Deed of settlement signed with Rongowhakaata

The Crown today signed a Deed of Settlement for all historical Treaty claims with the Tūranga iwi Rongowhakaata, Treaty Negotiations Minister Christopher Finlayson announced.

The Deed was initialled in Te Hau ki Tūranga, an elaborately carved Rongowhakaata whare whakairo currently held in Te Papa, in July. It has since been ratified by the people of Rongowhakaata with an approval rate of 95%.

The settlement will vest Te Hau ki Tūranga in Rongowhakaata once legislation is passed to finalise the settlement. Te Hau ki Tūranga will remain at Te Papa until 31 March 2017 or until a date Te Papa and Rongowhakaata agree upon.

“Now this settlement is complete, we are one step further towards the completion of all historical claims in the Te Tai Rawhiti region,” Mr Finlayson said. “We have only one settlement to conclude before this goal is achieved.”

The settlement addresses all of Rongowhakaata’s historical claims, and the Crown will apologise for a number of grievous Treaty breaches. These include the unjustified use of military force in Turanga, the detention without trial of Rongowhakaata prisoners on the Chatham Islands, the summary executions of prisoners at Ngatapa in 1869, and the effective confiscation of a large area of Rongowhakaata land as well as Te Hau ki Tūranga.

It includes financial redress of $22 million plus interest since 2008, and the return of several Crown-owned properties in the Gisborne region. The settlement also includes a specific apology to Nga Uri o Te Kooti Rikirangi and redress to address the ongoing effect of breaches of the Treaty by the Crown in its treatment of Te Kooti Rikirangi.