Treaty Minister and Uenuku Charitable Trust sign Terms of Negotiation

The Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, the Hon Chris Finlayson, and Uenuku Chair, Aiden Gilbert, have signed the Terms of Negotiation for the negotiation of Te Korowai o Wainuiārua historical Treaty of Waitangi claims.

Minister Finlayson signed the Terms of Negotiation in Wellington on February 16 and the Uenuku Chair completed the process on February 20 in Raetihi.

Aiden Gilbert said the signing of the Terms of Negotiation is a significant milestone, signalling the start of formal negotiations.

“We have hit the ground running and have already started work on this next phase to negotiate an Agreement in Principle to settle historical land claims on behalf of the descendants of Uenuku, Tamahaki and Tamakana,” Mr Gilbert said.

“We expect this phase to take 14 months, but there is the added complication of a General Election during this period, which means our team will have to work even harder to achieve the next milestone – an Agreement in Principle that acknowledges the wrongs of the past and provides for the future.

“This phase is when we consider potential redress and we will be looking to our whānau, hapū and iwi for direction and some critical decisions. The views and aspirations of our people have always been what drives us, and their input will be even more crucial over the next year or so. We will begin these important conversations over the next few months.”

In June last year, the Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Minister and the Minister of Māori Affairs recognised Uenuku Charitable Trust’s mandate to represent the descendants of Uenuku, Tamahaki and Tamakana in Treaty of Waitangi settlement negotiations with the Crown. The Deed of Mandate submitted by Uenuku Charitable Trust to the Crown demonstrated that UCT had received the mandate of the people to represent them in negotiations for the comprehensive settlement of historical Treaty claims.

“In May, we will introduce Minister Finlayson and Crown officials to some of our sites of significance,” Mr Gilbert said. “We hope that visiting our important places and meeting our people will help them to gain a greater appreciation of our settlement aspirations and better understand our history, our people and our position.”

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