April 26, 2019
Census tale overrides hapū posture
A former technical advisor on the Ngāpuhi treaty settlement process says the iwi needs to find a way to stay together rather than fragmenting in a bid for individual hapū settlements.
Willie Te Aho advised negotiating body Tūhoronuku last year on ways to expand its mandate in a process that was defeated by a vocal campaign led by Ngāti Hine.
Now Ngāti Hine has announced plans to start a process aimed at securing a mandate for itself.
Mr Te Aho says the signals coming from last year’s exercise was Treaty Negotiations Minister Andrew Little is committed to getting all of Ngāpuhi over the line – and that’s also what census results seem to say.
"You’ve got 145,000 people at the very least across Australasia that said 'I am Ngāpuhi,' and I hope the people that are meeting will consider that and look at a way that all of Ngāpuhi get together," he says.
Mr Te Aho says his own iwi Te Whānau a Apanui, hapū have come together to work on an iwi-wide settlement, which strengthens the iwi in its discussions with the crown.
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