North iwi accused of 'settling for crumbs'

Fellow Muriwhenua tribes have criticised Te Aupouri for agreeing to settle its Treaty of Waitangi claims, saying it will jeopardise their chances of reaching more attractive agreements.
Last week, Te Aupouri became the first of five iwi involved in the historic Muriwhenua treaty claims to reach an agreement to settle with the Crown.
The agreement included an offer of $12 million cash, which Te Runanga-a-Iwi O Ngati Kahu chairwoman Margaret Mutu described as "settling for crumbs", causing the other three tribes to worry that a precedent was set for future treaty negotiations.
The Muriwhenua claims, covering from Whangaroa in the east and Hokianga in the west up to Cape Reinga, were lodged on behalf of Te Aupouri, Ngati Kuri, Ngai Takoto, Te Rarawa and Ngati Kahu by the Muriwhenua runanga in 1986. But in the mid-90s Te Aupouri, Te Rarawa and Ngati Kahu broke away and made their own separate treaty claims for reasons which included wanting to control their own claims.
Ngai Takoto Iwi Authority spokesman Rangitane Marsden, who is the head treaty negotiator for the iwi, said $12 million was a "pittance" and he had "major concerns" that Te Aupouri had set a claim precedent.
"When you compare it to Te Uri o Hau (Kaipara-based iwi) settling for $15.6 million - they are a smaller group but they have achieved a higher settlement. Muriwhenua is the poorest tribe area in the country and it's not a problem to solve with just $12 million," Mr Marsden said.
The iwi authority is waiting for a mandate to negotiate with the crown to be recognised by the Office of Treaty Settlements. The iwi hopes to start negotiations in November.
Te Runanga O Te Rarawa chairwoman Gloria Herbert said she did not consider Te Aupouri's $12 million financial redress "fair".
"Te Aupouri has the right to make its own decisions ... The truth is there's really no justice in this process. We're never going to recover all our losses," Mrs Herbert said.
Her iwi was "near" to reaching an agreement to settle, she said.
Ngati Kuri Trust Board spokesman Rudy Taylor said his tribe would not accept $12 million and that Te Aupouri, as well as the other Muriwhenua tribes, would reach better settlements if they were still united.
Mr Taylor also said his tribe had complained to the Government about Te Aupouri's treaty claim as both tribes were wanting redress for the same land, such as the Aupouri State Forest.
Ngati Kuri has yet to get a mandate from its people to start negotiating with the Crown.
But Te Aupouri Trust Board chairman Matiu Wiki waved off the criticism, saying getting back land was more important than money to his people, who now mostly wanted the issue to be resolved.
"Some Maori are saying, `We've been waiting for 150 years, we'll wait for another 150 years', but not for Te Aupouri. We've got to settle now. We can't let our grandchildren and great-grandchildren settle it for us, we've got to do it ourselves," Mr Wiki said.
He said there was "a heck of a lot" more work to do on the agreement, such as upping the area of Aupouri State Forest the tribe can buy back.