A Deed of Settlement has been signed between Ngāti Tara Tokanui and the Crown, Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Minister Andrew Little says.

Ngāti Tara Tokanui is one of twelve iwi of Hauraki, with an area of interest centred around Paeroa extending west into the Hauraki plains and north to the base of the Coromandel peninsula at Wharekawa.

“Today is a special day for Ngāti Tara Tokanui and the Crown marking the end of negotiations and a new beginning in restoring the relationship between both parties,” Andrew Little said.

The Deed of Settlement includes acknowledgements and a Crown apology for the historical Crown acts or omissions that breached Te Tiriti o Waitangi and caused harm to Ngāti Tara Tokanui. This includes the confiscation of land and the Crown’s promotion of policies and laws, which eroded the Ngāti Tara Tokanui tribal structure and dislocated its people from their pā (fortified villages) and kāinga (homes).

The redress package contains financial redress of $6 million and the return of nine sites of cultural significance including Ngā Ure Tara, Mimitu Pā, Tawhitiaraia and Karangahake.

“Negotiations with Ngāti Tara Tokanui began in 2009. I want to thank the kaumātua, kuia and negotiators past and present for their commitment over this long period to reach this significant milestone,” Andrew Little said.

“While no redress can fully compensate for the Crown’s past injustices against Ngāti Tara Tokanui, the redress in this settlement provides a foundation for the economic future of Ngāti Tara Tokanui to build upon, and ensures the cultural relationship between Ngāti Tara Tokanui and sites of cultural significance is recognised for generations to come,” Andrew Little said.

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