Tuhoe hosted the Crown at a ‘Settlement Day' ceremony in Taneatua to celebrate the recent passage of Tuhoe Treaty settlement legislation today, with several thousand iwi members joining Crown representatives for the celebration.

At the ceremony Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Christopher Finlayson delivered the Crown's formal apology to Tuhoe for breaches of the Crown's obligations under the Treaty of Waitangi.

Christopher says it's an important part of the settlement process for the Crown to acknowledge and apologise for historic Treaty breaches.

'These historical breaches included indiscrimate raupatu or land confiscation, wrongful killings including executions, years of scorched earth warfare, the failure to implement the Urewera District Native Reserve Act 1896 and the exclusion of Tūhoe from the establishment of Te Urewera National Park."

"Today, was a day to be remembered – a day to celebrate peace and a forward looking future,” says Tamati Kruger.

The ceremony was attended by descendants of Premier Richard Seddon. Great grandson, Mr Tim Jerram of Auckland, presented Tuhoe with a taiaha gifted to Seddon by the Tuhoe rangatira Kereru when the Premier visited Te Urewera in 1894.

An historic flag that flew at the Tuhoe prophet Rua Kenana's Maungapōhatu community was returned by the Auckland War Memorial Museum. The flag was confiscated by Crown forces when they arrested Rua in 1916.

'The ceremony marks a turning point in the Crown – Tuhoe relationship. The focus has shifted from the settlement of historic Treaty grievances to cooperation between the Crown and Tuhoe on areas of mutual interest, exemplified by the new arrangements for the governance and management of Te Urewera."

Source: Office of Christopher Finlayson.