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A Whakatōhea negotiator says division within the eastern Bay of Plenty iwi over a proposed $100 million settlement is a reminder of the need to take time to explain what is being done.
Maui Hudson says work continued through the lockdown through social media on designing the post-settlement governance entity, and hapū hui will resume next month.
Winning agreement from the crown for a parallel process went a long way towards clearing away obstacles, as it means people can tell their history to the Waitangi Tribunal while negotiators continue to nail down the details of settlement.
He says no one gets a veto.
"The process of treaty settlements forces people to make decisions and at the end of the day it will be what the majority of the iwi feels is the right thing to do if they are happy with the package put in front of them and the direction we are pointing towards, they will ratify the decision and we will continue. That doesn't mean people who weren't comfortable with it aren't still our whānau, and we have to work out how we all live together and work together for the betterment of us all," Mr Hudson says.
He says the COVID-19 lockdown highlighted how many whānau around Ōpōtiki are living close to the breadline.
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