Bay of Plenty tribe initial Deed of Settlement

For the second time in three months the Crown has initialled a Deed of Settlement for historical Treaty claims with a Bay of Plenty tribe, Treaty Negotiations Minister Margaret Wilson said today.

In July it was Ngati Awa from the Eastern Bay of Plenty and today in Parliament it was the turn of Kawerau-based tribe Ngati Tuwharetoa (Bay of Plenty), also known as Tuwharetoa ki Kawerau, to initial a Deed of Settlement with the Crown.

This draft Deed includes a Crown Apology, $10.5 million in financial redress, and cultural redress aimed a protecting key Ngati Tuwharetoa (Bay of Plenty) sites and areas of cultural historical significance.

“Ngati Tuwharetoa suffered from the confiscation of much of their traditional rohe in the 19th century,” said Margaret Wilson. “When land was eventually returned it was without regard for traditional ownership and much of the returned land was subsequently alienated.”

The initialling of the draft Deed enables the Ngati Tuwharetoa negotiators to put the settlement package out to their members for vote.

“My congratulations go to the negotiators for their perseverance and hard work in achieving this important milestone. Indeed the excellent progress in the Bay of Plenty reflects the hard work which has been put in by both claimant groups and the Crown to achieve settlements in an area of the country most affected by land confiscations in the 19th century,” Margaret Wilson said.

If ratified, a final Ngati Tuwharetoa (Bay of Plenty) Deed of Settlement will be signed conditional only on the establishment of an appropriate governance entity to receive the settlement redress and the passage of enabling legislation through Parliament.

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