Source: New Zealand Government
Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri and the Crown have signed an Agreement in Principle marking a significant milestone towards the settlement of their historical Treaty of Waitangi claims.
Ngāti Mutunga are based on Wharekauri/Chatham Islands and are the second of two iwi/imi to reach agreement with the Crown.
“Today’s signing follows many years of hard work and marks another step towards resolving the long-standing historical grievances with the Crown and restoring the Crown-Ngāti Mutunga ki Wharekauri relationship,” Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Minister Andrew Little said.
“Today is possible because of the ongoing commitment and unwavering determination of all those involved in negotiations from both Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri and the Crown.”
In the Agreement in Principle the Crown acknowledges that its annexation of Wharekauri in 1842 was carried out without any effort to consult with Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri, representing a profound failure to give appropriate recognition and respect to the mana and te tino rangatiratanga of Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri.
The Crown also acknowledges the operation and effects of the native land laws, in particular the awarding of land to individuals rather than to iwi or hapū. These and other Crown acts and omissions have caused Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri prejudice.
The Agreement in Principle outlines a broad settlement package, which includes financial redress of $13 million, the option to transfer culturally significant lands to Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri as cultural redress, and shared redress between Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri and Moriori.
“While no settlement can truly compensate for the past injustices Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri have endured, it is my sincere hope that today’s Agreement in Principle paves the way towards reaching a comprehensive settlement and enduring partnership between Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri and the Crown,” Andrew Little said.
Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri has a population of approximately 1,481 members and its area of interest is located on Wharekauri (the Chatham Islands).
A copy of the signed Agreement in Principle will be made available here.
Ka waitohu a Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri me te Karauna i te Whakaaetanga ā-Mātāpono
Kua oti i a Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri me te Karauna tētahi Whakaaetanga ā-Mātāpono te waitohu, he tohu o te ekenga o tētahi taumata nunui o te whakataunga o ā rātou kerēme Tiriti o Waitangi hītori.
Kei Wharekauri a Ngāti Mutunga e tau ana, ā, koinei te tuarua o ngā iwi/imi i oti ai tāna whakaaetanga me te Karauna.
“Ka whai te waitohutanga nei i ngā tau huhua i pau ai te kaha, ā, he tohu o tētahi atu pae kia tau ai ngā nawe hītori mau-roa ki te Karauna, me te whakakaha anō i te whakahoanga o te Karauna me Ngāti Mutunga ki Wharekauri,” i kī rā te Minita mō ngā Take Tiriti o Waitangi, a Andrew Little.
“Nā te titikaha roroa me te manawanui tūmau o ngā tāngata katoa i whai wāhi ki ngā whiriwhiringa kōrero, i te taha o Ngāti Mutunga me te taha o Karauna, i taea ai ēnei mahi i te rā nei.”
I roto i te Whakaaetanga ā-Mātāpono, ka arongia e te Karauna tāna tango o Wharekauri i te tau 1842, i oti rā me te kore noa e kōrero ki a Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri. He tohu tēnei o te korekore noa iho i āta whakamānawa, i āta whakaute i te mana me te tino rangatiratanga o Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri.
Ka arongia hoki e te Karauna ngā mahi me ngā pānga a ngā ture whenua Māori, inā koa rā te tukunga whenua ki te tangata takitahi, kaua ki te iwi, ki te hapū rānei. Nā ēnei, me ētahi atu mahi, ētahi atu aweretanga hoki a te Karauna, i pā ai te mate nui ki a Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri.
Ka whakamārama te Whakaaetanga ā-Mātāpono i te kete whakataunga whānui, tae atu ki te puretumu tauhoko, he $13 miriona te nui; te āheinga ki te whakawhiti ki a Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri i ētahi whenua whakahirahira hei puretumu ahurea; me te puretumu i whakatauria tahitia mā Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri me te imi Moriori.
“Ahakoa ka kore rawa e oti i tētahi whakataunga te whakatikatika ngā mahi hē o mua i pā ki a Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri, ko te tūmanako o tōku ngākau ia kia whakatakoto te Whakaaetanga ā-Mātāpono i tētahi huarahi i te rangi nei kia eke ai he whakataunga mātotoru, he whakahoanga pūmau hoki i waenga i a Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri me te Karauna,” te kī a Andrew Little.
Ko te tokorahi o ngā uri o Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri ko tōna 1,481, ā, kei Wharekauri te rohe pānga.
Hei konei whakairia ai te Whakaaetanga ā-Mātāpono i waitohua rā.
