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Waikato iwi Ngāti Haua gathered today at Rukumoana Marae in Morrinsville to sign the deed settling their historic treaty claims.
The settlement includes an apology for breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi in relation to the Crown’s invasion of the Waikato, commercial redress of $13 million and the return of a number of culturally significant properties.
Negotiator, Willie Te Aho, says the iwi has shown great leadership after tabling its proposal for a fast-track settlement in December.
"And clearly we were on the mark, because that's what's been converted to a deed of settlement. You need to have confidence that you're doing the right thing, and once you have got unity and clear expectations, the next stage is to go through the process and that can be done very quickly once you have got the first two ingredients locked down, you need to have the skilled technical people who're able to deliver on the aspirations of the tribe and work within, or around, the Crown framework," he says.
Mr Te Aho says says the date of the signing was chosen because on 18 July, 1865, the first tumuaki or kingmaker, Wiremu Tamehana, filed a petition calling for an independent arbitration into the actions of the Crown.
Copyright © 2013, UMA Broadcasting Ltd
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