Te Rūnanga-ā-Iwi o Ngāti Kahu
Land Claims Report for March-April 2020
1. Waitangi Tribunal – preparing claims for hearing
2. National Iwi Chairs Forum – Pandemic Response Group
Summary
• The Waitangi Tribunal has directed that all claims it has registered throughout the Muriwhenua district that have not been extinguished by settlements are to be heard.
• Mike Smith has been leading the National Iwi Chairs Forum Pandemic Response Groups work to keep Māori safe from COVID-19 and to be decision-makers at this time.
1. Waitangi Tribunal – preparing claims for hearing
As a result of the judicial conference of the Waitangi Tribunal held at Taipā on 24 February, the judge has decided that she will inquire into and make findings on all claims that have been registered throughout the Muriwhenua district – not just the Ngāti Kahu claims. She has also decided that each of the claims must be progressed by the individual claimants. Many of those claims have been either fully or partially extinguished by the settlements entered into by other iwi. There are a large number that are still to be heard.
I have attached detailed advice from Te Kani Williams, our solicitor, explaining this decision and what claimants need to do to prepare for hearings. He also explains my WAI 2214 claim which will cover all Ngāti Kahu claims not lodged by the 2008 cut-off date for historical claims. We captured as many of those claims as we knew about in our 2017 book Ngāti Kahu: Portrait of a Sovereign Nation. It is now a matter of urgency that people advise us of any other claims relating to pre-1992 that they wish to have heard so we can include them in WAI 2214.
Te Kani is holding a zhui (zoom hui) on Friday 24 April at 2pm for all those whose claims are being progressed by the Rūnanga.
2. National Iwi Chairs – Pandemic Response Group
Ānahera has been issuing regular updates on the huge amount of work that has gone into looking after whānau and hapū of Ngāti Kahu and of Te Taitokerau during the COVID-19 pandemic. We have been extremely grateful for the collaborations and cooperation that has been possible in order to try and stop COVID-19 reaching us, and, if it does, to stop it from becoming an epidemic in our rohe.
At the national level, Mike Smith from Whangaroa moved very quickly when we went into the COVID-19 lockdown to ensure that Māori had sufficient information and high-quality advice to be in decision-making roles during the fight against the pandemic and the recovery period. Several years ago, he made a documentary on what would happen during a pandemic and he knew what was coming. National Iwi Chairs Forum appointed him and Debbie Ngārewa-Packer as co-chairs of the Pandemic Response Group. They have been drawing in the expertise of health professionals, modellers and statisticians, economists and business experts as well as meeting daily with ministers and/or government officials.
I have attached just two of the many newsletters they have issued which always contain excellent information and directions on how to protect Māori from COVID-19.
Ko te tumanako, e noho haumaru ana tātou – stay safe, keep well, keep happy.
Professor Margaret Mutu
18 April 2020