Ngāpuhi members are clear they have not, and will not, cede sovereignty to the Crown.
Despite being a likely deal-breaker for a Treaty settlement with the coalition Government, that was the resounding message from a hui in Whangārei on Wednesday with the hapū of New Zealand’s biggest iwi.
The at-times fractious meeting of about 100 was held by Te Kotahitanga, an informal grouping of hapū volunteers spearheading Ngāpuhi’s negotiations.
Members at the meeting also said they wanted hapū-by-hapū negotiations, rather than a single iwi settlement.
They dismissed a bill being drafted by NZ First’s Shane Jones, which would require a single settlement with Ngāpuhi, rather than multiple agreements with smaller groups.
Te Kotahitanga co-chair Pita Tipene said Ngāpuhi must not be distracted by politicians’ comments.
“We will not be corralled into a single settlement. If hapū want to come together, they will because they want to, not because they have to.”
After the meeting, co-chair Lee Harris said one settlement will not work because Māori work under a decentralised model - based on whānau, marae and hapū.
On the subject of sovereignty, she pointed to the landmark 2014 Waitangi Tribunal report that found Ngāpuhi chiefs never agreed to give up their sovereignty when they signed Te Tiriti o Waitangi in 1840.
This finding was reiterated in a 2023 tribunal report, which urged the Government to return all Crown-owned land in Ngāpuhi’s tribal area.
Harris said the Government continued to ignore the reports, despite them coming after years of inquiry by the tribunal.
Ngāpuhi will not cede sovereignty in any settlement, even if it means the talks stall, she said.
“It’s going to be a stalemate because as soon as it comes up, it’s non-negotiable.”
While there has been criticism of the decades it is taking to get a settlement for Ngāpuhi, Harris pointed to the Government changes over the years and different mandates required by negotiators.
“This is not our process. Any time the Crown gets up and walks away from the table, we’re left there and can’t continue.”
Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith said sovereignty lies with the people of New Zealand and anything else would be a fundamental constitutional change.
“We have said consistently that we’re open for conversations about what ‘tino rangatiratanga’ means in 2025, but we’re not prepared to make fundamental constitutional change through Treaty settlements,” he told the Northern Advocate.
“Sovereignty in New Zealand lies ultimately with the people of New Zealand who, in a democratic society, elect and can replace Parliament and the Executive. We have no plans to change that.”
Goldsmith said he is in ongoing discussions with Ngāpuhi and he would not make commitments or negotiate through the media.
Last month, the minister walked back on a draft deed of settlement clause with East Coast iwi Te Whānau-ā-Apanui, which agreed to disagree on who holds sovereignty.
Amidst the tensions over sovereignty, Shane Jones has thrown fuel on the fire, calling indigenous sovereignty a “fairy tale” and labelling those at Wednesday’s hui “either unemployed or unemployable”.
The politician said the settlement delay of more than 20 years was disappointing and undermined the growth of Ngāpuhi’s 150,000-odd members.
Jones said those refusing to settle over the sovereignty issue were a small but rowdy group, while their children and mokopuna were forced to move to Australia for better economic conditions.
His bill, forcing a pan-Ngāpuhi settlement rather than multiple settlements, was about benefiting the majority of members, rather than spreading a settlement out like confetti, he said.
It would also ensure a deal could be struck, rather than dragging out negotiations until at least 2040.
“I know my style of delivery and the idea may aggravate some of the hapū leaders but the time for unicorn kissing is over.”
Wednesday’s hui at Ngararatunua Marae, on Whangārei’s northern outskirts, covered a wide number of issues alongside Treaty negotiations.
MP and leader Hūhana Lyndon raised concerns that Ngāpuhi Investment Fund Tupu Tonu was becoming a de facto representative of Ngāpuhi - on issues such as NorthPort - when it did not represent the people.
Pita Tipene was also formally nominated for Northland Regional Council’s Te Raki Māori constituency, with all attendees encouraged to at least enrol and vote in the local body elections.
Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on health and business. She has more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.