Three central North Island iwi will gather at Parliament this week to witness the third reading of the bill to settle their claims against breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi.

Representing the three iwi, Te Korowai o Wainuiārua Trust says the final reading marks a pivotal step in addressing the historical grievances of Tamahaki, Tamakana and Uenuku (ki Manganui-o-te-Ao, nā Tūkaihoro).

“The third reading is a critical moment,” said the Trust.

The presence of tribal members at Parliament would serve as a powerful symbol of the strength and resilience of the people, the Trust said.

More than 150 members of the three iwi – represented collectively in the settlement process as Te Korowai o Wainuiārua – will travel to Parliament with their supporters on March 6, for the final reading of the Te Korowai o Wainuiārua Claims Settlement Bill.

The reading at 10am on Thursday is the final step in the Bill’s passage through Parliament and marks the end of the legislative process for treaty settlement.

If the Bill passes the third reading, it is sent to the Governor-General for royal assent. Once royal assent is given, the Bill becomes law.

Te Korowai o Wainuiārua Trust – the post-settlement governance entity for the three iwi – will throw a celebration in Raetihi in May to mark settlement.

“For those who were unable to confirm attendance, this event will provide an opportunity for whānau to come together and celebrate this significant milestone.”

The tribal area of interest is about 613,000 hectares centring on Waimarino in the central North Island. It includes large sections of the Whanganui and Tongariro National Parks, the central to upper Whanganui River area, and National Park township.

The area overlaps with the areas of interest of eight other iwi groupings: Ngāti Maru (Taranaki), Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Mōkai Pātea, Ngaa Rauru Kiitahi, Ngāti Maniapoto, Whanganui Land Settlement, Ngāti Rangi and Ngāti Hāua.

The bill gives effect to a deed of settlement signed in Raetihi on 29 July 2023 to settle historical Treaty of Waitangi claims.

Part 1 of the bill includes an historical account and the Crown’s apology and acknowledgements of historical grievances, including war in Whanganui that forced ancestors into conflict with their own kin, as well as Crown purchasing and the failure to make and protect tribal reserves.

The Crown acquired land for public works including for hydroelectric generation, defence, and to build the North Island main trunk railway, leaving Te Korowai o Wainuiārua virtually landless.

The Crown also acquired land that would become the Tongariro and Whanganui National Parks and large areas of land had been subsumed into the conservation estate.

As a result of Crown acts and omissions, the iwi suffered social and economic deprivation, the decline of te reo Māori and fragmentation of tribal structures.

Part 2 of the bill provides for cultural redress, including statutory acknowledgements over 22 areas and deeds of recognition over 13 areas, changes to five official place names, vesting of 19 cultural redress properties (including three jointly with other iwi) and provisions for iwi involvement in the Tongariro-Taupō Conservation Board and development of the Tongariro-Taupō Conservation Management Strategy.

Part 3 of the bill provides for commercial redress, including the transfer of commercial redress properties and deferred selection properties.

The properties include a former prison site at Waikune and Crown forest land at Erua.

The Bill will also provide the iwi a right of first refusal over certain lands.

The deed of settlement includes financial and commercial redress totalling $21.7 million, cultural redress including agreements and letters of introduction to a range of government agencies, and cultural revitalisation funding of $6.85 million.

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