Taihape iwi agree terms of Treaty claim negotiation

People from four Taihape iwi sign terms of negotiation with the Crown for their Treaty of Waitangi settlement. Photo / Supplied

Four iwi from the Taihape area signed terms of negotiation with the Crown for their Waitangi Treaty claim on September 20.

The ceremony was held at Parliament, with reduced numbers present due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Members of the Ngāi Te Ohuake, Ngāti Hauiti, Ngāti Whitikaupeka and Ngāti Tamakōpiri iwi were present.

The non-binding agreement sets out the terms of negotiation for the Taihape Inquiry Area.

The Mōkai Pātea Waitangi Claims Trust won the mandate to negotiate it in March, despite opposition from the Ngāti Hinemanu me Ngāti Paki Heritage Trust.

Since then the Mōkai Pātea Waitangi Claims Trust (MPWCT) has spent months working on drafting the terms, engaging with the iwi and gaining their support for the agreement, chairman Utiku Potaka said.

At the same time, the trust has been involved in a parallel Waitangi Tribunal process that has its last hearing on October 4.

Potaka welcomed the chance to move the settlement into direct negotiation with the Crown.

"This is one more step that will help achieve our goal of settlement and eventually contributing to the ongoing development of our whānau, hapū, iwi and marae. We now look forward to the year ahead," he said.

A negotiation team is being recruited, and will meet with chief Crown negotiator Katherine Gordon.

An agreement in principle could be signed within 18 months if all goes well.

Ngāti Hinemanu me Ngāti Paki Heritage Trust chairman Jordan Winiata didn't know the signing had taken place.

The trust continues to oppose the deed of mandate, he said.

It has withdrawn its claims from the negotiations, despite both the Crown and the claims trust ignoring that.

It will continue to take steps to have that withdrawal upheld, Winiata said, and he expected the Waitangi Tribunal's report would support the grievances of Ngāti Hinemanu and Ngāti Paki.

He is awaiting the results of a claims trust meeting that happened on June 9.

Potaka said the trust was still working its way through that.