Hon Christopher Finlayson

Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations

21 December 2012 Media Statement

Deed of Settlement signed with Te Atiawa

The Crown signed a deed of settlement for all outstanding historical Treaty claims with Te Atiawa o Te Waka-a-Maui at Waikawa Marae in Waikawa (near Picton) today, Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Minister Christopher Finlayson announced.

“Te Atiawa were left virtually landless by the historical actions of the Crown,” Mr Finlayson said. “Today we take a significant step towards putting the injustices of the past behind us, and helping Te Atiawa move forward.”

The Deed of Settlement sets out financial redress of $11.76 million and includes an apology for historical breaches of the Treaty, as well as the return of culturally significant sites and other Crown properties including Tapu Bay and Umukuri Bay urupā.

“Today we have signed settlements with two top of the South Island iwi. It shows that Crown and iwi, working together, can resolve historical grievances and build an economic platform that benefits iwi and the wider community,” he said

The deed was ratified by the Te Atiawa community and will be given effect through legislation, which is intended for introduction to Parliament next year

A copy of the deed of settlement is available here

ENDS

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