Ngāpuhi Kaumātua and Kuia confirm continued support for Tūhoronuku

Monday, 15 October 2012

Ngāpuhi Kaumātua and Kuia have overwhelmingly given their continued support to Tūhoronuku to progress the settlement of Ngāpuhi Te Tiriti o Waitangi grievances against the Crown.

This follows a Hui convened by Te Rōpū Kaumātua Kuia O Te Whare Tapu O Ngāpuhi in Kaikohe on Friday 12 October, attended by a large number of Kaumātua and Kuia from throughout Te Tai Tokerau.

Te Rōpū O Tūhoronuku (Tūhoronuku), the entity mandated by Ngāpuhi in September 2011 to represent them in settlement negotiations, was invited to provide an update on settlement progress, particularly following the recent release of the Government commissioned He Ara Hou – A Proposed Strategy and Pathway to Settlement (also known as the Morgan Report).

Tūhoronuku Interim Chair Raniera (Sonny) Tau gave Kaumātua and Kuia an overview and analysis of the Morgan Report, which Tūhoronuku had referred to as “an insult to the mana of Ngāpuhi and being an amateurish attempt at re-engineering Ngāpuhi social and political structures.”

Ngāpuhi Kaumātua and Kuia were briefed on all recent matters surrounding the settlement, including Tūhoronuku’s representation structure and the role of Te Rūnanga Ā Iwi O Ngāpuhi.

At the conclusion of the Hui, robust discussion culminated with Ngāpuhi Kaumātua and Kuia instructing Tūhoronuku to:

• meet with the Crown to advance the advertising of the Tūhoronuku Deed of Mandate for public comment, which is the next step in the settlement process
• consider aspects of the Morgan Report that strengthen Ngāpuhi representation within the Tūhoronuku Deed of Mandate.

Mr Tau said Friday’s Hui had been both humbling and significant.

“It was Ngāpuhi Kaumātua and Kuia who instructed Ngāpuhi leadership to ‘get on with the settlement’ at the Rūnanga AGM in November 2008.”

“Since then we have spent four years, held more than 60 Hui, met with Ngāpuhi Hapū, whānau and Rōpū. The results of all that preliminary work resulted in Ngāpuhi overwhelmingly voting (76.4% of those who voted) to give their mandate to Tūhoronuku to negotiate a comprehensive settlement with the Crown. This occurred in September 2011.”

“We have given our commitment that we will continue to be directed by our Kaumātua and Kuia, whom we treasure for their wisdom and guidance in shaping the future for Ngāpuhi.”

“Those Hapū or claimants still disenchanted with how matters are developing in Ngāpuhi and want to move on need to contact Tūhoronuku to discuss whatever issues they have with a view to solving them.”

*At the Friday 12 October Hui, the following resolution was passed by Ngāpuhi Kaumātua and Kuia:

1. Receive the update report from Te Rōpū o Tūhoronuku

2. Direct Te Rōpū o Tūhoronuku to consider aspects of He Ara Hou that strengthen Ngāpuhi representation within Te Rōpū o Tūhoronuku Deed of Mandate

3. Direct Te Rōpū o Tūhoronuku to meet with the Crown to advance the advertising of the Deed of Mandate held by Tūhoronuku.

For further information contact Kipa Munro:
Mobile: 027 555 3852
Email: kipa.munro@ngapuhi.iwi.nz

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Tuhoronuku rejects Government commissioned Morgan Report

Friday, 28 September 2012

Ngāpuhi’s mandated entity, Te Rōpū o Tūhoronuku, totally rejects a report by Tuku
Morgan calling it “an amateurish attempt to re-engineer Ngāpuhi social and political
structures.”

Mr Morgan’s report “He Ara Hou - A Proposed Strategy and Pathway to Settlement” was
commissioned by the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations. It was presented to the
Minister on 17 September.

Following a meeting of representatives in Auckland last night, Tūhoronuku announces it will
keep faith with the 76% of Ngāpuhi who gave their mandate in September 2011.

We totally reject the Morgan report commissioned by the Crown that proposes starting the
process again with a new model designed by Mr Morgan, which does not make provision for
a democratic approval process by Ngāpuhi.

Instead of starting the settlement negotiations process, the Crown has shamefully dragged its
heels, requesting further consultation rounds, one after the other, together resulting in more
compromises in an attempt to accommodate a minority of opposition.

Following these additional hui, the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, Hon
Christopher Finlayson, appointed Mr Morgan to facilitate a process to resolve the nature and
extent of hapū representation on Ngāpuhi’s mandated entity.

