April 09, 2019
Ngātiwai puts up barrier to Hauraki claim
Northland iwi Ngātiwai says the crown is creating new grievances by granting settlement redress on Aotea Great Barrier to iwi within Hauraki.
Ngātiwai claims committee head Aperahama Edwards gave evidence to the Waitangi Tribunal’s Hauraki overlapping claims hearing yesterday, and iwi chair Haydn Edwards was in the hot seat this morning.
Mr Edwards told Radio Waatea host Dale Husband the only mana whenua groups resident on the island are Ngāti Rēhua and Ngātiwai ki Aotea.
"There’s no other mana whenua group undertaking tikanga practices on Aotea. Our haukainga whānau that still live over there and tend to our wāhi tapu, our burial grounds, our marae, they are hurt and outraged at what is taking place. It's unbelievable really that in this day and age we are still having these types of issues," he says.
Under cross examination at this morning’s hearing, Haydn Edmonds conceded Hauraki iwi Ngāti Maru had historical interests on Aotea, and its bones were buried alongside Ngātiwai.
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