Iwi lay claim to crown forests

Iwi from the northern South Island are calling for all Crown forestry land in the region to be returned to them.

Presenting closing submissions at a hearing at Nelson, Ngati Toa counsel Kate Mitchell and Ngati Rarua counsel Tim Castle both endorsed an earlier call for forestry land to be vested in Maori ownership.

Mr Castle named forestry land at Golden Bay, Motueka, Golden Downs, Waimea, Hira, Wairau and Tutaki.

The call had also been made by Ngati Tama counsel Jamie Ferguson.

Ms Mitchell also claimed that Ngati Toa should have first pickings of any Crown land within Te Tau Ihu, the top of the South Island, all of which the iwi claims interest in.

The iwi had been unfairly disadvantaged by being excluded from a list of beneficiaries of the Nelson Tenths reserves in 1892, she said.

Iwi also called for acknowledgment of their customary rights, greater involvement in local government decisions, and apologies.

Ms Mitchell asked for the Crown to apologise for the illegal detention of Ngati Toa chief Te Rauparaha.

The Crown has asked for members of Te Tau Ihu iwi to decide what their interests are among themselves, saying the overlapping claims are too difficult to digest. But Mr Castle said it would be a "Herculean" task for iwi to resolve matters without the help of the Crown.

Ngati Tama researcher and Te Tau Ihu spokesman John Mitchell yesterday identified Haulashore Island, 400m from the Nelson foreshore, the Nelson police station, the Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology and Nelson College as options for settling iwi treaty grievances.

- NZPA