Te Rūnanga-ā-Iwi o Ngāti Kahu
Land Claims Report for September 2011
1. Hui-ā-iwi to discuss our return to Waitangi Tribunal – 25 August
2. Crown Informs Ngāti Kahu of Intention to Vest Certain Ngāti Kahu Lands in Other Iwi – 23 September
3. Waitangi Tribunal Issues Directions on Preliminary Matters – 21 September
Summary
Our hui-ā-iwi on 25 August was attended by Ngāti Kahu representatives and whānau from Ngāti Kurī/Ngāi Takoto and Whangaroa. We have since been contacted by Pat Tauroa in respect of the Maungahoutoa claim of Whangaroa. On 12 September a presiding judge was appointed and by 21 September he had issued directions in respect of preliminary matters. On 23 September we received a letter from the Minister of Treaty Negotiations headed up “Negotiations Confidential” detailing how he intends to vest several Ngāti Kahu lands that we share with other iwi in those other iwi. We have been informed that the other four iwi intend to initial deeds of settlement in Wellington on or sometime near 15 October. We have not seen any of those deeds.
1. Hui-ā-iwi to discuss our return to Waitangi Tribunal – 25 August
Good, positive discussion took place at our hui-ā-iwi as we delved into the pros and cons of returning to the Waitangi Tribunal for binding recommendations. Whānau from Ngāti Kurī/Ngāi Takoto and from Whangaroa also asked a number of questions, several relating to their own claims. We covered a lot of ground, and hope that whānau and marae representatives are able to take the discussion back to their marae.
After the hui we received a message from Pat Tauroa concerning claims we share with Ngāti Kahu ki Whangaroa. These include Kohumaru and Ōtangaroa. We have asked for a meeting with Pat to discuss these issues.
Our communications manager, Te Ikanui Kingi-Waiaua, conducted several interviews on our weekly Ngāti Kahu radio show (Wednesday nights at 7pm on Te Reo Irirangi o Te Hiku o Te Ika) going over the ground we covered in the hui so that those who didn’t attend could follow the progress of our claims.
2. Crown Informs Ngāti Kahu of Intention to Vest Certain Ngāti Kahu Lands in Other Iwi – 23 September (letter attached)
Last month I reported a letter received from Chris Finlayson instructing us to comply with Crown deadlines about providing information relating to the settlement of the other four iwi. We advised Pat Snedden that the crown knows that we are not in negotiations and that they cannot order us around. We would answer when we are ready, which will probably be in the Waitangi Tribunal.
On 23 September we received another letter from Chris Finlayson telling us that he has decided how deal with our claims. It shows that Finlayson is intent on stamping his whim, will and purported authority on all iwi including Ngāti Kahu, effectively telling us that he, rather than the claimants, has decided how he will extinguish (rather than settle) all our claims. He has ignored the Waitangi Tribunal, and the extensive and detailed information provided by Ngāti Kahu over the past 27 years. His letter simply confirms what officials had been trying to impose for many years now. We will be referring his letter to the Tribunal.
The lands of Ngāti Kahu he has said he intends to vest in other iwi include Rangiāniwaniwa (kura kaupapa and airport), Te Make (the Sweetwater farm), Te Hiku forest lands as far north as Hukatere, several properties in Kaitāia, and several properties in Takahue. He has withdrawn a number of properties altogether saying the Crown wants to keep them (presumably to sell). In particular a number of Kaitāia properties included in either Te Rarawa’s or Ngāti Kahu’s AIPs are now not included in the ever-shortening list of lands being transferred.
We have been informed by a reliable source that the other four iwi intend to initial deeds of settlement to extinguish their claims (which will include extinguishing many of ours) with the next few weeks. We have been unable to confirm this but the date given was 15 October or somewhere near that date. The source informs us that this will not take place in Te Hiku o Te Ika, but rather in Wellington. We have been unable to find out whether whānau and marae have been permitted to see the deeds of settlement that are about to be initialed by their negotiators.
3. Waitangi Tribunal Issues Directions on Preliminary Matters – 21 September
On 12 September the Waitangi Tribunal advised that they had appointed Judge S J Clark as the presiding officer for the renewed hearings of the Muriwhenua Land Claims. On 21 September the judge issued directions that all claimants registered for the Muriwhenua Land Claims along with the mandated representatives of Te Rarawa, Ngāti Kurī, Ngāi Takoto and Te Aupōuri, be notified of Ngāti Kahu’s application for binding recommendations. If they wish to respond they must do so by 12 October. The crown has directed these four iwi to oppose us vigorously in the Tribunal. The crown did finally respond to the Tribunal on 26 August saying that it is strongly opposed to Ngāti Kahu.
The crown must respond by 19 October to all responses received by 7 October. We are directed to respond by 26 October to everything received by 19 October.
Professor Margaret Mutu
27 September 2011