Formal apology to Te Uri O Hau

The Prime Minister has today formally delivered the Crown’s apology for breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi to Northland hapu grouping Te Uri o Hau, at Otamatea Marae near Maungaturoto in Northland. The formal apology is a key part of Te Uri o Hau’s Treaty settlement with the Crown.

Helen Clark marked the occasion by presenting totara plaques engraved with the apology in English and Maori, for the four main Te Uri o Hau marae.

“The sense of closure that a settlement brings is important to both the Crown and claimants, and delivering the Crown’s apology in person marks its significance,” said Helen Clark.

“That is why a formal apology has been included in settlements.”

Treaty Settlements Minister Margaret Wilson said the apology and settlement meant that Te Uri o Hau and the Crown could now look forward to building the future, having settled the past.

The Te Uri o Hau historical claims were settled with the passage of legislation in 2002 and payment of $15 million. The terms of the apology were agreed in the settlement.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

Te Uri o Hau and the Crown signed a Deed of Settlement in December 2000. The settlement is made up of a package that includes:

An apology from the Crown for past dealings that breached the crown's obligations under the Treaty of Waitangi; Cultural redress, which recognizes Te Uri o Hau traditional historical, cultural and spiritual association with places and sites owned by the Crown within the Te Uri o Hau area of interest; Commercial redress, which includes a combination of cash and Crown-owned land up to a value of $15.6 million. Among the properties which Te Uri o Hau have selected are two on which Crown licensed Forests are located. Te Uri o Hau will receive the accumulated rentals from these forests. Two Crown apologies have been delivered in person in the past.

In November 1998, Jenny Shipley delivered the Crown’s apology to Ngäi Tahu at Onuku Marae, on Banks Peninsula. Treaty Settlements Minister Margaret Wilson delivered the other last June, to Ngati Ruanui near Hawera.

A Crown apology is a standard part of a treaty settlement. In November 1995, the Queen gave the royal assent to legislation that contained the first Crown apology - to Waikato-Tainui.

Te Uri o Hau is a Northland hapü grouping of Ngäti Whatua, numbering approximately 6,000, whose area of interest is located in the Northern Kaipara region. Their claims relate to the actions of the Crown in reviewing land purchases prior to 1840, Crown purchases prior to 1865, the operations of the native land laws in the 19th century and land administration structures and practices in the 20th century. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS BY THE CROWN The Crown acknowledges Te Uri o Hau Historical Claims and the breaches of Te Tiriti o Waitangi/the Treaty of Waitangi and its principles by the Crown in relation to Te Uri o Hau Historical Claims as follows:

(a) The Crown recognises that Te Uri o Hau endeavoured to preserve and strengthen their relationship with the Crown. In particular, the early land transactions for settlement purposes contributed to development of New Zealand and affirmed the loyalty of Te Uri o Hau to the Crown;

(b) The Crown acknowledges that the benefits that Te Uri o Hau expected to flow from this relationship were not always realised. Early land transactions and twentieth century land development, including the Tai Tokerau Maori District Land Board and the Maori Affairs development schemes initiated in the 1930s, did not provide the economic opportunities and benefits that Te Uri o Hau expected;

(c) The Crown acknowledges that the process used to determine the reparation for the plunder of a store, which led Te Uri o Hau chiefs and others to cede land at Te Kopuru as punishment for the plunder, was prejudicial to Te Uri o Hau. The Crown acknowledges that its actions may have caused Te Uri o Hau to alienate lands that they wished to retain and that this was a breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi/the Treaty of Waitangi and its principles;

(d) The Crown acknowledges that a large amount of Te Uri o Hau land has been alienated since 1840 and that it failed to provide adequate reserves for the people of Te Uri o Hau. The Crown also acknowledges that it did not ensure that there was sufficient protection from alienation for the few reserves that were provided. This failure by the Crown to set aside reserves and protect lands for the future use of Te Uri o Hau was a breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi/the Treaty of Waitangi and its principles;

(e) The Crown acknowledges that the operation and impact of the Native land laws (including the laws governing the operation of the Validation Court) had a prejudicial effect on those of Te Uri o Hau who wished to retain their land and that this was a breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi/the Treaty of Waitangi and its principles. The Crown also acknowledges that the awarding of reserves exclusively to individual Te Uri o Hau made those reserves subject to partition, succession and fragmentation, which had a prejudicial effect on Te Uri o Hau; and

(f) The Crown acknowledges that this loss of control over land has prejudiced Te Uri o Hau and hindered the economic, social and cultural development of Te Uri o Hau. It has also impeded their ability to exercise control over their taonga and wahi tapu and maintain and foster spiritual connections to their ancestral lands.

