Ngāti Ruapani mai Waikaremoana and the Crown today
signed a Deed of Settlement for historical claims dating
back to 1866, on the shores of Waikaremoana in Te
Urewera.
“Waikaremoana, like other parts of Te
Urewera, carries a complex and deeply painful history,”
said Kara Puketapu-Dentice, Chair of Ngāti Ruapani mai
Waikaremoana. “The hapū of Waikaremoana and the wider Te
Urewera experienced invasion, displacement, and the
systematic loss of land and livelihood.”
The Deed of
Settlement records a historical account, acknowledgments,
and an apology for the Crown’s breaches, including those
inflicted during its campaigns against the tipuna of Ngāti
Ruapani mai Waikaremoana and other Tūhoe hapū in
Waikaremoana.
These included armed attacks on kāinga
at Te Kōpani in 1866, scorched earth tactics that caused
displacement and starvation, and the coerced acquisition of
approximately 178,000 acres of land under threat of
confiscation. By 1895, the hapū of Waikaremoana were
virtually landless.
“We welcome the opportunity to
formally acknowledge this history and bring closure to a
process that has required our people to repeatedly recount
these experiences,” said Mr Puketapu-Dentice. “That is
the significance of today. It allows us to recognise the
truth of what occurred, while creating space for future
generations to focus on rebuilding and
renewal.”
Around 3,500 members descend from the
hapū of Ngāti Ruapani, Ngāti Hinekura, Whānau Pani, and
Ngāi Tarapāroa, maintaining enduring connections to
Waikaremoana and the wider Te Urewera. Today, these hapū
remain centred around Waimako and Te Kuha marae.
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The
settlement includes financial and commercial redress of $24
million, the return of culturally significant sites, and the
return of conservation lands at Turi-o-Kahu, restoring a
presence at Onepoto. These outcomes contribute to
reconnecting the hapū with whenua from which they were long
separated.
“This settlement provides a foundation
for the hapū of Waikaremoana, alongside other Tūhoe hapū,
to restore their presence and strengthen their
communities,” said Mr Puketapu-Dentice. “It creates
opportunities to support housing, improve health and
wellbeing, and enable development that reflects the
aspirations of our people.”
“We have much to
rebuild over the generations ahead. This settlement enables
us to focus on restoring our relationship with our whenua,
supporting our whānau, and ensuring that Waikaremoana
continues to sustain future generations.”
The Crown
was represented at the signing by the Minister for Treaty of
Waitangi Negotiations, Hon Paul
Goldsmith.
