The negotiator for a Marlborough iwi says the size of its settlement with the Crown acknowledges the tough economic times.
Rangitane signed off on its $25 million package at Omaka marae near Blenheim on Saturday.
Richard Bradley told Waatea News that's a fraction of what the iwi lost in pre-1865 land transactions, when the Crown ignored its customary rights in favour of other tribes, but it was a tough time to negotiate.
He says Rangitane sees the settlement as a platform for its future development.