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Mokai Patea Claims Trust draft Dead of Mandate May 2020
NHNPHT Media Release to the Crown, Ministers and MPWCT May 2020
Mokai Patea Claims Trust and Confederation Response
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Crown Māori Relations Agency Ignores Iwi Request To Wait Until After National State of Emergency
Ngāti Hinemanu and Ngāti Paki claimants and associated hapū are mystified as to why the Negotiation and Settlement Manager and an Analyst from Te Arawhiti - Office of Māori Crown Relations, supported Mōkai Pātea Waitangi Claims Trust in continuing a video consultation hui (meeting) on 24 April 2020, during Covid-19 Alert Level 4 restrictions.
Ngāti Hinemanu me Ngāti Paki Heritage Trust are the only entity mandated by their iwi, hapū and claimants to look after their three extensive land claims in the Taihape ki Rangipō Inquiry district.
Mōkai Pātea Waitangi Claims Trust and Te Arawhiti called the ‘tick-box’ consultation hui, which then allowed them to advertise their draft Deed of Mandate nationally, on May 16, while Covid-19 lockdown rules were still in force.
Ngāti Hinemanu me Ngāti Paki Heritage Trust’s legal counsel, Ms Sykes, warned that “cancellation of, or non-attendance to the hui could be interpreted by the Crown and Mōkai Pātea Waitangi Claims Trust as a lack of willing to engage”. The only option left to them was attend the hui, then request an adjournment until post Covid-19 levels.
When opportunity arose, Jordan Winiata-Haines, Chair of Ngāti Hinemanu me Ngāti Paki Heritage Trust, informed Te Arawhiti and Mōkai Pātea Waitangi Claims Trust they were concerned such an immensely important hui was being held during a National State of Emergency. People were under unusual duress and lockdown restrictions prevented the Trust calling a Special Meeting to update and seek instruction from Ngāti Hinemanu, Ngāti Paki, claimants and their associated hapū. He reminded Te Arawhiti and Mōkai Pātea Waitangi Claims Trust that the majority of their claimants are elderly kaumātua, confined to their ‘bubbles’ for an indefinite period; and technology challenged. Tikanga (protocol) demanded a hui of this magnitude should be ‘kanohi ki te kanohi’ (face to face). He said, Ngāti Hinemanu, Ngāti Paki claimants and their associated hapū requested a postponement until a time when the National State of Emergency was over.
Utiku Potaka, Chair of Mōkai Pātea Waitangi Claims Trust declined the request. Te Arawhiti representatives continued taking notes and observing the hui without further comment.
Pōtaka featured in a Chronicle article on May 20; the opening statement read, “The Crown is taking an extra step to make sure Taihape iwi can agree who will negotiate their Treaty of Waitangi claims”. Ngāti Hinemanu me Ngāti Paki Heritage Trust sees the Crowns refusal to postpone the April 24 meeting as contradictory to the extra step that it purports to be generously taking.
Pōtaka is also quoted as saying, “We are going over and above what other iwi have had to do, because of this small amount of opposition”. The Mōkai Pātea Waitangi Claims Trust draft Deed of Mandate states they have 2,370 registered members; representing the four Iwi Rūnanga within. Ngāti Hinemanu me Ngāti Paki Heritage Trust has 1,870 registered members – hardly a “small amount of opposition”.
Ngāti Hinemanu me Ngāti Paki Heritage Trust state they do not object to Mōkai Pātea Waitangi Claims Trust seeking Mandate to negotiate and settle their own claims with the Crown. They do however object to Mōkai Pātea Waitangi Claims Trust taking Ngāti Hinemanu and Ngāti Paki claims without even asking claimant’s for permission.
At 99 years of age, Mrs Waina Hoete is the eldest Ngāti Hinemanu Ngāti Paki claimant, and still taking care of business. She, and the other elderly claimants that Ngāti Hinemanu me Ngāti Paki Heritage Trust represent, were understandably upset when they realised their claim numbers were in the Mōkai Pātea Waitangi Claims Trust draft Deed of Mandate.
They also object to the Mōkai Pātea Waitangi Claims Trust draft Deed of Mandate giving the false impression that they are working with and for Ngāti Hinemanu, Ngāti Paki claimants and their associate hapū. Ngāi Te Ohuake is a “new iwi entity” created by members of the Mōkai Pātea Waitangi Claims Trust in 2007. Since then, Mōkai Pātea Waitangi Claims Trust have actively promoted their ‘infant entity” to Crown and local government bodies as an over-arching iwi for Ngāti Hinemanu, Ngāti Paki and other hapū. Given that Ngāti Hinemanu, Ngāti Paki and their associate hapū have held mana (authority) in the area for well over 200 years, they are justifiably indifferent to a 13-year-old entity claiming power over them, and their claims.
However, this has not stopped Ngāti Hinemanu me Ngāti Paki Heritage Trust from presenting multiple options to the Mōkai Pātea Waitangi Claims Trust on how to amend their draft Deed of Mandate to be mana (status) enhancing and workable for all parties. In the last two years they proposed:
• a multilateral approach to negotiation and settlement, where each Trust would negotiate and settle their own claims,
• that Ngāti Hinemanu be an equal iwi entity alongside Mōkai Pātea Waitangi Claims Trust iwi entities,
• that Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Hinemanu me Ngāti Paki ki Mōkai Pātea be added to the Mōkai Pātea Waitangi Claims Trust draft Deed of Mandate.
Each of these proposals have been rejected by either the Mōkai Pātea Waitangi Claims Trust or the Crown.
“Our Ngāti Hinemanu and Ngāti Paki claimants now have no alternative but to request that Mōkai Pātea Waitangi Claims Trust and the Crown remove our Wai 1835, Wai 1868 and Wai 662 claims from their draft Deed of Mandate. We invite people to sign our online petition (on our Winiata Marae and Ngāti Hinemanu me Ngāti Paki Facebook pages), and to write letters to Te Arawhiti and Ministers opposing the draft Deed of Mandate.”
Utiku Pōtaka, Chair of Mōkai Pātea Waitangi Claims Trust, flanked by Te Arawhiti representatives begin the meeting during full lockdown on April 24. Jordan Winiata-Haines waits for an opportunity to ask for an adjournment.
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For any further comment please contact chairperson Jordan Haines-Winiata 0278656256 manangernhnp@xtra.co.nz or Āwhina Twomey 0210599113 or awhinat@wrm.org.nz
