April 15, 2013
Crown apologises for Ngāti Rarua devastation
Top of the South iwi Ngāti Rarua can now move forward after signing an $11 million treaty settlement.
More than 300 people gathered at Wairau Pā near Blenheim on Saturday to witness Treaty Negotiations Minister Christopher Finlayson deliver a formal apology for Crown actions that left the tribe virtually landless by the late 19th century.
He said that it had a devastating impact on the social and the cultural wellbeing of the people of Ngāti Rarua and that continues to be seen today.
The iwi will be able to buy Crown forestry land near Nelson, and it also has its interests recognised in key sites including the Wairau Bar and lagoons, Kaka Pt and Te Tai Tapu.
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