I like many New Zealanders, only really took an interest in ‘maori' claims with the Foreshore & Seabed fiasco, Constitutional Reform and now the novel claim for the control of water.
There is real concern over the lack of impartiality and conflict of interest issues surrounding the Waitangi Tribunal and its inability to view claims objectively.
On the water, lakes, river beds, etc. PM. Key was right, no one owns the water per se, it is administered by the Government on behalf of all New Zealanders, the Foreshore and Seabed must be Government controlled and the composition of the Constitutional Reform Committee frankly defies belief.
Only one legitimate Treaty of Waitangi exists that is the Maori version (Tiriti-o-Waitangi) there is no English version.
The Treaty itself is a benign document that all New Zealanders could live with, the paramount words being 'The Queen of England confirms and guarantees to the Chiefs and Tribes and to all people of NZ”. The 1974 Act has an absurdly wide meaning for ‘maori' and no minimum ethnicity requirement exists.
Make no mistake the claims now surfacing are all about money, royalties, gravy train exploitation and control. Genuine historical claims had some merit but this lot is something else altogether.
Myths, folksy tales and taniwhas have no place in the equation.

R Paterson, Matapihi.