Hon Te Ururoa Flavell

Te Minita Whanaketanga Māori

Minister for Māori Development

15 April 2016

Crown and Tauranga Moana Iwi advance reconciliation journey

Māori Development Minister Te Ururoa Flavell says the Treaty Settlement Claims Bills of Tauranga Moana iwi are a testament to the tribes’ determination to work together.

Tauranga Moana Iwi Collective Redress and Ngā Hapū o Ngāti Ranginui Claims Settlement Bill and the Ngāti Pukenga Claims Settlement Bill passed their first reading in Parliament yesterday.

“I want to pay tribute to these tribes that have united to avoid competition against each other over their treaty settlement negotiations.”

Mr Flavell acknowledges the will of the people to work towards their Treaty of Waitangi settlements.

“Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngā Hapū o Ngāti Ranginui and Ngāti Pūkenga are determined and committed to working together despite challenges. The underlying principle of working collectively is an opportunity for each iwi to achieve better outcomes for their people and using their resources more wisely.

“Tauranga Moana holds a significant place in our country’s history. Areas of this beautiful landscape were the scenes of bloodshed and cruelty including the Battle of Pukehinahina and Te Ranga where both Māori and British troops lost their lives,” he says.

“The ingenuity by Māori in the Battle of Pukehinahina outwitted British soldiers who were decimated by their opponent’s use of reinforced bunkers and the illusion of defeat in 1864. But, the colonial troops avenged their shame eight weeks later killing more than a hundred Māori warriors who they caught digging trenches.

“Māori and Pākehā both lost lives, and it is this past that we share, and which also brings both Māori and the Crown together to create a more effective future that benefits both Māori and non-Māori New Zealanders,” says Mr Flavell.

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