Ngāi Tahu pou Charlie Crofts dies
Charlie Crofts, Ngāi Tahu claim negotiator and the first kaiwhakahaere of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, has died at the age of 80.
In a pānui (announcement) from Te Rūnanga o Koukourarata, in which whānau lovingly referred to him as “Uncle Charlie” (Ngāti Huikai, Ngāi Tūāhuriri, Ngāti Waewae), Crofts was remembered throughout the iwi as a “muchloved Ngāi Tahu leader who made a considerable contribution at both a hapū and iwi level”.
Crofts called both Koukourarata and Tuahiwi home. He was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Māori in 2016.
He was born in 1943 in the back bedroom of his mother’s home at Tuahiwi in North Canterbury, he was the youngest son of Edward Te Oreorehua Crofts and Metapere Ngawini Crofts (nee Barrett).
Crofts learned of the Ngāi Tahu Claim growing up through his grandfather William Barrett, who was heavily involved in tribal matters, the statement said.
He joined the New Zealand Army, serving for 20 years.
After leaving the army in 1985 he worked as a taxi driver and became involved with Koukourarata Rūnanga to support whānau living at the papakāinga.
Crofts was elected chairperson of Koukourarata Rūnanga, which led him to become involved with the Ngaitahu Maori Trust Board, the statement said. In 1990 he was appointed as the Koukourarata Representative for Te Rūnanganui o Tahu, and was soon promoted to Kaiwhakahaere.
“When Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu was established in 1996, Charlie was elected as its first Kaiwhakahaere. He went on to play a significant role in the negotiations of the Ngāi Tahu Settlement.
“A member of the Ngāi Tahu A-Team, which was mandated to negotiate directly with government ministers, Charlie was also responsible for working across all three Ngāi Tahu negotiation teams.”
Following the Ngāi Tahu Settlement, Crofts was appointed to the New Zealand Conservation Authority, a member of the Canterbury Water Management Committee, Lyttelton Port Company, director of the Canterbury Museum, and was a Kaumātua for Christchurch City Council.
As well as his time as chairperson of Koukourarata, Crofts was a former chairperson of the Tūtehuarewa Māori Komiti, Port Levy Māori Komiti, and Te Ngāi Tūāhuriri Rūnanga.
Crofts, who died in the early hours of Monday, was being taken to Tūtehuarewa Marae, where a service will be held for him tomorrow.