It is a historic day for Ngāti Paoa today as they sign their deed of settlement with the Crown.
Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Andrew Little Photo: RNZ / Dom Thomas
Descendants and members of the Crown gathered at Wharekawa marae in Whakatīwai for the signing today.
The iwi will receive redress that includes the return of 12 sites of cultural significance and financial and commercial redress valued at $23.5 million.
The Deed of Settlement includes an apology from the Crown to Ngāti Paoa for its failure to protect them from the rapid alienation of land in the decades following the signing of te Tiriti o Waitangi, the loss of life and the devastation caused by hostilities, and the enactment of laws and policies that have led to the loss of whenua and te reo Māori.
"The Crown seeks to atone for these injustices and hopes that through this settlement it can rebuild the relationship that it established with Ngāti Paoa in 1840, begin the process of healing and enter a new age of co-operation and partnership," Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Andrew Little said.
There are more than 3500 members and it is part of the Hauraki, Marutūāhu and Tāmaki collectives.
"The Crown acknowledges that until today it has failed to deal with the long-standing grievances of Ngāti Paoa and that recognition of, and redress for, these grievances is long overdue," Little said.
The settlement redress will be administered by the Ngāti Paoa Iwi Trust, the post-settlement governance entity, elected by iwi members.
Trust chairman Glen Tupuhi said: "This has been a long and arduous journey for Ngāti Paoa that we are not yet at the end of, however this signing draws a line in the sand with the Crown and enables us to start rebuilding our estate, and our cultural and economic legacy."
He said the work was ongoing.
"We still have other parts of our settlement we are working through, but this is a defining moment in our history."
The signing of the Deed of Settlement brings an end to previous governance and management arrangements and the negotiation of the claim.
Ngati Paoa acknowledged the former board and chair Gary Thompson, negotiators Hauaru Rawiri and Morehu Wilson, chief executive Haydn Solomon and key commercial advisor Daniel Karehana, whose commercial acumen was invaluable in maximising the Ngati Paoa package.
"Ngati Paoa is deeply grateful to all those that got us to this point, it is now for us to heal the wounds of this process and move forward together."