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New Zealand First MP Shane Jones says hapū zealots are abusing history in their battle to block a unified Ngāpuhi settlement.
Individual Ngāpuhi members have until December 7 to cast their vote on whether settlement talks should resume under and evolved mandate that allows hapū clusters to negotiate historical statements and cultural redress.
A majority of hapū must also endorse the evolved mandate at hui running until December 9.
Mr Jones says there is an element that would prefer a hapū by hapū approach to the whole settlement, but he believes they are a minority.
He says they have listed hapū that haven’t flourished since the time of the French Revolution.
"I think there’s one there, Ngāti Miru. they were pretty much exterminated by Hongi Hika's father. And therein lies the danger, when you try to exhume, in a political archaeological sense, segements of Māori history to fight modern day wars against your neighbours. It never ends well and I just know the hapu zealots, while they will have a place in the overarching settlement, it's the people, and that is the famous Taitokerau saying: 'He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tangata, he tangata' – 'what is the greatest thing? It is people. There are no famous whakatauaki that say it is a hapū, it is hapū.'" Mr Jones says.
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