Te KerēmeThe Claim

Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri has longstanding claims against the Crown. Claims against the Crown have been expressed through protests made by Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri. In particular, those protests have related to the allocation of lands during the sitting of the Native Land Court in 1870 and the subsequent loss in relation to:

• Lands through alienation
• Fishing rights through various acts of Parliament up to 2004
• Reo
• Ngā Tikanga o Ngāti Mutunga.

The Deed of Mandate between Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri and the Crown was signed mid-2014.

Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri claims include (and are not limited to):

• Early Purchases;
• 1870 Native Land Court alienation;
• New Zealand Settlements Acts;
• Te Whaanga Lagoon;
• Compensation Process;
• Acts of Parliament;
• Fishing rights;
• Land Tenure;
• Lack of recognition of the unique circumstances of living on Wharekauri;
• Public Works Acquisitions;
• Natural Resources; and
• Late Purchases.

Since then the settlement process has been un-necessarily drawn out, complicated, and difficult.  At times Ngāti Mutunga has been set up in competition with ourselves and our Moriori Whanaunga on Wharekauri.  This is a continuation of the ‘divide and conquer’ strategy so favoured by the Crown since 1840.

That said, we are finally approaching a stage where we believe a settlement based on principals of honouring our tupuna and providing for our mokopuna can be achieved.  The final steps to completion are:

1. Crown Apology
2. Historical Account and Acknowledgements
3. Cultural, Commercial and Financial Redress
4. Agree an Agreement in Principal (AIP)
5. Continue to urge the Minister to withdraw offer of Hospital Block lands to Moriori so that they can be offered to Ngati Mutunga o Wharekauri exclusive customary redress
6. Confirm ‘catch up’ iDoS and legislative timetable to allow dual Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri and Moriori legislation to be enacted.

• NMOW Revised Crown Offer
• Revised Crown Offer Letter 6.12.19
• Crown Settlement Offer 28.04.17
• Special Factors 1
• Special Factors 2
• Special Factors 3
• Deed of Mandate
• 1. Ngati Mutunga Affidavit of Thomas McClurg for second defendants CIV-2023-485-162 June 2023
• 2. Ngati Mutuna Synopsis of Submission 20 October 2022
• 3. Ngati Mutunga McClurg Affidavit 30 October 2023
• Ngati Mutunga McClurg Affidavit July 2023
• Ngati Mutunga Agreement in Principle 25 November 2022