On Thursday 17th December, the Maniapoto Māori Trust Board (MMTB) will be initialling the Maniapoto Deed of Settlement (DOS) with the Crown, to settle the historical treaty claims of Maniapoto (all inclusive within Te Nehenehenui).
The initialling will be taking place in Parliament Buildings in Wellington, with the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, Hon. Andrew Little and other Crown officials.

“What initialling means is that the DOS and proposed Post Settlement Governance Entity (PSGE) can now be presented to our people to consider. It is our people who will make the final decision on whether or not this settlement is agreed. We will be holding a series of hui in early 2021 to talk through the proposed DOS and PSGE with our whānau” says MMTB Chair, Keith Ikin.
There are a number of matters that are still unresolved with the Crown. Mr Ikin says they will continue to push for progress on these matters over the next 2-3 months.

“This is a significant time for our people. It is the most important decision we will make in our generation.”
“As we initial on Thursday, we reflect on the sacrifice and the hard work of our whānau over many generations who fought and advocated for our people within Te Nehenehenui.”

A key focus of MMTB has been to take an inclusive approach with all, ensuring everyone has had an opportunity to have their say throughout this journey. “It is really important that our whānau who whakapapa within Te Nehenehenui, are fully informed and participate in the decision to approve, or not, the proposed settlement (ratification).”

“The DOS seeks to provide redress for historical injustice and sets out the expectations of a relationship with the Crown that our tūpuna have sought over many generations. The legacy our tūpuna have left us, their descendants within Te Rohe Pōtae, is one that is built on kotahitanga. Our rohe has withstood the intergenerational challenges of colonisation through our commitment to solidarity and finding our own way forward as a people. This settlement provides opportunities for our generation and for generations to come.”

A copy of the initialled Deed of Settlement will be made available on our website.
To keep informed on what is happening within the settlement space, we encourage whānau to register or update your details on the Maniapoto Tribal Register. Details can be found here.

Ki ngā whānau katoa o Te Rohe Pōtae
Ki ngā rangatira, ki ngā hapū, ki ngā tāne, ki ngā wahine me ngā tamariki!
Tātou, kei ngā rohe o te motu, tātou, kei ngā whenua o te Ao, kia ora huihui tātou katoa!

In December 2016, the Maniapoto Māori Trust Board received the deed of mandate to represent Maniapoto in treaty settlement negotiations. Since then, significant progress has been made, with the signing of Te Huatahi – Agreement in Principle in August 2017. More information on this can be found on our website here. 
We are now at the phase of preparing to initial a deed of settlement with the Crown and looking forward to the future of Maniapoto (inclusive of all within Te Nehenehenui) once a settlement is reached. Our people need to be fully informed on what this could look like and, in the near future, will have the opportunity to vote on and ratify key kaupapa aimed to achieve the future aspirations of our whānau, marae and hapū.
Over the past 6 months, hui had been held across the rohe. Some of these were livestreamed and are available to watch via our Facebook page here. Further hui have been scheduled in the coming weeks to provide an overall update.

We encourage all to participate and have your say. Your whakaaro is vital as we continue this journey together, to get the best outcome for our people and future generations to come. Nau mai rā, rūpeke mai rā!

If you would like to get in touch with us, please visit the MMTB Offices, 49 Taupiri Street,
Te Kūiti, call 07 878 6234 or email us at tiriti@maniapoto.co.nz

Kia hiwa rā! Kia hiwa rā! He karanga tēnei ki ngā uri o Ngāti Rangatahi kia haere mai ki te tautoko i tēnei mahi ki te whakatau i ngā kerēme i raro i te Tiriti o Waitangi. Haere mai, haere mai, haere mai!

The Maniapoto Māori Trust Board (MMTB) currently holds a mandate to represent Ngāti Maniapoto me ōna hapū maha in Treaty settlement negotiations with the Crown. As Ngāti Rangatahi were recognised by the Crown as a Large Natural Grouping and were pursuing a mandate to negotiate a Treaty settlement, Ngāti Rangatahi are not currently listed as a group in the MMTB Deed of Mandate (“DOM”). With the Crown declining to proceed with a Ngāti Rangatahi Whanaunga Association mandate process, this matter now needs to be rectified.
MMTB will hold a voting hui to see whether Ngāti Rangatahi wants to be recognised in the Maniapoto Deed of Settlement as a named “shared group”. If Ngāti Rangatahi are named in the deed, additional Wai claims may be listed in the deed.
Ngāti Rangatahi claims will be settled in the Maniapoto settlement only to the extent those claims arise through Maniapoto whakapapa within the defined Maniapoto area of interest. Ngāti Rangatahi claims that do not arise through Maniapoto whakapapa within the Maniapoto area of interest will not be settled through the Maniapoto settlement. This means that some Rangatahi claims relating to lands in the southern part of Rangatahi’s area around Taumarunui, as well as claims relating to Te Reu Reu in the Rangitikei and in the Hutt Valley will not be included.

Hui Details

Morero Marae, 143 Hakiaha Street, Taumarunui
10am Saturday, 10 October 2020

At the above hui, Ngāti Rangatahi members (whether or not registered with Maniapoto Māori Trust Board (“MMTB”)) will be invited to vote by show of hands on the following resolution:

That Ngāti Rangatahi be recorded as a descent group of Maniapoto (‘shared group’ with historical and contemporary affiliations with other iwi) in the claimant definition for the Maniapoto Deed of Settlement.

Those eligible to vote at the hui are those who:
 Affiliate to Ngāti Rangatahi;
 Are 18 years or older at the date of the hui or filing of a submission.

Voting will be by show of hands. There will be no proxy votes. Crown observers will be present at the voting hui.
Ngāti Rangatahi members are also invited to file submission on the proposed claimant definition and related matters. Submissions can be filed with MMTB, tiriti@maniapoto.co.nz or Te Arawhiti, Submissions@tearawhiti.govt.nz or by post to Maniapoto Māori Trust Board, PO Box 36, Te Kūiti 3941. Submissions open 10 October 2020 and close 10 working days later (5pm, 23 October 2020).
The outcome will be decided by considering the voting results as well as the submissions.

The agenda for this hui will be as follows:
 Mihi Whakatau / Karakia
 Mandate presentation by Maniapoto Māori Trust Board and Negotiator
 Update on Treaty Settlements for the Maniapoto Māori Trust Board to date
 Question and answer time
 Mandate resolution to be proposed and voted on
 Karakia Whakamutunga

The Ngāti Rangatahi Information sheet can be viewed here.

The presentation that will be provided for these hui can be viewed here

If you require any further information in relation to the above hui, please contact the Treaty team at tiriti@maniapoto.co.nz.

Please note that the health and well-being of our people is the absolute priority. Therefore, this hui will only proceed if New Zealand is in COVID-19 Alert Level 2 or below. Notification will be provided ASAP should these hui be postponed to a later date.