What has now been produced is a document that proposes disregarding the current mandate
and replacing it with a new structure and new mandate promoted by a previous Tainui Chair,
Mr Morgan. While the primary object of Mr Morgan’s brief was to ensure that Ngāpuhi hapū
were fairly represented on the mandated entity, hapū have instead been further marginalised
in Morgan’s report.

This is an insult to the mana of Ngāpuhi. The time for indecision by the Crown is now over
and we will be seeking an urgent meeting with the Crown to resolve this situation.

Tūhoronuku has spent four years, held more than 60 hui and spent $3m to get to this point,
yet the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations refuses to recognise Ngāpuhi’s mandate
and continue with the settlement process.

In September 2011, Ngāpuhi overwhelmingly voted (76% of those who voted) to give their
mandate to Te Rōpū o Tūhoronuku to negotiate a comprehensive settlement with the Crown.

The Government says its 47% at the polls was a mandate to sell state-owned assets, yet it
does not recognise the 76% who voted for the Ngapuhi mandate.

The Prime Minister has said a Ngāpuhi settlement is a priority for his Government, and Mr
Finlayson has said it is a priority to reach an ‘agreement in principle’ for a Ngāpuhi
settlement by 2014.

Ngāpuhi has spoken and Te Rōpū o Tūhoronuku has got the message loud and clear: “Get on
with the job of settling our Te Tiriti o Waitangi grievances against the Crown.”

Te Rōpū o Tūhoronuku presented its Deed of Mandate to the Crown on 31 March 2012.

Due to the continued delays and demands for concessions by the Crown, it has not been
made public.

Today Te Rōpū o Tūhoronuku has released its Deed of Mandate, which can be found below.

Deed of Mandate Document 


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National Summit on Water

Wednesday, 12 September 2012

A national summit on water will be held at Turangawaewae, Ngaruawahia on Thursday 13 September 2012 @ 11.30am.  

Programme (this may be subject to change)

Introduction by Tukoroirangi Morgan

Dr Ranginui Walker
• The clash between Rangatiratanga and Kawanatanga

Sir Edward Taihukurei Durie
• Overview of the New Maori Council claim and the findings Waitangi Tribunal

Taipari Munro
• Protecting the sacred spring of Poroti

The Te Arawa experience
• Te Rangikaheke Bidois, Pia Callaghan, Hakopa Paul

Sir Michael Cullen
• Political analysis and formulating next steps

Ngati Whao Ngati Tahu (Rawiri Te Whare, Roger Pikia)
• Operationalising our rights into Geothermal Power

Sir Tumu Te Heuheu
• Update of the Iwi leaders working party on Water

Policy and position round up by Political parties

Closing speech by Kiingi Tuheitia

Updates

TV 3 video - Hui seeks to find a united strategy on water - 13 Sept 12

TV 3 Interview with Sonny Tau on water rights - 14 Sept 12
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Tuhoronuku response to the Northern Advocate

Wednesday, 15 August 2012

The Northern Advocate front page lead article "Morgan eyes huge revamp" (13 August
2012) is based on a first draft proposal by Crown facilitator Mr Tukoroirangi Morgan, a draft
which has been largely rejected by Ngapuhi.

If the Northern Advocate had contacted us, we would clearly have told them that Tuhoronuku
has met with Mr Morgan to put him in no doubt that much of what he is proposing is
unacceptable to Ngapuhi.

The Crown instructed Mr Morgan to have a report completed by 20 July 2012. We have yet
to see that report, despite repeated requests.

Of key importance is that Ngapuhi voted overwhelmingly last year (76% of those who voted)
to give Tuhoronuku their mandate to negotiate the settlement of Ngapuhi Te Tiriti o Waitangi
grievances and historical claims against the Crown.

What Mr Morgan is proposing deviates from what Ngapuhi have voted on, voted for and
support.

For instance, regarding the creation of a Post Settlement Governance Entity, Tuhoronuku
has given its commitment to Ngapuhi that they will have input into the development of this
structure, and the opportunity to vote on it.

It is not for Mr Morgan or the Crown to dictate to Ngapuhi what we will or will not do.
It is important to acknowledge the role of Te Runanga A Iwi O Ngapuhi, which was the
genesis and has invested heavily in the Ngapuhi settlement journey.

Mr Morgan was appointed by the Crown for this facilitation role. But the reality is that
Ngapuhi have spoken following the biggest awareness and communications effort in Iwi
Maori, and there is nothing to sort out. There are small pockets of resistance, but there is
often opposition to everything in life.

