Rotorua tribe pulls out of huge treaty deal | Rotorua News | Local News in Rotorua
Rotorua tribe pulls out of huge treaty deal
Hamuera Mitchell
By REBECCA DEVINE in Rotorua
The Government's hopes of settling more than 100 Treaty of Waitangi claims in one fell swoop have been dealt a major blow.
A group of Rotorua Maori have pulled out of the country's biggest Treaty negotiations just days before the terms of the talks were due to be agreed.
Members of Ngati Whakaue, the largest tribe in Te Arawa, have held a hui to stop the Nga Kaihautu o Te Arawa executive council from entering into negotiations with the Government on the tribe's behalf.
The tribe, believed to make up more than quarter of the members of Te Arawa, says it has lost confidence in the process being used to settle its claims.
It also claims Nga Kaihautu o Te Arawa has no mandate to speak on its behalf.
The Daily Post understands the Government is due to sign the terms of negotiation today with Nga Kaihautu.
It had hoped to settle the huge group of claims, speculated to be worth as much as $500 million, by dealing directly with the council.
The claims include hundreds of thousands of hectares of forestry land in the Central North Island, as well as Taniwha Springs, Hamurana Springs and geothermal resources.
Because Ngati Whakaue has withdrawn, claims relating to the Horohoro and Whakarewarewa Forests, the Whakarewarewa geothermal valley, geothermal resources and other land claims will no longer be included.
The tribe had already signalled in September that it planned to pull out of the process.
Last weekend, its members unanimously confirmed their opposition to the way the negotiation process was being carried out.
Hamuera Mitchell, who chaired the meeting, said there had been attempts to talk through its concerns with Nga Kaihautu and the Government, but with little success.
Ngati Whakaue was "highly concerned" about rumours the Government was about to discuss terms of negotiation with Nga Kaihautu, he said.
Earlier this year, the Waitangi Tribunal agreed there had been insufficient debate about how tribal groups should be represented on Te Arawa's negotiation body.
It said decisions had been made too hastily, and questions of accountability needed to be sorted out. However, it urged Te Arawa to sort out its own internal wrangles.
Ngati Whakaue claims cluster chairman Rawiri Rangitauira was unable to be reached for comment yesterday.
Mr Rangitauira has previously said the tribe would consider taking its claims to the Waitangi Tribunal, rather dealing directly with the Government.
A spokeswoman for Treaty Negotiations Minister Margaret Wilson said the Government recognised Ngati Whakaue had formally withdrawn from the group represented by Nga Kaihautu.
She said the Government had met with Ngati Whakaue and would continue to do so to find out how best to advance its claims.
The Government's hopes of settling more than 100 Treaty of Waitangi claims in one fell swoop have been dealt a major blow.
A group of Rotorua Maori have pulled out of the country's biggest Treaty negotiations just days before the terms of the talks were due to be agreed.
Members of Ngati Whakaue, the largest tribe in Te Arawa, have held a hui to stop the Nga Kaihautu o Te Arawa executive council from entering into negotiations with the Government on the tribe's behalf.
The tribe, believed to make up more than quarter of the members of Te Arawa, says it has lost confidence in the process being used to settle its claims.
It also claims Nga Kaihautu o Te Arawa has no mandate to speak on its behalf.
The Daily Post understands the Government is due to sign the terms of negotiation today with Nga Kaihautu.
It had hoped to settle the huge group of claims, speculated to be worth as much as $500 million, by dealing directly with the council.
The claims include hundreds of thousands of hectares of forestry land in the Central North Island, as well as Taniwha Springs, Hamurana Springs and geothermal resources.
Because Ngati Whakaue has withdrawn, claims relating to the Horohoro and Whakarewarewa Forests, the Whakarewarewa geothermal valley, geothermal resources and other land claims will no longer be included.
The tribe had already signalled in September that it planned to pull out of the process.
Last weekend, its members unanimously confirmed their opposition to the way the negotiation process was being carried out.
Hamuera Mitchell, who chaired the meeting, said there had been attempts to talk through its concerns with Nga Kaihautu and the Government, but with little success.
Ngati Whakaue was "highly concerned" about rumours the Government was about to discuss terms of negotiation with Nga Kaihautu, he said.
Earlier this year, the Waitangi Tribunal agreed there had been insufficient debate about how tribal groups should be represented on Te Arawa's negotiation body.
It said decisions had been made too hastily, and questions of accountability needed to be sorted out. However, it urged Te Arawa to sort out its own internal wrangles.
Ngati Whakaue claims cluster chairman Rawiri Rangitauira was unable to be reached for comment yesterday.
Mr Rangitauira has previously said the tribe would consider taking its claims to the Waitangi Tribunal, rather dealing directly with the Government.
A spokeswoman for Treaty Negotiations Minister Margaret Wilson said the Government recognised Ngati Whakaue had formally withdrawn from the group represented by Nga Kaihautu.
She said the Government had met with Ngati Whakaue and would continue to do so to find out how best to advance its claims.
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