A study is to be carried out into the way mining affects iwi.
A University of Canterbury researcher, Sarah Down, says she's exploring the legal issues and negotiations between tribes, corporations and the Crown, with a particular focus on Northland and Taranaki.
Ms Down says she wants to contribute to a wider understanding of how indigenous peoples take part in, or are excluded from, decisions over natural resources.
She says it's important to remember that many of the areas where mining has been proposed are places where there are few economic opportunities.