In the same edition of the Northland Advocate was another headline “North’s jobless rate
NZ's highest". This sad fact speaks for itself.

The Crown must now show leadership in moving forward and recognising Tuhoronuku’s
mandate, and complete the Ngapuhi settlement - for the advancement and prosperity of
Ngapuhi, Northland and Aotearoa.

Tuhoronuku will be contacting the Prime Minister and Minister in charge of Treaty of Waitangi
Negotiations to discuss Mr Morgan's on-going work and the reluctance of the Crown to follow
its own settlement process.

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Te Whiu Hapu report on Tuku Morgan Draft Proposal

Tuesday, 31 July 2012

Please receive this as feedback from Te Whiu Hapū on the outcome and report of Tuku Morgans work. (Tuku_Morgan_draft_proposal_2012.pdf)
 
Special Hearing
We support, in principle, the idea that claimants be heard by a special commission instead of the Waitangi Tribunal, provided that:

• Claimants are fairly heard.
• The process will be freed from the pesky adversarial interventions of lawyers.
• Information coming out of hearings can inform direct negotiations.

Representation on the Mandated Body
The model proposed does not achieve the objective of strengthening hapū representation on the mandated body. In particular, we bring your attention to the following:

• The proposition that two representatives per region be elected, but that they share only one vote, will have the effect of fuelling not only regional parochialism but deal-making dynamics as regions attempt to buddy-up over common issues that compete with other regions.



• Two representatives, but one vote, is the most preposterous suggestion we've heard in connection with any governance architecture.  We doubt that you can point to any successful governance structure, Māori or otherwise, that is structured-up in this fashion; but we’d be pleased to be proven wrong, so we await your specific response to this point.



• All of the above will lead to deal-making dynamics, as two representatives reconcile one vote, at the cost of good governance.



• Referring again to one vote between multiple representatives, such a suggestion in connection with Kaumātua and Kuia representatives is absolutely abominable. Ngāpuhi Kaumātua and Kuia instigated this settlement process, and they have provided valuable guidance throughout.   John Klaricich and Titewai Harawira, the current representatives on Te Rōpū o Tūhoronuku, are active, respected and highly valued. To suggest that they, or their successors, should be relegated to some kind of wise-owl hybrid is absolutely repulsive. Other iwi, from whence you may have sourced such ideas, might treat their Kaumātua and Kuia that way, but we expect to never see the day that Ngāpuhi does.



• Again on this single-vote-multiple-representative notion, the most nonsensical manifestation thereof is that it be applied to Tāmaki, South Island and Wellington regional representation. More than 70% of Ngāpuhi live in Tāmaki; yet you propose to relegate the representational and governance decision-making power of this majority to a shared single vote!  All of this would be laughable, were it not the fact that you appear to be serious and that you propose to foist this nonsense on Ngāpuhi.



• As far as we can tell, this notion of regional representation was never raised by anyone in the course of the mandating hui prior to the mandating vote. From whence did this suggestion come? We would be pleased to hear the answer to that question because the suspicion is that it only became an issue after the majority voted in favour of Tūhoronuku receiving Ngāpuhi’s mandate; and then only at the initiative of the minority who were disaffected by that outcome.



• You may be hoping that regional representation is the means of providing you with a line of sight from Ngāpuhi hapū to representatives on the mandated body. In the presently proposed construct, it will not. What can give you that security is the requirement to evidence an unimpeachable mandate from hapu for kaikōrero to elect representatives. Though we went to a great effort to point this out to you in our earlier submission, Tukus report is silent on the matter. If you continue to ignore this important factor, we assure you that  it will come back to bite us all before and Deed of Settlement comes to the table.  We wonder why you find it so difficult to accept that principle, let alone comment on it. We think we deserve an explanation, and we accordingly ask for such.

PSGE
Tukus proposition that the PSGE be set out before or as prerequisite to the Minister advertising the Deed of Mandate is entirely unacceptable. And, we would have thought, dangerous ground for the Minister. That is because, the Minister endorsed a mandating strategy that clearly contemplated that discussion around a PSGE would only occur after mandate was recognised by the Crown. As part of the mandating hui information suite, Tūhoronuku went about telling everyone, including Te Whiu, that such discussion would happen later and that Ngāpuhi would be involved and consulted.

To compel any determination about a PSGE at this time is to furrow fertile fields for judicial review. To coerce any hapū to accede and thereby be complicit in that, by dangling it out there as if it were some kind of deal breaker, would be unconscionable.We trust that the current administration is not given to such behaviour; therefore, we look forward with confidence to the Crown quickly moving back from this proposition.



