The Good News:

On the 27th and 28th of October 2012 Ngai Takoto and Te Rarawa are settling their Treaty Claims with the Crown. This is after the Waitangi Tribunal threw out Ngati Kahu's attempts to intrude on their claims area. I understand that Te Aupouri will also follow. The hold up was totally unnecessary and entirely the negotiators of the Ngati Kahu Runanga to blame. However they are away now. I wish them well with their claim and I know that with the people at the helm of their respective waka they will make a good start. However since it has taken so long (25 years?) they have a lot of opportunities to make up for. Kia Kaha koutou.

The Lost Opportunity:

Ngati Kahu having had their claims to bits and pieces of the other three iwi disallowed by the Tribunal are having to wait now for a decision on the remedies application against the Crown. While I don't know what exactly this entails, I do know that this is going to mean a long delay in Ngati Kahu's settlement; a totally unnecessary and expensive one. The Runanga is now in financial strife because of their various and expensive adventures into the High Court and the remedies hearings at Kareponia Marae. They want ALL the "fish money" allocated to marae to plug the gap in their budget. They say it happened because they were trying their best to get a settlement for all of Ngati Kahu. This nonsense is a cover for incompetence and bad faith negotiations. They are in fact responsible for this and Ngati Kahu are yet to hear them admit it.