Rangitihi, failed to always act in good faith when purchasing and leased Ngāti Rangitihi land blocks, failed to protect Ngāti Rangitihi from becoming virtually landless," he said in the House.
He said he hoped through the settlement the Crown could "atone for its past injustices that it has inflicted on Ngāti Rangitihi".
Ngāti Rangitihi is part of the greater Te Arawa confederation of tribes. It has customary rights and interests stretching from the coast at Matatā, Tarawera awa to include Lake Tarawera, Ruawahia and Rerewhakaaitu including the Rotomahana, Rerewhakaaitu and Okaro lakes, and Kaingaroa Forest.
In July last year, Te Mana chairman Leith Comer said the journey for Ngāti Rangitihi's settlement had spanned more than a decade.
"While we have been in direct negotiations with the Crown since 2015, we acknowledge all those Ngāti Rangitihi claimants who submitted Waitangi Tribunal claims for Te Tiriti o Waitangi breaches by the Crown — those who have passed on, and those who are still with us.
"While we are living with the consequences of the losses and mamae today, it is our tīpuna [ancestors] who were there when land was lost and who suffered directly.
"Our mokopuna [grandchildren] will benefit from the settlement if it is approved, but we must not forget those that started the journey for us."
- Additional reporting by NZME
Police could be seen cordoning off a street in the area.