Ka nui tenei mo tenei wa tonu nei


Sam Napia and TeRau Arena
Te Whiu Hapu
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Upcoming Ngāpuhi hui in Porirua and Invercargill

Friday, 15 June 2012

Te Rōpū o Tūhoronuku will be convening a Hui with Ngāpuhi residing in Wellington to provide an update on the Tūhoronuku mandate process.

We invite you to attend and share your views at the following Hui

• Date: 20th June 2012
• Time: 6.00pm – 9.00pm followed by kai
• Venue: Rota Waitoa Mihinare Church, Awarua Road (next to Porirua School), Elsdon, Porirua

AND

• Date: 21st June 2012
• Time: 6.00pm – 9.00pm followed by kai
• Venue:   Te Tomairangi Marae, 54 Eye St, Invercargill

For more information please contact:

Kipa Munro
Te Rōpū o Tūhoronuku
Hapī Kaikōrero Facilitator
Mobile Ph: 027 555 3852 OR 0800 101 084

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Hapu Representation

Wednesday, 23 May 2012

In April 2012, Tūhoronuku convened four hui in Whangarei, Waitangi, Hokianga and Kaikohe.  The primary purpose of these hui was to provide Ngāpuhi the opportunity to discuss how Hapū could be represented in negotiations.

Overall there was no substantive call for a deviation from the Tūhoronuku model (which has been supported by 76% of those Ngāpuhi who voted during the mandate election) and no serious objections to the present structure.

Hapu Hui Presentation - view here
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Auckland Hapu Representation Hui

Friday, 18 May 2012

Te Rōpū o Tūhoronuku will be convening two Hui with Ngāpuhi residing in Auckland to discuss representation to Tūhoronuku. We invite you to attend and share your views at the following Hui;

Hui One

Date:       30thMay 2012

Time:      6.00pm– 9.00pm

Venue:   Te Manukanuka o Hoturoa Marae
Uenuku Way (off Tom Pearce Dr)
Mangere

Hui Two

Date:       31stMay 2012

Time:      6.00pm– 9.00pm

Venue:   Tātai Hono Marae
10 Burleigh Street
Grafton 1023

For more information please contact:


Kipa Munro
Hapū Kaikōrero Facilitator
Mobile Ph: 027 555 3852 OR 0800 101 084

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Te Ropu o Tuhoronuku submit Deed of Mandate

Thursday, 19 April 2012

On 31st March 2012 Ngāpuhi Kaumātua and Kuia representatives on Tūhoronuku, John Klaricich and Titewhai Harawira officially presented the Deed of Mandate to the Minister of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, Chris Finlayson.

Kaumātua John Klaricich spoke of the deprivation suffered by his elders while Kuia Titewhai Harawira thanked those that had made this day possible.  The hui was attended by all the current members of Te Rōpū o Tūhoronuku and officials from the Office of Treaty Settlements.

Before the mandate is advertised and placed on our Tūhoronuku website, the Minister will give Tūhoronuku the opportunity to meet with Ngāpuhi Hapū to discuss Hapū Representation.  A series of four hui will take place at the following venues:

24th April 10am: Otangarei Marae, Whangarei 

24th April 6pm: Te Tii Marae, Waitangi

30th April 10am: Pakanae Marae, Hokianga

30th April 6pm: Kohewhata Marae, Kaikohe

31_March_2012_Mandate_cover_letter_to_Crown.pdf
5_April_2012_letter_to_MinFinlayson.pdf
11_April_2012_letter_from_Min_Finlayson.pdf
15April12_letter_from_TKONHN.pdf
16April12_letter_to_TKONHN.pdf
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Hui to discuss Hapu representation

Wednesday, 18 April 2012

Te Rōpū o Tūhoronuku will be convening Hui with Ngāpuhi Hapū to discuss representation to Tūhoronuku. We invite you to attend and share your views at the following Hui;

Whangarei:
Venue:  Otangarei Marae, Whangarei
Date: 24th April 2012
Time: 10.00am – 1.00pm

Waitangi:
Venue:  Te Tii Marae, Waitangi
Date: 24th April 2012
Time: 6.00pm – 9.00pm

Hokianga:
Venue:  Pakanae Marae, Hokianga
Date: 30th April 2012
Time: 10.00am – 1.00pm

Kaikohe:
Venue:  Kohewhata Marae, Kaikohe
Date: 30th April 2012
Time: 6.00pm – 9.00pm

For more information please contact: 

Kipa Munro
Te Rōpū o Tūhoronuku
Hapū Kaikōrero Facilitator
Mobile Ph: 027 555 3852
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