Mōkai Pātea Waitangi Claims Trust (MPWCT) signed an Agreement in Principle with the Crown; however key iwi leaders say the deal leaves their people behind and is totally insufficient to cover Crown transgressions.

Ngāti Hinemanu me Ngāti Paki Heritage Trust (NHNPHT), the iwi mandated entity representing major Waitangi Tribunal claims (WAI 662, 1835, and 1868) publicly reject the signing of the MPWCT Agreement in Principle (AIP) on November 6, 2025, stating it fails to deliver justice for historic grievances.

What’s at Stake?

• WAI 662: Unlawful arrest, and eviction of Ngāti Paki rangatira Winiata Te Whaaro and his hapū from their ancestral lands including destruction by fire of their kainga village along with the theft of 11,000 sheep from their successful farming enterprise.
• WAI 1835: Multiple Crown breaches causing loss of Ngāti Hinemanu me Ngāti Paki whenua, taonga, te reo, land alienation and exclusion of tīpuna from land blocks.
• WAI 1868: 1961 confiscation by the NZ Defence Force of 1,716 acres “defence purposes” from the whānau of Raumaewa Te Rango a Ngāti Tama, Tūwharetoa rangatira.

Key Issues Raised

• Lack of Consent: Despite NHNPHT hapū claimants removing their claims from the MPWCT draft Deed of Mandate (dDOM) in 2020 the Crown and MPWCT continue to negotiate these claims without Ngāti Hinemanu me Ngāti Paki hapū claimant consent.
• Insufficient Redress: Financial and commercial compensation offered by the Crown does not reflect the harm suffered from the scale of tahae whenua.
• Exclusion of Iwi Voices: The absence of a “de-coupling clause”, proposed by MPWCT to the many iwi and hapū outside of the area they say they represent, means many iwi and hapū are denied a say in their collective claim.
• Weak Commitments from The Crown: Terms like “endeavour” and “explore” used by the Crown are seen as hollow promises. NHNPHT demand stronger, meaningful language and genuine commitment.

Recent Developments

• Legal Action Threatened: NHNPHT has notified the Crown and MPWCT of intent to pursue High Court action if issues remain unresolved.
• Progress Noted, But Not Enough:
  Regardless of the 2024 unanimous support of all Iwi to ‘unbolt’ the Rangitikei river claim from the MPWCT negotiation and settlement process it remains within the MPWCT AIP; NHNPHT credits updates, to include river provisions along with landlocked land workstreams to legal pressure, not genuine Crown engagement.
• Memorandum Of Understanding Signed: Although NHNPHT signed a MoU on November 5, 2025, with MPWCT to secure a future input to negotiations in regard to their claims, NHNPHT do not support the AIP as it stands.

NHNPHT’s Commitment

NHNPHT will continue to fight for fair and meaningful redress for Ngāti Hinemanu, Ngāti Paki, and Ngāti Pouwharekura descendants. Updates will be shared via social media and at www.hinemanu.nz.