A technical adviser to the Ngāpuhi settlement process says the crown is likely to wait until some clear direction emerges from within the tribe on where it wants to go next.
Various groups have held hui over the summer to discuss next steps after last year’s Tūhono process was unable to gather sufficient support to resume talks by modifying the existing mandate.
Willie Te Aho expects Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Minister Andrew Little to adopt a wait and see approach until at least March.
He says while there are many calling for direct negotiations with individual hapū clusters, that may not be an option the Government is ready for at this stage.
"In the last Census in 2013 125,000 people said 'I am Ngāpuhi.' They weren't saying 'I'm just Hokianga or I'm just Whangaroa or i'm just Ngāti Hine.' They said "I am Ngāpuhi.' And so if you are relying on a settlement for Ngāpuhi it has to look and feel like a Ngāpuhi settlement rather than an individual hapū going out for themselves," Mr Te Aho says.
He says while many people may have been united in opposition to the Tūhoronuku mandate, they each did so for different reasons.
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