Tauranga iwi Ngati Pukenga has today signed a deed of settlement with the Crown to settle its Treaty of Waitangi claims.
Hundreds of iwi members and guests gathered at Welcome Bay to sign a deed of settlement today. Photos by: Zoe Hunter.
Hundreds of members of Ngati Pukenga, other iwi, guests and representatives of the Crown gathered at Te Whetu o te Rangi marae at Welcome Bay today to sign a deed of settlement.
Ngati Pukenga was left virtually landless after the Crown initiated military conflict in 1864 and subsequently confiscated large tracts of land in the Western Bay of Plenty.
This was despite the fact Ngati Pukenga had honoured an early agreement with the Crown not to engage in the conflict.
Minister for Treaty of Waitangi negotiations Christopher Finlayson says the confiscation of land can never really be compensated for.
"However this settlement will enable the people of Ngati Pukenga to look forward to a stronger future.
"Signing this deed of settlement with Ng?ti Pukenga is an important step towards settling all historical grievances in the Bay of Plenty and New Zealand as a whole.”
Ngati Pukenga got scattered to four small settlements between Whangarei, Welcome Bay (Tauranga) Manaia (Coromandel) and Maketu.
The settlement includes financial and commercial redress of $5 million, the return of culturally significant properties including Liens block, Pae ki Hauraki, Te Tihi o Hauturu and Otukopiri, $500,000 for cultural revitalisation and $180,000 for marae revitalisation in Manaia.
Chairman of Te Au Maaro o Pukenga, the body which has negotiated the claims on before of Ngati Pukenga descendents, Rehua Smallman says the signing the deed of settlement was a time for reflection not celebration.
'It was bad enough that our land got confiscated in the first place. But, to then be shut out of the Native Land court process in the 1880s that saw some iwi get some of their land back really rubbed salt into the wounds.
'However, our people voted overwhelmingly to accept this deal so we could all move on and try to build a better future for our mokopuna.”
Lead claims negotiator Rahera Ohia says the settlement process is arduous and sometimes divisive which at times can set you against your neighbours and your relations.
'Our forebears have protested the actions of the Crown and fought for wrongs to be addressed since the 1800s. Those of us here are the mouthpiece of those who carried this fight for over a century.
'It was a courageous decision by our people to overwhelmingly accept this settlement and give us the opportunity as a people to move forward."
The settlement will be given effect through legislation.
A copy of the deed of settlement is available here.
9 comments
more lies
Posted on 07-04-2013 15:40 | By Captain Sensible
For how much longer will public money be given away on the say so of make-it-up-as-you-go "historians" who know nothing about what really happened in the 1800s.
Does this mean
Posted on 07-04-2013 18:02 | By NZgirl
They will pay for their own benefits?
broke NZ
Posted on 07-04-2013 22:28 | By traceybjammet
at some point this has to finish before Nz really goes broke. How about the Iwi build hospitals and accommodation with all this money and land and generally start contributing to society today, maybe that would install some pride back into being a Maori instead of how things are now
The never ending Gravy train
Posted on 07-04-2013 22:31 | By Fonzie
Does this one also have a top up ratchet clause built in so it can be revisited over and over like the rest of them Negotiated by the unelected appeaser general poacher turned gamekeeper who is supposed to be representing all of us What a farce
oh Wow!
Posted on 08-04-2013 09:09 | By AratakiJive
Of course this settlement is for this generation of so-called grieved Maori. The next lot of part Maori when they get old enough will also be "grieved"and will both expect and receive another payment. As modern history has shown us, this is a generational thing that will go on ad infinitem until New Zealanders finally say enough!
More misinformation
Posted on 08-04-2013 09:23 | By Peter Dey
Why do anti-Maori protesters keep repeating the same misinformation when they can never produce any solid evidence to back it up? The history of local injustice against Maori has not been refuted. Treaty settlements are compensation for wrongly taken land. They amount to less than 10% of what was taken. They are not taxpayer handouts. The taxpayer still keeps over 90% of what was taken. The money will be used to help the progress of future generations. Benefits currently paid for by the taxpayer are a national responsibility which have nothing to do with Treaty settlements.
Are you Sure???
Posted on 08-04-2013 13:21 | By Chalky66
How does anyone actually know that some of the Iwi in the 1800s didn't react and involve themselves in the skirmishes hence the confiscation due to involvement?? A very viable possibility
Fraud again
Posted on 08-04-2013 15:59 | By Mike Kuipers von Lande
And once again modern day Maori have succeeded in extorting $millions in fraudulent compensation. Claim: Peaceful BOP Maori were attacked by the Government who then confiscated their lands. Reality: BOP Maori actively supported Waikato tribes during their war to exterminate white people from NZ. BOP Maori were warned many times by the crown not to involve themselves or they would face repercussions. BOP Maori continued to assist Waikato tribes and then constructed their own battle Pas and began to provoke and skirmish with the Crown. Claim: BOP Maori lost all their lands. Reality: Despite their treason and failure to honour the Treaty, the vast majority of their land was returned to them. Claim: BOP Maori were shut out of the Native Land Court. Reality: Some of the returned land was allowed by the Crown to be privately sold by individual Maori. Now Maori claim this is the Crown's fault that their own people sold it. In 1882 Maori presented Queen Victoria with a list of national grievences to consider. No grievences were recorded by BOP Maori. The 1926 Sim Commission found that action and confiscation in the BOP was fair. The great Maori leader of the earlier part of the Twentieth Century, Sir Apirana Ngata, said that Maori were treated more than fairly when their actions against the crown were considered and certainly better than they would have done or did when the roles were reversed.
The Treaty
Posted on 08-04-2013 16:50 | By Blessed
and NZ history should be taught in Schools, So many people do not have a clue how much this has effected many people, also, Not many maori out there receive Money from the settlements unless You win or apply for Scholarships/ education grants. I agree we should all be NZers, but that wont be possible, because no1 wants to understand the others point of view. All Races have a contribution to society whether you r Indian, Samoan, Maori, Chinese, or European ect.. Our history was Violent and Ugly from both sides, its Human Nature
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