New Myths and Old Politics
The Waitangi Tribunal and the
Challenge of Tradition
Tipene O'Regan
Announcing the release of this new BWB Text by Tipene O'Regan, which is now available as an e-book from the BWB website and global e-bookstores.
About ‘New Myths and Old Politics’
Negotiating a claim before the Waitangi Tribunal can involve troubling challenges to an iwi’s legitimacy, sometimes from
unexpected places. In this unique behind-the-scenes account of the negotiation of Ngāi Tahu’s Waitangi Tribunal claim,
Tipene O’Regan describes what happened when claims of New Age mysticism attempted to undermine traditional whakapapa and
academic scholarship.
About the Author
Sir Tipene O'Regan is the former Chair of the Ngāi Tahu Māori Trust Board, Ngāi Tahu Holdings Corporation, Mawhera Incorporation, Te Ohu
Kai Moana, the Sealord Group Ltd and Deputy Chair of Transit New Zealand. He led the Ngāi Tahu claims, negotiation and
settlement process 1985–1998.
He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Literature from the University of Canterbury in 1992. He holds Honorary
Doctorates of Commerce from both Lincoln University and Victoria University of Wellington. He is Adjunct Professor at
the Ngāi Tahu Research Centre, University of Canterbury.
About BWB Texts
New BWB Texts are released monthly, with upcoming releases including works by Shamubeel Eaqub and Ranginui Walker.