Iwi to celebrate settlement

Rangitikei's Ngati Apa iwi wants a Treaty settlement celebration that's all about itself and only itself, runanga chairman Adrian Rurawhe says.
It happens on May 14 at Kauangaroa Marae. The day starts with a powhiri and continues with speeches about achieving the settlement and the opportunities it will bring.
After that, there will be entertainment from tribal talent, kapa haka, activities for children and a midday feast.
About 100 people from Ngati Apa were in Wellington on March 11 to receive a formal apology from the Crown, for breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi.
The iwi received its settlement money about two weeks before that -- $16 million in cash and about $10 million worth of forest land and $2 million worth of other land.
Most from the tribe were reasonably satisfied with that, Mr Rurawhe said.
"I will not say that all of our people are completely happy, but in the scheme of things I think our iwi have done quite well. Independent commentators seem to think so."
Since then Ngati Apa has been working on post-settlement systems. Its new company, Ngati Apa Development, is in charge of the cash settlement. The aim was to grow the funds by prudent, low-risk investment, distributing some of the interest to hapu and reinvesting the rest.
Grant Huwyler will be the tribe's overall manager. He has previously filled the same role on the Chatham Islands, on behalf of Moriori.
The new land assets co-ordinator is Chris Shenton.
"It's a significant role, dealing with $12 million worth of land assets. There are leases, licenced forest land, reserves and some land with compliance issues."
The iwi can choose to purchase half the land under Wanganui Prison but Mr Rurawhe said that was looking unlikely.
It is also deciding whether to purchase the land under Marton's courthouse and police station, and 400ha of forest land.
The changes would take time but the iwi would be well on the way towards assisting its hapu within two or three years.
Ngati Apa started seriously working towards a Treaty of Waitangi settlement in 2004.
It took a year to decide to get there by direct negotiation with the Crown rather than through the Waitangi Tribunal.
"In hindsight, I firmly believe we have made the right decision. We would still be waiting for a report if we had gone through the tribunal process."
Even so, the negotiation took longer than anyone expected.
 
The settlement
- $16 million in cash.
- $10 million of forest land.
- $2 million of other land.
- Formal apology from the Crown, delivered on March 11.
- Settlement celebration on May 14.