Ngāpuhi leaders in Te Tai Tokerau have called on the New Zealand Government to pause its Treaty settlement mandate process, with kaumātua and kuia describing the current approach as moving too quickly and not giving hapū enough time to make collective decisions consistent with tikanga.
The concerns were raised as Waitangi commemorations approach, with leaders arguing the process risks division rather than building a durable foundation for any eventual settlement.
“This mandate process is driving wedges between our people… We’ve been here before with Tūhoronuku, and we rejected it then for good reason. It ignores our tikanga and pressures whānau and hapū to fall into line rather than taking the time to build real agreement. That is not the Ngāpuhi way.” – Frances Goulton, a Ngāti Ruamahue kuia
The Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, Paul Goldsmith, has been central to the political debate, with a long-standing challenge for successive governments in attempting to reach agreement with Aotearoa’s largest iwi under a single, widely accepted mandate.
Mr Goldsmith indicated the government was open to dealing with multiple Ngāpuhi groupings to progress a settlement, reflecting how complex representation can be for large iwi with many hapū and regional structures.
“Ngāpuhi has proved to be a rather tough nut to crack for the Crown in terms of a settlement. The Waitangi Tribunal two years ago ruled in our favour, confirming we have never surrendered our rangatiratanga authority… Yet the Crown embarked upon a tortuous 10-year process, Tūhoronuku, trying to cajole and manipulate tribes in the north into these extinguishing deals. We refused, and that process collapsed. It divided communities and caused acrimony.” – Mike Smith, Tahawai kaumātua
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