Elder says Titewhai dishonouring Treaty

Waitangi elder Kingi Taurua has accused Ngapuhi kuia Titewhai Harawira of dishonouring the Treaty by siding with the iwi's runanga over settlements.

The veteran activist is supporting Tuhoronuku, the runanga board the Crown has chosen to negotiate with.

Mr Taurua led a hikoi of about 100 people through Whangarei escorted by police on Wednesday night which stopped traffic as marchers performed a mass haka at the Banks Street intersection.

He told the rally that the Crown should be negotiating with the hapu (sub-tribes), not Tuhoronuku.

Mr Taurua said he remembered the days when Mrs Harawira stood behind protest banners calling for the Crown to honour the Treaty.

He said by her present actions she was doing the exact opposite of that, and called on Mrs Harawira to honour the Treaty by returning to the hapu.

"You said the Government must honour the Treaty of Waitangi, then come back and do it. You are not honouring the Treaty by going to Tuhoronuku. Come back to the hapu."

The hikoi followed the cancellation of two mandate information hui in the north on Wednesday because of protest.

The sub tribes do not believe they will be fairly represented on the negotiating body and have accused chairperson Sonny Tau of being afraid to face up to the opposition in the north.

Mr Taurua - who is known for his fiery rhetoric - told the crowd the Treaty is not to be honoured he might as well smash the famous plinth on the Waitangi marae which has the words of the Treaty engraved on it in Maori and English.