A historic day for Te Arawa

A Crown apology and the handing back of 13 Rotorua lakes to Te Arawa is the beginning of the future for the Rotorua iwi.

Prime Minister Helen Clark yesterday apologised to Te Arawa at Te Papaiouru Marae for breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi relating to the lakes and for the negative impact of the Crown's actions on Te Arawa's rangatiratanga (sovereignty) over the lakes in the 1900s.

She also acknowledged the spiritual, cultural, economic and traditional importance to Te Arawa of the lakes and their resources.

"The Crown profoundly regrets that past Crown actions in relation to the lakes have had a negative impact on Te Arawa's rangatiratanga over the lakes and their use of lake resources, and have caused significant grievance within Te Arawa," Miss Clark said.

"The grievances of the past go back beyond the living memory of the people here today, but their effects have lingered for too long. The Crown is pleased to be able to put right the wrongs of the past, and I am honoured to deliver this apology," Ms Clark said.

Te Arawa celebrated its Treaty of Waitangi lakes settlement, calling it a step forward towards the future of the iwi.

The tribe and the Government signed a Deed of Settlement in December 2004 over 13 of the Rotorua region's 14 lakes. The settlement includes an apology from the Crown for past grievances, title to the 13 lake beds and financial redress of $10 million.

Anaru Rangiheuea, who spent 32 years on the Te Arawa Maori Trust Board which negotiated the package, said 2004 was a milestone for the iwi and he was pleased an apology had been made.

"This is a great way of ending an era," Mr Rangiheuea said.

Rotorua mayor Kevin Winters also praised the Crown's apology.

"This is a historic day for Te Arawa but it is also a historic day for Rotorua," Mr Winters said.

The settlement means the board has officially folded and two new entities have formed to manage the next phase - Te Arawa Lakes Trust and Te Arawa Lakes Management Ltd.

The general manager of the Te Arawa Lakes Trust Roku Mihinui believed the Crown apology was sincere and recognised the iwi's grievances.

He said the board and Te Arawa could now move forward. He hoped the trustees would be elected by the end of February with the board to be in full effect from March.

The celebration didn't go with out incident.

Hapeta Te Hau Te Horo Hapeta claimed to be a paramount chief of Te Arawa when he tried to voice his concerns over the settlement yesterday but he was escorted out and his views drowned out by the crowd singing a song of peace.

He later told the Daily Post he was against the settlement and believed Te Arawa should be given the whole of the lake back, not just the lake bed.

Meanwhile, following the apology, the crowd walked to the Rotorua Lakefront near the Te Arawa waka to plant native trees donated by the Department of Conservation to symbolise the lakes.

"The trees will be named after the individual lakes that have come back to us," Mr Rangiheuea said.