Labour list MP and proud Ngapuhi Shane Jones is urging the iwi's divided leadership to put aside their differences and get on with settling its Treaty of Waitangi claims so the country's largest tribe can progress.
Ngapuhi are divided over the Government recognising the Te Ropu o Tuhoronuku mandate to represent the tribe in Treaty settlement negotiations, with one side contemplating legal action.
Tuhoronuku, a sub-committee of Te Runanga a Iwi o Ngapuhi, has praised the Government decision. But Te Kotahitanga nga Hapu o Ngapuhi - who want the Waitangi Tribunal to complete its current hearing of about 360 Ngapuhi Treaty claims before negotiating settlement - are considering a possible legal challenge.
Mr Jones said with more than 120,000 members, Ngapuhi needed to progress its treaty settlement so the tribe could overcome its historical social difficulties and it was up to the warring leaders to put aside their differences.
"The whole of the north will benefit from this settlement, but it needs Ngapuhi's leaders to patch up their differences and remember the words of our kaumatua Wiki Karena Te Aupouri: 'first land the whale before squabbling about how you cut it up'," Mr Jones said.
"When you look at all the negative statistics - poor health, education, employment, crime - Northland and Ngapuhi are at the forefront and (the settlement) will help to overcome all those negatives and help Ngapuhi move forward positively." Treaty Negotiations Minister Chris Finlayson said that Tuhoronuku would separate from the runanga and become an independent-mandated authority.
All Ngapuhi would vote to elect the 22 members of the authority, consisting of one runanga representative, two kaumatua/kuia representatives, four urban representatives (two from Auckland and one each from Wellington and the South Island) and 15 representatives from Te Whare Tapu o Ngapuhi (three each from Hokianga, Kaikohe-Waimate Taiamai, Whangaroa, Te Pewhairangi and Whangarei ki Mangakahia).
The authority would elect between three and six people to negotiate a settlement and Ngapuhi would need to determine who would represent it on a post-settlement governance entity.
Mr Jones said it was important the new body was seen as truly independent and Ngapuhi had good models to follow once it got its settlement.
"There are good examples from Ngai Tahu, Tainui and Ngati Whatua that can be followed, but the leadership need to sort their differences out first," he said.
"It's no use fighting to be at the front of the waka when the waka is just going around in circles."