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Meanwhile, the Waitangi Tribunal will today sit in judgment on whether it should order the Crown to hand over properties to Ngati Kahu.
The hearing at Kareponia Marae north of Kaitaia was sought by Te Runanga o Ngati Kahu after it walked out of the settlement negotiations being done alongside the other four Muriwhenua iwi.
Under protection mechanism set up after the lands and forest cases of the 1980s, the tribunal has to power determine the rightful owners of Crown forest land.
It can also order the Crown to buy back former state owned enterprise properties and hand them on to claimants.
The hearing brings the runanga into conflict with neighbouring iwi, who say the runanga is trying to grab assets in their rohe, and also with elements in Ngati Kahu who are unhappy with the way runanga chair Margaret Mutu has conducted the tribe’s affairs.
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