Te Rūnanga-Ā-Iwi-Ō-Ngāpuhi chairperson, Wane Wharerau, says the historic Waitangi Tribunal Report, dealing with the second stage of the tribunal's Te Paparahi o Te Raki (Northland) inquiry proves a deliberate and systematic collusion between settlers and colonial governments.

This stripped Ngāpuhi of land, forests, mineral resources and fisheries. The catalyst to these losses were the sabotage of tino rangatiratanga (sovereignty) to which Ngāpuhi rightly focused their energies during the hearings.

Mr Wharerau says he hopes the Crown will now act with honour to restore Ngāpuhi tino rangatiratanga, and its’ 110 hapu have already started the process of digesting the 2,000-page report.

He says, “It is irrefutable that land losses, theft of resources, denial of Ngāpuhi economic development, social and health deprivations are direct consequences of colonial government and settler duplicity - to which the Crown swore to protect Ngāpuhi against. The Crown badly failed Ngāpuhi in this respect.”

Mr Wharerau says Te Rūnanga-Ā-Iwi-Ō-Ngāpuhi supports an independent hui called for Waitangi National marae tomorrow (Saturday), which will be the first of many to decide on a way forward for the hapu of Ngāpuhi. He says this report is certain to also dominate discussions at this year’s Waitangi Commemorations.

Wane says,”I believe Ngāpuhi expects nothing less than full compliance with the report’s recommendations, and I feel there should be immediate steps by the Crown to establish the groundwork for a new Constitutional partnership as envisioned by our tupuna when they signed He Whakaputanga (1835) and Te Tiriti (Maori version, 1840).”

Mr Wharerau says a quote from the Tribunal report encapsulates that exactly.

‘In our view, He Whakaputanga was, above all, an affirmation of tino rangatiratanga. Te Tiriti continued this affirmation, and in fact strengthened tino rangatiratanga rights and responsibilities. While it permitted a new, limited Crown presence in New Zealand, Te Raki Māori understood it as an agreement that would sustain and guarantee those rights and responsibilities that their communities had possessed and practised for generations prior to the time of the treaty signings.’ (Page 72 of The Waitangi Tribunal Report)

Wane says the confederation of Ngāpuhi hapū spent years waiting for this report and must feel fully vindicated by their historical evidence.

‘Counsel for Ngāti Manu and counsel for Hokianga claimant groups both said

their claimants ‘observe the text of Te Tiriti o Waitangi’ and that they expected

that the Crown’s guarantees to them would, in turn, be honoured. They referred to

principles of ‘Respect, Fairness and Natural Justice’ ( (Page 35 of The Report)

Mr Wharerau says he is taking an optimistic outlook on future negotiations with the Crown but acknowledges that historical and recent examples of continued Crown duplicity challenge the whole nation in treating one another honourably.

He says, “Whether we are talking about the Foreshore and Seabed controversy or Parihaka, mutual honour will not be restored until the recommendations are adopted.”

He also says, “Ngāpuhi have a multitude of viewpoints, but stand united on the most important finding in this report - that tino rangatiratanga is central to everything. The Crown needs to honour its word and have the mana of tino rangatiratanga returned to the original intent of Ngāpuhi tupuna.”

‘Tino rangatiratanga and its relationship with kāwanatanga lies at the heart of Te Raki claimant grievances against the Crown. Of all questions about the treaty, it is the most important and contentious.’ (Page 181 of The Report)

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