Friday 2 December, 2011
Explaining our position with the current Ngati Rangitihi whanau and hapu claims, in light of the recent Supreme Court findings that claimants rights cannot be extinguished by so called “iwi organisations”. Seventeen Ngati Rangitihi whanau and hapu claims are currently before the Waitangi Tribunal for urgent hearing to have lands and compensation returned to the original land owners and not Ngati Rangitihi general as what happened with Ruawhaia 2B.
Graham Pryor
Chairman
and
Nick Alexander
CEO
Te Mana o Ngāti Rangitihi Trust
3 Onewairere Place
PO Box 7 Matatā
NZ3168
Office of Treaty Settlements
SX10111
Level 3
The Vogel Centre
19 Aitken Street
Wellington
Hon Christopher Finlayson
Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations
Private Bag 18888
Parliament Buildings
Wellington 6160
18th November 2011
Tena korua
Re: Proposed settlement Mandate for Te Mana 0 Ngati Rangitihi Trust
1.We refer to the letter from Fay Rawson dated 25th October 2011 in relation to the proposed Treaty claims settlement mandating strategy for Te Mana o Ngati Rangitihi Trust (Te Mana).
2.We Ngati Rangitihi Raupatu Trust Incorporated (the Trust) advise you of our concerns in relation to the proposed manadating strategy.
3.As you are aware the Trust represents the claims and the claimants of seventeen of the twenty one or so Ngati Rangitihi historic Te Tiriti/Treaty Claims and as a consequence the Trust represents a substantial proportion of Ngati Rangitihi Hapu and Iwi.
4.We advise that our claims are currently in the Tribunal process and that we have recently engaged Legal Counsel for our Wai 996 Coastal and Inland blocks Urgent Remedies Tribunal Hearing.
5.Our claims are before the Tribunal because our Whanau and Hapu claimants believe it is in our best interests to seek Tribunal recommendations, binding resumption orders and Tribunal reports on our claims before embarking upon settlement negotiations with the Crown. You will be aware that there are significant manawhenua disputes both between neighbouring Iwi and between neighbouring hapu of Ngati Rangitihi. We consider that such disputes can only be resolved before an independent forum with established rules and procedures for determining disputes" such as the Waitangi Tribunal.
6.We advise that the Trust does not give Te Mana any mandate to settle our claims and that any actions or activities in relation to seeking a mandate prior to the Tribunals release of its findings, recommendations and reports in relation to all of our claims will be vigorously opposed by us as Claimants.
7.In this regard, you will be aware of the recent Haronga decision1 and the primary findings reached by the Supreme Court that claimants are entitled, as a matter to law, to have their claims heard and that no other entity is entitled to negotiate and extinguish those claims, without the consent of the claimant.
8.We would remind you that Te Mana is only mandated to act for the Iwi regarding the CNI Forest Settlement and not the settlement of the Ngati Rangitihi Historic Tiriti/Treaty claims.
9.A copy of this letter will be served on the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, the Office of Treaty Settlements and the Waitangi Tribunal.
10.We suggest to you that it may be useful to hold a meeting with ourselves and other affected claimants to discuss further.
Naku noa,
Andre Paterson
Chairman
Ngāti Rangitihi Raupatu Trust Inc.
7 Richmond Street
RD 4 Matata
Whakatane 3084
Who Are We?
Ngati Rangitihi is the Maori tribe descended from Chief Mahi, who was the grandson of the Te Arawa Chief, Rangitihi.
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