This can be described as the "massage the ego and line the pocket" stratagem, intended to make the individuals in question (or the questionable individuals) more 'amenable' in settlement negotiations. Methods of payment or reward varies, and includes being placed in charge of funds, settlement negotiations.
As your article indicates, these intended beneficiaries have long been trying to manage their own hapu affairs and destinies, while the Crown has tried to foist a "corporate" negotiation and management model on them for its own ends. The Tribunal's finding was wrought at terrific cost of time and energy, but it has finally "cleared the custard" somewhat. We can now hope, as indicated in the article, that northern hapu will negotiate separately while also co-operating collectively to counter some of the slippery tricks, such as by refusing to accept disputed land as part of any Treaty settlements until the dispute is resolved internally.
Also at a hapu level, we can only hope that opportunist individuals will not push themselves forward, purporting to represent collective interests while being primarily focused on personal gain.
While observation would indicate that there have been some willing takers, there appear to be far more kuia and kaumatua who keep the faith and bear the heavy burden of selflessly serving their hapu and iwi interests long into the future. Of course they may require some form of funding to do so, and that is not the issue. The issue is how to discern the collective nest-builders from the individual nest-featherers.
Useful guides are such things as openness, inclusiveness and transparency of decision-making.
Beware of individuals purporting to represent hapu in order to obtain funds for collective good purposes, such as environmental protection, then failing to be transparent about what, where or to whom these funds are (or were) directed.
Further, as your article canvassed in the sub-section titled "Integrity further compromised", beware of anyone with a historic fraud conviction.
This should apply with more force to a recent fraud conviction, and especially to one involving embezzlement of money from the Runanga o Ngapuhi that was intended to feed and cloth needy children.
Never mind the slick korero, look to the integrity. That is a more reliable and lasting quality.
MIKE RASHBROOKE
Opua
