Mōkai Pātea Nui Tonu takes next step towards settlement

The Mōkai Pātea Waitangi Claims Trust signed the Crown Expectations and Matters for Agreement at a ceremony held at Parliament on Monday 20 September.  Otherwise known as the ‘Terms of Negotiation’, this is a non-binding agreement setting out the ground rules for negotiation between the Crown and the four iwi of Ngāi Te Ohuake, Ngāti Hauiti, Ngāti Whitikaupeka and Ngāti Tamakōpiri.

“After the Crown recognised the mandate of the Claims Trust earlier this year, the Trust has spent a number of months working on drafting the terms, engaging with our iwi and gaining their support for the agreement,” says Trust Chair Utiku Potaka.

The signing ceremony was attended by a small delegation representing all four iwi of Mōkai Pātea Nui Tonu with the number of attendees being reduced due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Potaka signaled that signing the agreement was another significant milestone attained with the express aim of reaching settlement, stating “this is one more step that will help achieve our goal of settlement and eventually contributing to the ongoing development of our whānau, hapū, iwi, and marae.  We now look forward to the year ahead as we move into the negotiation phase”.

The Mōkai Pātea Waitangi Claims Trust has also been heavily involved in the Wai 2180 Waitangi Tribunal Taihape Inquiry having recently hosted hearings at Rātā in August to hear the Crown’s closing submissions.  Hearings conclude next month enabling the Trust to focus solely on the settlement phase.

You can read the Terms of Negotiation on the Documents page of this website or click here to read.