Te Rarawa Deed of Settlement Signing Ceremony

Te Ahu Centre, Kaitaia
28 October 2012

On the 28th of October Te Rarawa signed their Deed of Settlement with the Crown in relation to the historical Te Tiriti o Waitangi claims made between 1840 and 1992 at the Te Ahu centre in Kaitaia.

The signing of the deed represents an organisational maturity on the part of Te Rarawa as an iwi who have over the past twenty years consolidated their presence throughout North Hokianga and Te Hiku O Te Ika in the Far North. This presence has been expressed through the delivery of numerous services to the Te Rarawa and wider community, and through programmes that have involved and empowered their hapu and whanau, with Te Rarawa Marae as the constitutional building blocks of the iwi.

To complement these initiatives Te Rarawa have also established a commercial presence in a number of key sectors including Fishing, Agriculture, Forestry, Recycling/Waste Disposal and Broadband Technology.

Cutting edge research and community initiatives are a big part of Te Rarawa activities and these have all contributed to the establishment of a strategic planning process for Te Rarawa called 'He Anga Whakamua - Moving Ahead'.

Building upon what has already been achieved over decades, Te Rarawa have negotiated a settlement of their historical claims which is both innovative and all embracing. They have implemented a ground-breaking approach to conservation which has included cultural information and values as fundamental elements of the strategic and day to day conservation management. To achieve this, a new model for conservation  management called 'Korowai' has been structured to include the participation of kaitiaki, who are empowered by Hapu and Marae as cultural experts in environmental management. The Korowai provides for full management of Wāhi Tapu and Cultural Materials and shared management responsibilities for other areas including full participation in all conservation planning. This includes the Conservation Management Strategy which Te Rarawa and other iwi in Te Hiku will be involved in.

The new Te Oneroa a Tohe Beach Board is also innovative and all embracing, in that the parties are required to work together to find solutions for effective management. This includes four iwi parties and the local authorities who are also represented on the new board.

This will begin a new era in resource management for the Far North where Māori and Pakeha work as one to produce enhanced and enduring Conservation outcomes for future generations.

There are numerous other aspects of the settlement that will also make an enormous difference to Te Rarawa and the wider community including a Social Development Accord and a quantum of financial resources that will enable all members of Te Rarawa to make a giant step forward in their economic, political and cultural progress.

Mihi whakatau from Te Rarawa kaumatua Hohepa Cooper

Te Rarawa Chair Haami Piripi responds to Crown apology (Part 1)

Te Rarawa responds to Crown apology (Part 2)