Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu Iwi Ask Waitangi Tribunal to Intervene in Rush to Settlement

Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu claimants have asked the Waitangi Tribunal to intervene to halt the Treaty Settlement process for their Hauraki iwi.

The claimants seek to terminate the current settlement ratification process and provide an opportunity for their concerns to be heard before any further steps are taken. The Crown has refused to pause.

The claimants allege that the claimant group has heard nothing from the Crown for three years, and then had a rushed ratification of settlement process thrust upon them. They also claim that the Crown’s settlement policies are causing division and dissent from within the iwi.

The ratification process was announced on 14 July 2017, with the voting deadline less than a month later, 11 August 2017.

The claimants say that they are being coerced into a decision-making process that is of utmost importance to the future of their iwi, their marae, and their future generations. They are asking the Tribunal to recommend that the Crown stop and engage with the whole iwi before moving forward. They are also asking that the Crown update their entire Treaty settlement policy.

ENDS

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