![\"Ngāti](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/ngati-haua-iwi-members-witness-the-passing-of-their-treaty-s-4RXRYHQJKVFYVINLISID46OEDM.jpg\")
<\/p>\nEmotion ran high at Parliament on Thursday as central North Island iwi Ng\u0101ti H\u0101ua watched their Treaty settlement pass its final reading, closing a nine-year chapter in their fight for recognition and redress.<\/p>\n
By Moana Ellis of Local Democracy Reporting<\/p>\n
For Ng\u0101ti H\u0101ua, it was a day decades in the making. Nearly 200 iwi members were in the House as their Treaty settlement, Te Pua o te Riri Kore, was formally enacted into law.<\/p>\n
The legislation marked the culmination of negotiations over redress for historical breaches of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.<\/p>\n
Outside Parliament, Ng\u0101ti H\u0101ua Iwi Trust chair Graham \u201cTinka\u201d Bell said he was emotional and happy.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe biggest thing for me, understanding law, is that we will have legal muscle. M\u0101 te ture te ture e patu. Only the law can defeat the law.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, I\u2019m exhilarated. I\u2019m really happy for our families. I\u2019m thrilled to bits and I\u2019m thinking of our t\u016bpuna and all those who fought to get us here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Deputy chair and WAI claimant Lois Tutemahurangi said she was \u201cabsolutely ecstatic we\u2019ve finally got here\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd I\u2019m feeling happy that so many of our iwi have turned out to tautoko our kaupapa.\u201d<\/p>\n
Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith said it was a significant day for both the Crown and Ng\u0101ti H\u0101ua.<\/p>\n
\u201cThrough this settlement the Crown acknowledges its historical breaches of the Treaty, returns 64 culturally significant sites, and provides $19 million of financial redress.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe legislation also provides statutory pardons for Te Rangi\u0101tea and M\u0101tene Ruta Te Whareaitu, who were tried under martial law in 1846, meaning they were deprived of protections that would have been their right at a civilian trial.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese pardons remove their convictions, recognise their mana and honour their legacy within Ng\u0101ti H\u0101ua for future generations.\u201d<\/p>\n
Goldsmith said recognising this history was vital to restoring the relationship with Ng\u0101ti H\u0101ua.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe redress provided by the Crown will contribute to the economic, social and cultural wellbeing of Ng\u0101ti H\u0101ua for future generations,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a privilege to welcome Ng\u0101ti H\u0101ua back into the House \u2026 and to share this moment as we look toward a future shaped by a strengthened relationship.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Ng\u0101ti H\u0101ua iwi members witness the passing of their Treaty settlement into law. (Source: Te Kakenga Kawiti-Bishara via Local Democracy Reporting)<\/p>\n
Ng\u0101ti H\u0101ua, centred in Taumarunui, has about 2500 members.<\/p>\n
On the steps of Parliament, pou tiriti\/treaty negotiations manager Aaron Rice-Edwards said his feelings were mixed.<\/p>\n
\u201cMost people get to this stage and feel mixed emotions. It\u2019s been a hard road for our people and we\u2019ve lost a lot of our good leaders on the way. But yes, [it\u2019s] a celebration to get this important milestone.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a lot in there. We packed in there as much as we could for our people. But the work\u2019s not done yet. This is really just the start of the next part of the journey \u2013 and looking forward to that.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re turning the kei (stern) of our waka to our future and start imagining what that looks like now we\u2019ve got some resources and some access to our whenua again.\u201d<\/p>\n
Te Pou Tupua of Te Awa Tupua and iwi historian Turama Hawira also reflected on mixed emotions.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday is a day to celebrate but I\u2019m thinking about the old people. Most of all it\u2019s a day to remember those who paved the pathway and paid the ultimate, and honour them.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut kua k\u014drero te k\u014drero. Ahakoa te aha, me pai te kore ki te korekore rawa. [The story has been told. No matter what, it\u2019s better to have nothing than nothing at all.]\u201d<\/p>\n
Trustee Joey Allen said the settlement marked a major moment for the iwi.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll the mahi that\u2019s been done over the years since I was little, this is what it\u2019s all about: getting our settlement, getting over the line. E t\u016b ng\u0101 hap\u016b ng\u0101 iwi o Ng\u0101ti H\u0101ua.\u201d<\/p>\n
Trustee Louise Wahapa said she felt both sadness and excitement.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m looking forward to going back to our marae and strengthening our hap\u016b.\u201d<\/p>\n
Iwi members said they were pleased to be in Wellington to witness the moment.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m feeling awesome today,\u201d Willie Huch said. \u201cIt\u2019s a powerful day to be Ng\u0101ti H\u0101ua.\u201d<\/p>\n
His sister Moira said: \u201cI\u2019m very happy to be here and glad that it\u2019s done. Mauri ora, wh\u0101nau.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mitch Roderick-Hall said she was proud.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m really proud for our mokopuna and our people who waited a long time for this to happen. I miss our Nan, miss our old people but kei konei m\u0101tou hei whawhai tonu ake [we are here to fight on].\u201d<\/p>\n
A copy of Te Pua o Te Riri Kore, the Ng\u0101ti H\u0101ua Deed of Settlement, is available online by searching for: Te Tari Whakatau – Ng\u0101ti H\u0101ua.<\/p>\n
\u2013 LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Emotion ran high at Parliament on Thursday as central North Island iwi Ng\u0101ti H\u0101ua watched their Treaty settlement…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":259190,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[12553,31044,111,43,139,69,16715],"class_list":{"0":"post-259189","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-zealand","8":"tag-iwi-hapu","9":"tag-manawatu-wanganui","10":"tag-new-zealand","11":"tag-news","12":"tag-newzealand","13":"tag-nz","14":"tag-taranaki"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/259189","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=259189"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/259189\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/259190"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=259189"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=259189"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=259189"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}