“Hauraki Iwi Support Tikanga Process before Settlement Signing!”________________________________________

Ngāti Paoa welcomes the Ministers of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations and Maori Development taking strong leadership on issues delaying the settlement of the Hauraki, Auckland and Tauranga Moana Treaty claims.

Last Friday 25 May the Minister of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, Andrew Little, announced he would delay the signing of the Hauraki Collective Settlement to allow Kaumātua from both Hauraki and Tauranga to use a Tikanga process to try and resolve their overlapping claims.

Ngāti Paoa Kaiārahi, Haydn Solomon, says it was also great to see this significant move by Minister Little backed up by the Minister for Maori Development, Nanaia Mahuta, offering to facilitate a Tikanga-based hui between Hauraki and Tauranga Kaumātua.

“We have been encouraged by the recent actions of both Ministers - and in particular Minister Little‘s comments over the weekend - which are very positive. We are hopeful that this will ultimately lead to a full review of the Crown processes in this troubled area of overlapping claims,” he says.

Ngāti Paoa is one of the 12 Iwi in the Hauraki Collective who openly supports Tauranga Moana’s calls for the use of the Tīkanga process before Treaty settlement signing occurs. Ngāti Paoa has repeatedly asked the Government to change its current overlapping claims policy for Treaty settlements to a ‘Tīkanga based’ policy.

Over the past year, Ngāti Paoa has been leading the way for both the Hauraki and Marutūāhu Collectives in this area by actively pursuing Tīkanga-based resolutions with Iwi who have significant overlapping claims concerns.

This approach saw Ngāti Paoa sign a ‘Tatau Pounamu’ (Peace Agreement) and ‘Kawenata Tapu’ (Sacred Covenant) with Tauranga Moana Iwi, Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngāti Ranginui respectively in December last year.

“We were proud to stand side by side with Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngāti Ranginui two weeks ago as they marched on mass to Parliament because we support Tīkanga. This wasn’t about one Collective versus another Collective or Hauraki versus Tauranga. This is about returning to Tikanga principles, ” says Mr Solomon.
“You must remember that the Hauraki Collective is not an Iwi in itself. The Collective is just a vehicle created by the Crown to fast track settlements. It is comprised of 12 separate Iwi members. Not all Iwi in the Hauraki Collective are claiming interests into Tauranga Moana or CBD. Ngāti Paoa isn’t.

Unfortunately, some Iwi in Hauraki are hiding behind the Collective banner of Hauraki to expand their interests and boundaries.

“There are two key issues that the Crown needs to address via its overlapping claims policy to prevent such unfair outcomes. The first is that for the Tikanga process to be effective, the Crown must ensure that Iwi are required to engage properly and the Crown must give genuine consideration to the outcome of the process,” says Mr Solomon.

“To-date, some Iwi have deliberately refused to engage in a Tikanga process because the Crown does not give any weight to it. As such, they have been able to rely on the Crown’s existing process instead to extend their tribe’s boundaries. Alternatively, they have only agreed to a Tikanga process after the settlement is signed and assets are allocated. This obviously gives no comfort to Iwi with overlapping concerns,” says Mr Solomon.

“The second issue is that the Crown is failing to weigh interests to determine whether genuine mana whenua rights exist. This failure is what allows some Iwi to ‘game or exploit’ the process by claiming ‘a teaspoon’ of interest and insisting to the Crown that this gives them entitlement to Treaty redress in areas they were never established in or suffered any genuine treaty grievances in.”

As a way forward and to ensure that the Hauraki settlement is not held up, Ngāti Paoa have asked the Crown to set aside the redress that is causing concern for Tauranga Moana.

In the meantime, signing of the Hauraki settlement can continue in respect of the vast majority of the settlement assets that are not disputed and ensures Iwi who don’t have interests in Tauranga aren’t dragged into the dispute.
E N D

© Scoop Media