Trust to negotiate iwi’s land claims
But their mandate is still opposed by other iwi Working together to clean Castlecliff Beach
The Mo¯kai Pa¯tea Waitangi Claims Trust has been given the mandate to represent northern Rangit¯ıkei iwi in the settlement of their land claims.
This was a source of relief to trust chairman Utiku Potaka, who was grateful for the support of wha¯nau, hapu¯ and iwi in what the Crown has called the Taihape Inquiry Area.
However, that mandate continued to be opposed by the Nga¯ti Hinemanu me Nga¯ti Paki Heritage Trust, chairman Jordan Haines-Winiata said.
Its people want recognition as separate iwi. They had already been excluded from negotiations in Ahuriri (Napier) and Heretaunga (Hastings) claims, Haines-Winiata said.
They voted to withdraw their Taihape area claims at two hui held in Taihape and Hastings in July last year.
The advice given to the Minister of Treaty Settlements about the people he represents was wrong, Haines-Winiata said, and was a continuing breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Nga¯ti Hinemanu and Nga¯ti Paki opposition was the reason it has taken nearly five years for the Mo¯kai Pa¯tea Waitangi Claims Trust (MPWCT) to achieve mandate, Potaka said, despite the trust getting 80 per cent support when the mandate vote was held in 2019.
The trust had done “everything possible” to include Nga¯ ti Hinemanu and Nga¯ti Paki.
Now that mandate has been decided by Te Arawhiti (the Office for Ma¯ori Crown Relations), Nga¯ti Hinemanu and Nga¯ ti Paki can ask to withdraw their claims. That would sadden Potaka and begin a process as robust as the process to agree mandate.
“Fifty verified members of a hapu¯ must make a statement of withdrawal, for example,” he said.
If the claims were withdrawn, the Crown may not agree to negotiate them with a hapu¯ because it had a preference for “large natural groups” such as that represented by the MPWCT.
Whatever happens, the trust’s next job is to agree terms of negotiation with Te Arawhiti and move toward an agreement in principle, using direct negotiation.
The area’s parallel Waitangi Tribunal process is set to finish in June. The trust will also have to decide on a negotiation team, based on people’s skills and availability.
There would be some important matters to negotiate, Potaka said.
Mo¯kai Pa¯tea was one of the last areas of Aotearoa-New Zealand where Ma¯ ori land was alienated by the Crown and Pa¯keha¯ settlers. This included Tiriti breaches that occurred when well-developed Ma¯ori sheep farms and ka¯inga were lost in the 1890s, most infamously when Winiata Te Whaaro was arrested and his wha¯nau evicted from Pokopoko.
Negotiations will include the use of tribal land for military training, and that access to some tribal land is only possible by air. Environmental effects on the Rangit¯ıkei River will be another big focus.
A youth-led crew are taking to Castlecliff Beach in a couple of weeks’ time for their annual beach clean.
The Rangitikei/Whanganui Multicultural Council has collaborated with the Department of Conservation and Sport Whanganui to hit the beach for a clean-up on April 10.
Starting at the North Mole, the group will pick up any rubbish on their way back to the Duncan Pavilion.
Youth lead for the Whanganui Multicultural Council Jasmine Ariata Kiri said she visited the beach three times a week and wanted to see more youth involved and take responsibility.
“We had a really successful one last year, it was a really neat example of a good initiative,” Coast Care’s Graham Pearson said.
This is the second clean-up the council has organised.
We all have our networks and can spread the search. DoC is really keen to
help the Multicultural Council and others to take
care of the environment. Department of Conservation community ranger Katy
Newton
As well as the clean-up, they have organised all sorts of activities for kids and families — a beach dig, spot prizes and giveaways, falun dafa, planting in the dunes and a free sausage sizzle.
Department of Conservation community ranger Katy Newton said collaboration was key when it came to such initiatives.
“Then we all have our networks and can spread the search. DoC is really keen to help the Multicultural Council and others to take care of the environment.”
The goal of the mission is to keep the ocean waste-free and stop it from moving across the country or the neighbouring Pacific Islands.
“If we can stop that process here, that is good for us,” Newton said.
● For more information about the day, contact Jasmine Ariata Kiri at or
022 324 5400 jasmineariatakiri@live. com.