After 25 years of struggle, Ngāti Hineuru iwi is in their conclusive stage of signing their Deed of Settlement.
Located in the Te Haroto region on the Napier-Taupo Road, Ngāti Hineuru is looking forward to meeting with the Crown tomorrow.
The Minister for Treaty Settlements revised the ratification outcomes and the process for ratification of the Hineuru Deed of Settlement, and has decided that the results show sufficient support for entering into a Deed of Settlement.
This also means that after more than 170 years, that Ngāti Hineuru will be officially recognised as an iwi.
“Due to no fault of our own, but issues at the Crown Forestry Rentals Trust (CFRT) table, we had to wait five to six months from initialling our Deed to get it ratified. It normally takes six weeks from initialling to complete ratification. However, we got through that, we received our funding, and our people approved and ratified our settlement just before Christmas,” says Ivy Kahukiwa-Smith, one of the lead negotiators for Hineuru.
The settlement is worth approximately $50 million.
Ngāti Hineuru negotiated a $25 million quantum, and a $2 million cultural fund as well as $15,000 to erect pouwhenua in their district.
The iwi will also receive a portion of the Esk Forest. Hineuru will receive a further sum of $16 million for the redress in the Central North Island Agreement.
“For a small iwi of only 1500 registered members, this is a very large settlement. Per capita, we understand that the value of our settlement is one of the highest,” says Tuhuiao Kahukiwa, Chair of Ngati Hineuru Iwi Incorporated.
The iwi acknowledge their kaumātua who led the claims in 1990, many of whom have since passed on.
Ngāti Hineuru will sign a Deed of Settlement with the Crown tomorrow at Parliament.
They have welcomed their iwi members to attend and support what will be a historic day for Hineuru.
The buses are heading from Napier to Wellington for the signing, the first bus will be leaving from the Whakatu Bus depot today at 5pm.