November 14, 2018
Whakatōhea votes to continue settlement talks
Whakatōhea people have backed the continuation of direct negotiations to settle the Ōpōtiki-based iwi's historic claims.
There's a $100 million settlement offer on the table, but talks were suspended after a Waitangi Tribunal investigation into the mandate held by the Whakatōhea Pre-Settlement Claims Trust.
Negotiator Maui Hudson says while it's good to get 56 percent support, it's even better that almost a third of regisgtered members voted, compared with about 20 percent for the original mandate.
He says the consultation around the vote also highlighted how people want their stories told.
"I think most people saw a (Waitangi) Tribunal inquiry process as an avenue for making that happen. Now we are in this position where we can carry on with direct negotiations, we do need to sit down with our own people and with the crown and work out how we can make that happen, and that process should not be mutually exclusive of continuing with the negotiations and completing a settlement," Mr Hudson says.
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