October 27, 2015
Ngatiwai keen to have say on coastal management
The relationship between Ngatiwai and the sea will loom large as the Norhtland iwi enters negotiations on its historic claims.
The crown on Friday recognised the mandate of the Ngatiwai Trust Board to move straight to negotiations, bypassing a Waitangi Tribunal inquiry.
Chair Haydn Edmonds says it has been a three-year process to secure the mandate, and it’s an opportunity to reaffirm the iwi’s culture and history as well as develop its people economically.
He says the mana of Ngatiwai comes from the sea, which sustains its marae from Rakaumangamanga Cape Brett in the north to Tawharanui Peninsula and out to Aotea Great Barrier.
"Our hapu are looking for autonomy to act and to make responsible choices in their tribal base. We have a long coastline. It has not been left by our people so that continuous ownership of the coast is something we feel is an opportunity for us to settle with the crown," Mr Edmonds says.
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