Ngāti Ruapani mai Waikaremoana and the Crown have signed a Deed of Settlement for historical Treaty claims dating back to 1866, at Waikaremoana in Te Urewera.
Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith was in attendance.
Ngāti Ruapani mai Waikaremoana Chair, Kara Puketapu-Dentice, said the deed acknowledges a history of invasion and land loss.
“Waikaremoana, like other parts of Te Urewera, carries a complex and deeply painful history,” he said.
“The hapū of Waikaremoana and the wider Te Urewera experienced invasion, displacement, and the systematic loss of land and livelihood.”
The deed records a historical account, acknowledgements and an apology for Crown breaches, including armed attacks on kāinga at Te Kōpani in 1866, scorched earth tactics that caused displacement and starvation, and the coerced acquisition of about 178,000 acres of land under threat of confiscation.
By 1895, the hapū of Waikaremoana were virtually landless.
“We welcome the opportunity to formally acknowledge this history and bring closure to a process that has required our people to repeatedly recount these experiences,” Mr Puketapu-Dentice said.
“That is the significance of today. It allows us to recognise the truth of what occurred, while creating space for future generations to focus on rebuilding and renewal.”
The settlement includes $24 million in financial and commercial redress, the return of culturally significant sites, and the return of conservation land at Turi-o-Kahu, restoring a presence at Onepoto.
“This settlement provides a foundation for the hapū of Waikaremoana, alongside other Tūhoe hapū, to restore their presence and strengthen their communities,” Mr Puketapu-Dentice said.
“It creates opportunities to support housing, improve health and wellbeing, and enable development that reflects the aspirations of our people.”
Minister Goldsmith said the agreement followed six years of negotiations.
“We have reached a long-awaited agreement that acknowledges the past and looks to a stronger future,” he said.
“It is a privilege to sign the Deed and deliver the Crown apology to Ngāti Ruapani in their rohe.
“A key feature of the settlement is the return of Crown-owned land into Te Urewera, reflecting a central aspiration of Ngāti Ruapani to restore their connection with Te Urewera,” he said.
“The settlement includes an agreed historical account and redress for historical breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi, which caused significant harm to generations of Ngāti Ruapani,” says Goldsmith.
The redress package also includes an undivided half share of Patunamu Forestry Ltd, four commercial redress properties, two cultural redress properties, and about 12,000 hectares of land added into Te Urewera.
“While no settlement can fully remedy the injustices of the past, this agreement represents an important step forward. I hope it will support Ngāti Ruapani to achieve their cultural and economic aspirations for future generations to come,” says Goldsmith.
The settlement will take effect once the settlement legislation has been enacted by Parliament.
