The return of land is a key element of a proposed settlement between Ngāti Maru - the only Taranaki iwi yet to settle - and the Crown.
Ngāti Maru lead negotiator Anaru Marshall. Photo: RNZ / Robin Martin
Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Maru is one step closer to doing a deal after initialling its Deed of Settlement with the Minister for Treaty Settlements, Andrew Little, over the weekend.
Lead negotiator Anaru Marshall said it was significant day for iwi members.
"Ngāti Maru have been in and out of negotiations or looking to settle with the Crown since the late '80s and so we've had several attempts at it and for one reason or another we haven't got there.
"Today some of the trustees involved in it reflected on how a lot of the people who were there at the beginning of this journey are no longer with us, so it's important that we can now bring this to a close."
The iwi rohe (tribal area) of Ngāti Maru stretches from the eastern side of Mt Taranaki to the source of the Waitara River, across to the Heao Stream and down to the Whanganui River and back across the Matemateāonga Ranges to Stratford.
In 1865, the iwi had 220,000 hectares of land, the vast majority of which was illegally confiscated by the Crown or sold through dubious deals done without the permission of iwi members.
Marshall said the return of land was a significant component of the proposed settlement.
"Ngāti Maru, we started with 220,000 hectares in our tribal estate. That's over the years whittled down to less than 900 hectares, so land is a big thing for us and they'll be a number of key sites that are returned to us through cultural redress and there are also other important sites that will be coming back to us as well, for example Te Wera Forest and that's a big one for us because we have a deep connection with that area. And areas around Tarata and Purangi as well."
That land includes Tarata and Matau School properties, part of Tarata cemetery and sections of conservation land. Three operational schools and the Stratford Police Station will be acquired and leased back to the Crown.
Te Kāhui Maru, the iwi's post settlement entity, will manage the land package.
The deal also includes a Crown apology and a $30 million financial redress.
Ngāti Maru initialling its of Deed of Settlement. Photo: Supplied
Initially the deed signals the end of negotiations and the beginning of the ratification process, where adult registered members of 3000-strong Ngāti Maru iwi will vote on whether or not to approve the settlement package.
Marshall said he was confident iwi members would back the deal which he hoped would be ratified by the end of the year.
"Before we started this journey we had a series of hui where we asked our people 'what is it you want back in the claim?' and land, of course, is a big thing, commercial redress. The $30 million will go a long way to setting up some options for our people.
"And from that time we've tried to build our claim about what those aspirations were so a lot of what we have achieve today and initialled today won't be a surprise to our people."
The Deed will be discussed with uri at Ratification Hui to be held in Waitara, New Plymouth, Auckland, Wellington and Taumarunui from mid-September and alternative online options to engage uri are also being considered.
Marshall said the iwi was also hoping to visit descendants in Auckland once the Covid-19 situation became clearer.
Ngāti Maru is the final iwi of Taranaki's eight tribes to complete its Treaty of Waitangi settlement. It is also part of the collective Taranaki Maunga negotiations.
Marshall said there would negotiations in the region would culminate with a Taranaki Maunga settlement.
"There's been a lot made about that Ngāti Maru is the last iwi to settle its claim, but our Treaty settlements won't be settled until the maunga is settled. We'll carry on with ours and go through the ratification process and what have you, but for all iwi of Taranaki there won't be settlement until we settle that maunga claim."