A mighty Rangit¯ane totara falls

ahead unless a major iwi such as Nga¯ i

Tahu agreed to join the settlement, Macdonald said. Bradley managed to get Nga¯ i Tahu on board, and when 12 Hauraki Gulf iwi heard about it, they joined the process as well.

In October 2008 the Government announced the settlement as a one-off cash payment of $97m, with $80m coming to South Island iwi. ‘‘It’s also the fastest settlement in New Zealand history . . . [being] under 100 days,’’ Macdonald said.

Bradley’s solutions-focused thinking made him an ingenious negotiator, she said. ‘‘With settlements, you don’t get what you deserve, you get what you can negotiate.’’

Bradley’s personal sacrifice to work for his iwi could not be overstated, Macdonald said. ‘‘There were so many times that he wouldn’t have been there for birthdays and rugby games, things with the family . . . there is so much hard work that goes into negotiating settlement at that level.’’

Later in his life he worked for Fisheries NZ, building relationships with tangata

Ma¯ ori and giving advice on treaty issues. ‘‘Which he absolutely loved, new Ma¯ ori to regale with his tales . . . He was one of the few people that could traverse both of those worlds.’’

He was also involved with Rangita¯ ne’s repatriation of nearly 60 ancestors from the Canterbury Museum, and encouraged members to undergo DNA testing that connected several with their 700-year-old tu¯ puna. ‘‘You can’t put a price on those things, the things he’s done for Rangita¯ ne, individually, collectively, it’s been his life’s work, and it’s just amazing.’’

The repatriation also continued the life’s work of their grandparents who had campaigned for their return for decades, Macdonald said, pointing to columns written by Peter Hohua Macdonald in the 1940s, protesting the unceremonial disinterment.

‘‘That allowed us to have a stepping stone to do the work that we did, and there will be another generation that will carry on the work we did, for the future benefit of future Rangita¯ ne.’’

Bradley’s nephew, Keelan Walker, said Bradley was a huge influence on him throughout his life, as he inspired a love of history in the younger generations.

Bradley was a founding member of Nga¯ Pakiaka Mo¯ rehu o te Whenua, a Ma¯ ori history educational group based in Wairau, of which Walker was a trustee.

Bradley’s love of aviation history led to one of Walker’s favourite anecdotes.

‘‘He was the only Treaty negotiator that ever negotiated a Skyhawk into a settlement. He knew they were going to be sold to the States for their top gun pilots, so he got one for Rangita¯ ne, arguing it had a place in Marlborough’s history, and it was gifted to Omaka, where it is today.’’

Marlborough Mayor John Leggett added his condolences to Bradley’s wha¯ nau and iwi, saying the region had lost a brave and passionate iwi leader. ‘‘Richard conducted himself with style and class. He had a wonderful sense of humour and used his people skills to great effect with everyone he worked with. Richard is a great loss to Marlborough and will be missed.’’