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ANDY JACKSON / Stuff
The turangawaewae of NgÄ ?? ti Maru is his marae in Tarata – Te Upoko or Te Whenua.
The last Taranaki iwi to settle his Waitangi Treaty claim enlisted the support of his people to seal the $ 30 million deal, which includes the return of important properties like the Te Wera forest.
Members of the Ngāti Maru, who has around 3,000 uri (descendants), voted to support the settlement package negotiated on his behalf with the Crown.
Of those who voted, 92 percent were in favor of accepting the terms of the Deed of Agreement, which also includes an apology from the Crown, a cultural revitalization fund and the return of 16 properties to the iwi.
Te Runanga or Ngāti Maru’s lead negotiator Anaru Marshall was delighted with the outcome, which comes after negotiations first started in 2016.
READ MORE:
* Ngāti Maru One Step Closer to Earth, $ 30 Million Treaty Agreement
* Ngāti Maru leans towards resolution of his Waitangi Treaty claim
* The progress of the settlement of the Ngāti Maru treaty was delayed until early next year
Supplied
Te Runanga or Ngāti Maru chief negotiator Anaru Marshall is delighted that iwi members have endorsed the treaty agreement. (Photo file)
He said the high percentage of support for the deal was an “emphatic message from the iwi.”
“Our whānau has waited more than 20 years and now we are in an important step to sign the deed so that it can become legislation.”
Of those registered to participate in the vote, 47% did so.
Runanga President Holden Hohaia said the treaty agreement would be formally signed by the end of the year.
ANDY JACKSON / Stuff
Ngä ?? ti Maru Conference Chair Holden Hohaia.
The list of properties being returned to Ngāti Maru includes Te Wera Forest, Tarata and Matau schools and the Stratford Police Station, which will be rented to the Crown.
The liquidation package will be managed by Te Kāhui Maru, which is the governance entity after the liquidation of iwi.
In 1865, Ngāti Maru had 220,000 hectares of land illegally taken by the Crown or sold in deals made without the permission of the iwi members.
Of the stolen tracts of land, approximately 80,000 hectares, or 131 different sites, are currently governed by the Department of Conservation.
With the Ngāti Maru settlement nearing completion, the only other pending claim in the region relates to the Taranaki Maunga.
