October 15, 2014
Hokianga hapu put gripes to crown
Hokianga hapu have met with crown officials today to express their continuing concerns over the process being used to frast track negotiations for a settlement of Ngapuhi's historic claims.
Crown-appointed negotiator Nigel Fyfe and Office of Treaty Settlements director Maureen Hickey attended the hui at Mangamuka.
Rudy Taylor from Hokianga o Nga Hapu Whanau says the Waitangi Tribunal's decision to hold an urgent hearing into the granting of a mandate to Ngapuhi Runanga-backed negotiating group Tuhoronuku has shown the extent of opposition in the north.
"The process that the crown has delivered the mandate is absolutely flawed. We want to put things aside to sit around the table and look at the better process that we actually said will work for us within hapu whanau. You can't have one leg in one camp and then push the hapu, whanau to say "although we signed Te Tiriti, this is a new era.' Sorry, the shareholder and ownership rights still belong to the hapu whanau," he says.
Mr Taylor says the crown is deliberately undermining the Waitangi Tribunal's process to investigate claims.
FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH RUDY TAYLOR CLICK ON THE LINK
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