Giant step for Te Rarawa

FUTURE: Haami Piripi - Looking to a future just like the old days. NZ HERALD

Sunday's signing of Te Rarawa's deed of settlement with the Crown in relation to historical treaty claims (1840 and 1992) will provide the springboard for a giant step forward by the iwi, and the wider community.

So Te Runanga o Te Rarawa chairman Haami Piripi said yesterday, adding that the signing would represent an organisational maturity on the part of the iwi, which over the past 20 years had consolidated its presence throughout the North Hokianga and Te Hiku o Te Ika.

That presence had been expressed through the delivery of numerous services to Te Rarawa and the wider community, and through programmes involving and empowering hapu and whanau strength with the marae as a constitutional building block.

"Cutting edge research and community initiatives are still a big part of Te Rarawa activities, and these have all contributed to the establishment of a strategic path ahead that Te Rarawa have called He Anga Whakamua, Moving Ahead," Mr Piripi said.

"To complement these initiatives Te Rarawa have also established a commercial presence in a number of key sectors including fishing, agriculture, forestry, recycling/waste disposal and broadband technology."

Building upon what had already been achieved over decades, the iwi had negotiated a settlement of its historical claims that was both innovative and embracing.

"They have been innovative in their new approach to conservation, which has included cultural information and values as a fundamental element of strategic and day to day management," he said.

"To achieve this, the new Korowai model for conservation management has been structured to include the participation of kaitiaki who are empowered by hapu and marae as cultural experts in an environmental context. The Korowai provides for full management of waahi tapu and cultural materials, and shared management responsibilities for other areas including full participation in all conservation planning. This includes the conservation management strategy which Te Rarawa will be part of, with other iwi in Te Hiku."

The new Te Oneroa a Tohe Beach Board was also innovative, but embracing in that the parties were required to work together to find solutions for effective management, rather than working apart from each other. (Those parties included Te Rarawa, Ngati Kuri, Te Aupouri, Ngai Takoto and local authorities).

That would begin a new era in resource management for the Far North, Maori and Pakeha working as one to produce excellent results for future generations. "Something like it used to be in the old days, where respect was always shown," he added.

Te Rarawa will sign its deed of settlement at Te Ahu in Kaitaia at 10am on Sunday. Ngai Takoto will sign its deed of settlement with the Crown at Te Rangi Aniwaniwa on Saturday, with the powhiri for iwi representatives and dignitaries at 2pm.