September 10, 2019
Ngāti Hine defy signals to stay on Ngāpuhi course
Ngāti Hine is heading out on the road seeking a mandate to negotiate outside the Ngāpuhi settlement process, despite clear signals the government is unwilling to accept a split.
Spokesperson Pita Tipene says the Te Ara Kōpuni roadshow will be lauched at Ōtiria Marae on Saturday.
They're fundraising to get around the country as the government refuses to pay up, despite spending millions on the failed Tūhoronuku process.
He says while he has great respect for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Minister Andrew Little, he is constrained by government policy.
"The most recent letter from Andrew Little is basically saying 'we want to keep you within the yard of the big Ngāpuhi settlement,' and reading between the lines 'we're not going to let you go out on your own.' Very disappointing, very frustrating, but we're going to keep optimistic and keep moving ahead. We're going to keep holding raffles, fundraisers, and we're going to pull together the money so we can pay for our own fares if not pay for it ourselves," Mr Tipene says.
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