CROWN’S APOLOGY The Crown apologises to the ancestors of Te Uri o Hau and to their descendants for the breaches of Te Tiriti o Waitangi/the Treaty of Waitangi and its principles acknowledged above. The Crown unreservedly apologises and profoundly regrets that its actions, in failing to preserve sufficient lands for Te Uri o Hau, have had pervasive and enduring consequences, resulting in Te Uri o Hau losing control over the majority of their lands.

NGA WHAKAAETANGA NA TE KARAUNA E whakaae ana te Karauna ki nga Tono Mai o-Mua a Te Uri o Hau ki nga takahi hoki a te Karauna ki te Tiriti o Waitangi me ona matapono, e whai panga ana ki nga Tono Mai o-Mua a Te Uri o Hau na enei e whai ake nei:

(a) E mohio ana te Karauna i tohea e Te Uri o Hau ki te tohuhanga me te whakapakari ake i to ratou hononga tahi me te Karauna. Ko te tino take, ko nga hokonga whenua tomua mo nga take nohonga tangata i pa atu ki te whakahiatonga o Aotearoa, a, e whakatau ana hoki i te piringa o Te Uri o Hau ki te Karauna;

(b) E whakaae ana te Karauna kihei i tino tutuki nga huanga i tumanakotia e Te Uri o Hau mai i tenei hononga. Kihei nga hokonga whenua tomua me nga hiatonga whenua o nga rautau rua tekau i whakaputa i nga whiwhinga me nga hua a-ohaoha kia rite ki era i tumanakohia ai e Te Uri o Hau. I pera ano hoki nga kaupapa a te Poari Whenua a-Rohe Maori o Te Tai Tokerau me te Tari Maori mo te hiatonga;

(c) E whakaae ana te Karauna ko te hatepe i whakamahia hei whakatau i te paremata mo te murunga o tetahi toahoko, i whakahau ai nga rangatira o Te Uri o Hau me etahi atu ki te tuku whenua i Te Kopuru hei whiutanga mo te murunga, he haukoti ki a Te Uri o Hau. E whakaae ana te Karauna tera pea na ana mahi i huri ai Te Uri o Hau ki te tuku i nga whenua i hiahia ke ratou ki te pupuri, a, he takahi hoki tenei i te Tiriti o Waitangi me ona matapono;

(d) E whakaae ana te Karauna he nui te rarangi whenua i tukuna mai i 1840, a, kihei ia i whakarite i nga whenua rahui kia tau mo nga tangata o Te Uri o Hau. E whakaae ana ano te Karauna kihei ia i whakapumau mena kua whakaritea kia tau te aukati mai i te rironga o nga whenua rahui torutoru i whakaritea. Ko tenei hapa a te Karauna ki te whakarite i nga whenua rahui me te tiaki whenua hei whakamahi ma Te Uri o Hau amuri ake, he takahi i te Tiriti o Waitangi me ona matapono;

(e) E whakaae ana te Karauna ko te whakahaere me te rara o nga ture whenua Maori (me era ture e here ana i te whakahaere o te Koti Whakaritetanga) i pa he whakawhiutanga ki era o Te Uri o Hau i hiahia ke ki te pupuri i o ratou whenua, a, he takahi tenei i te Tiriti o Waitangi me ana matapono. E whakaae ana ano te Karauna na te whakawhiwhinga o nga whenua rahui matua ki nga hunga takitahi o Te Uri o Hau ka whakaritea aua whenua rahui kia pa atu ki te whakawehe, te tukunga me te haehaetanga, i pa ai he whakawhiutanga ki runga i a Te Uri o Hau; a

(f) E whakaae ana te Karauna na tenei rironga o te mana whakahaere mo te whenua i whakawhiuhia ai a Te Uri o Hau, a, i whakararuhia te whakahiatotanga ohanga, papori me te ahureanga o Te Uri o Hau. I whakararu ano hoki tenei i to ratou mana ki te whakarite mana whakahaere mo a ratou taonga, nga wahi tapu me te pupuri hei whakau i to ratou hononga a-wairua ki o ratou whenua tuku iho.

TE TUKUHE A TE KARAUNA E tapae ana te Karauna i tona he ki nga tupuna o Te Uri o Hau me o ratou uri mo enei takahinga i Te Tiriti o Waitangi me ona matapono i tirohia i runga ake nei. E tino whakamomori ake ana te Karauna ki te tapae i tona he me te kaniawhea tonu ki ana mahi ki te kore e tohu kia tau nga whenua mo Te Uri o Hau, i pa ai te awenga me te tukunga iho waroa, ko te huanga mai ki te rarutanga o te mana whakahaere a Te Uri o Hau mo te nuinga o ona whenua.

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