Treaty Negotiations Minister Chris Finlayson is welcoming the Ngapuhi tribal board to conclude the tribe's historical Treaty claims with the Government.
Chris Finlayson. Photo: RNZ
Tuhoronuku Iwi Mandated Authority, or TIMA, held fresh elections to ensure the newly- independent body represented widely the views of Ngapuhi members in Treaty settlement negotiations with the Crown.
Mr Finlayson said the Crown agreed to recognise the Tuhoronuku mandate under several conditions, including developing a plan that recognises specific hapu interests.
He said he welcomes the new faces who have joined TIMA as a result of the election and wishes them well with the challenges ahead.
The trustees are made up of 15 hapu representatives, spread evenly between the five regions of Ngapuhi's rohe, four urban representatives, a kuia representative, a kaumatua representative, and one member appointed by Te Runanga o Ngapuhi.
The election process has caused animosity in the north, where many hapu are still having their claims heard by the Waitangi Tribunal.
They resent the push by the Ngapuhi runanga to negotiate the settlement.