Saturday May 12 2001 Pänui päpaho - Media release

Ngati Ruanui settlement signed

11AM SATURDAY MAY 12 2001

Taranaki history was made this morning as the Minister in Charge of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, Margaret Wilson and representatives of Ngati Ruanui signed a Deed of Settlement at Pariroa Marae, south of Hawera.
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The settlement was supported by an 87.7% vote of Ngati Ruanui descendants in favour of the agreement.

The grievances of Ngati Ruanui arose from unjustified acts by the Crown in the 1860s, including waging war, confiscation of land, imprisonments, the return of some land under unfair leasehold arrangements and the assault on Ngati Ruanui people and others at Parihaka.

The next stage in the settlement process will be the introduction of legislation.

Margaret Wilson congratulated Ngati Ruanui negotiators on achieving the first settlement signing in Taranaki. "I hope that later this year the initialling of a Deed of Settlement with Ngati Tama will continue the achievement represented by the Ngati Ruanui agreement," said Ms Wilson.

"Good progress continues to be made in settling treaty grievances. That Ngati Ruanui can settle, after all that happened in Taranaki, is further evidence that the Treaty Settlement process is able to meet the needs of all iwi and the nation as a whole".

The Deed provides that the Crown will:

- formally apologise
- provide commercial redress of 41 million dollars in land or cash in recognition of the economic losses suffered by Ngati Ruanui.
- transfer five sites of significance to Ngati Ruanui
- acknowledge Ngati Ruanui fishing rights and rights over areas of importance to the iwi,
- agree that Ngati Ruanui will also have a 50 year right of first refusal to buy, at full market value, certain Crown-owned land in the area.

ENDS

Full details of the Deed of Settlement can be viewed at http://www.executive.govt.nz/minister/wilson/ngati-ruanui/index.html

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