Wellington 17th August 2023: Today marked a significant milestone towards reconciliation and justice of what the Waitangi Tribunal has found to be “among the worst Treaty breaches in this country’s history”. The Treaty Settlement Bill for Te Whakatōhea received its inaugural reading in the halls of Parliament today.

The occasion was met with a palpable sense of anticipation and hope, as representatives from Te Whakatōhea, government officials, and dignitaries gathered to witness this pivotal moment in history. The proposed settlement holds the promise of addressing historical grievances and forging a path towards a stronger and more harmonious future for all parties involved.

Vaughan Payne, chair of the post settlement governance entity Te Tāwharau o Te Whakatōhea, says it is significant to be in parliament 158 years after the Crown waged war on Te Whakatōhea (September 1865).

” Getting here today has been a very long struggle. The struggle started over 100 years ago when our tīpuna commenced the first of numerous petitions to Parliament seeking inquiries into the wrongs inflicted on us.

“I acknowledge those who are no longer physically with us. Those who suffered and sought justice for the atrocities inflicted by the Crown on our whānau, hapū and Iwi over the past 150 years. We are thinking of you, you are in our hearts” says Vaughan.

At dawn yesterday, a bus and a van filled with both elders (pakeke) and youth (rangatahi) embarked on a 10-hour hīkoi (journey) from Ōpōtiki to Wellington. More than 100 whānau members of Te Whakatōhea made the journey to sit in the parliamentary gallery, bearing witness to this inaugural legislative moment.

The deed of settlement includes financial redress of $100 million, 5000 ha of marine space reserved exclusively for Te Whakatōhea, the transfer of 33 sites as cultural redress, 51 sites as commercial redress, relationship agreements with various Crown agencies, first right to buy Crown lands in the future and recognition by the Crown of the Treaty breaches, and a formal apology for those breaches.

“We look forward to a future where Whakatōhea can return to prosperity and moving together in a spirit of good faith and partnership. We look forward to the Crown rebuilding and honouring the trust that our rangatira had they signed Te Tiriti o Ōpōtiki, 183 years ago.”

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