Members of Ngāti Pāoa outside Parliament after the iwi’s Treaty Settlement passed its third reading.
Photo: RNZ / Pokere Paewai
The Crown has apologised to Auckland and Hauraki iwi Ngāti Paoa for its actions which led to the iwi becoming “virtually landless.”
Around 500 iwi members travelled to Parliament to witness the third reading of the Ngāti Pāoa Claims Settlement Bill.
The rohe, or region, of Ngāti Pāoa extends through Hauraki and parts of the Coromandel Peninsula to Auckland and includes islands in the Hauraki Gulf.
Many are carrying photographs of relatives who have passed away over the long years of negotiation between the iwi and the Crown.
Photo: RNZ / Pokere Paewai
Photo: RNZ / Pokere Paewai
Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Paul Goldsmith said in the settlement the Crown acknowledged the effect of its actions including raupatu (confiscation), the impact of the Native Land Courts and Crown purchasing which left Ngāti Pāoa virtually landless.
“The crown also acknowledged it breached the Treaty of Waitangi and its principles when it invaded the Waikato, attacking Ngāti Pāoa and shelled the unfortified village of Pūkorokoro in 1863 causing the death of iwi members.”
Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Paul Goldsmith.
Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii
Goldsmith said no settlement can fully compensate Ngāti Pāoa for what they lost.
The settlement included $23.5 million in financial reddress, the opportunity to purchase seven commercial properties and the return of 12 cultural sites of significance including sites for a marae and papakāinga development in the suburb of Point England, he said.
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