photo: Delivered
Te Whakatōhea will sign their Deed of Settlement today exactly 183 years after the rangatira signed the Treaty of Waitangi.
The Eastern Gulf of Plenty Treaty settlement was one of the longest and most controversial, with an initial offer of $40 million rejected in 1996.
The claims process dragged on for a decade before restarting in the late 2010s.
This time, the Crown offered $100 million, 5,000 hectares of marine space and the return of 6,000 hectares of land, as well as cultural and commercial compensation.
At the end of last year, most iwi voted to accept the Crown’s offer of settlement.
But some members remain opposed to the settlement. Earlier this month one of the hapu, Ngati Ira, applied to the High Court in Wellington seeking interim orders to delay the signing of the deed.
After the murder of the missionary Karl Faulkner in 1865, the Crown invaded and sacked Roe Te Wakatohi, for which the Crown blamed Wakatohi – a claim that proved to be untrue.
A year later, the government confiscated 144,000 hectares in the Opotiki area, forcing the gapu to be used in resource-poor reserves and fueling conflict between iwi.
The Waitangi Tribunal called the Crown’s actions around Ōpōtiki “among the worst Treaty breaches in the history of this country”.
Graham Risterer, Chairman of the Whakatōhea Pre-Settlement Claims Trust.
photo: Delivered
Graham Risterer, chairman of the Whakatōhea Pre-Settlement Claims Trust, said the loss of land had a huge impact on people.
“This is a historic moment for Te Whakatōhea. The Crown drove our Tupuna from their lands and drove them to the Opape Reservation, severing our people’s connection with Uwenua through our rohe. This has led not only to the loss of our lands, but also their identity and connection to whenua.”
Risterer said the settlement will have long-term benefits that will affect future generations.
“The settlement will be transformative for Te Whakatohi. Our people are strong, but the settlement will provide more opportunities for our whanau and community – we will be able to invest in our people and the local economy.”
photo: Delivered
Treaty Negotiations Minister Andrew Little said the road to a settlement had been difficult and complex.
He said he recognized some iwi members were still concerned about the compensation package, but said now was the time for the Crown and iwi to look to the future together.
“This is really a starting point for a new relationship. The Crown is taking responsibility for what it has done, signing an indemnity and then committing to working in partnership with iwi for the future.”
The signing ceremony will take place in the Vitikau nature reserve in Opotiki. Whitikau was a significant site that would return to Te Whakatōhea in the settlement.