Kōrero o te Tiamana
Tēnā koutou katoa,
We have had another busy quarter as we continue our negotiations with the Crown. Highlights have included visits by Treaty Negotiations Minister Christopher Finlayson on 27 July and Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce at the start of this month. We also held our second Whakapapa Wānanga on 8 October and have had good turnouts to our Reo wānanga and classes.
Recently our Settlement negotiators met with officials in Wellington and held hui in Matatā. We are happy with progress and believe we are on the right track.
For those who missed our hui-a-iwi in August, we have included a summary of the kōrero. At the hui, I reflected on our journey to Settlement, outlining where we are now and what we need to prepare for in the near future. We are working to have our Agreement in Principle (AIP) signed by June 2017, in order to get in before the General Election. We believe this is important, as we want this process to continue with pace regardless of who forms the next Government.
As we negotiate our redress package with the Crown, there needs to be continual hui with the Iwi to ensure we are getting the best possible Settlement for you, our Iwi. We plan to hold at least another two or three hui-a-iwi before we reach our AIP.
It is so exciting to see our young people achieving incredible things, and I encourage you to read the update on one of our Charitable Trust Grant recipients Leo Mitai-Wells on page 3 as he continues his impressive hockey career. Good to see one of our own also lead the All Blacks haka recently – ka mau te wehi TJ Perenara!
We are updating our contact database at the moment to ensure you’re kept up-to-date, and so we can contact you by email with important kōrero. Have a look at the details of the update on page 4 of this newsletter and as always get in touch with the office or send me an email if you have any pātai.
Ngā mihi,
Leith Comer
Chairman