Introduction

On 20 April 1994, the Ngai Tumapuhia-a-rangi Claims Committee on behalf of Ngai Tumapuhia-a-rangi Hapu initiated a claim to the Waitangi Tribunal [1] pointing out that it had and has been prejudicially affected by the policies and actions of the Crown in relation to the Crown's acquisition of our traditional lands and all associated taonga. The Claims committee stated that the policies and actions by the Crown have been inconsistent with the spirit and principles of the Treaty of Waitangi.

The claim statement described the Ngai Tumapuhia-a-rangi boundaries as:

Mai i Whareama ki Tauera atu ki te Taumata o Te Hangatu, ahu atu ki te Karaka o Waimatua ki Wainuioru, ahu atu ki te Karaka o Waiatua ki Te Awhea, rere atu ki Hawerawera ki te Ngatuawa o Te Awhea, rere atu ma te takutai ki Whareama [2]

This claim was registered as WAI 429 (June 1995).

A further claim was lodged in September 2000 on behalf of Ngai Tumapuhia-a-rangi Claims Committee and hapu collectively and was registered as WAI 886 as at February 2001.

NgaiTumapuhia-a-rangi post 2003

The detail in this report commences as at January 2003. The reason for this is that in February 2003 the claimant groups within Ngai Tumapuhia-a-rangi agreed to meet in mediation and form a single entity to move forward in the Wairarapa ki Tararua hearing process.

In November 2002 Judge Carrey Wainwright met with members of Ngai Tumapuhia-a-rangi and recommended that the hapu enter in to mediation as there were outstanding disagreements and a need to ensure that there was a consensus within the hapu to move forward within the Wairarapa ki Tararua Waitangi tribunal Hearing process.

On the 8/9 February 2003 the hapu met in Masterton and over two days arrived at an agreement to:

• Develop a new legal representative body (Te Ropu Matua) for NgaiTumapuhia-a-rangi
• Establish a new representative body (Te Ropu Kaimahi) that will establish a the new representative body
• Establish a new interim claims committee to for the hapu claim in the Waitangi Tribunal Hearing for Wairarapa ki Tararua.

At the same time it was agreed there would be an amalgamation of the original WAI 429 and the recently established WAI 886 under the one number WAI 429. At the same time the WAI 429. This February meeting was to be a key event for the hapu as the NgaiTumapuhia-a-rangi claim would now be heard under a single claimant number WAI 429, new named claimant and supported by new legal counsel [3].

Moving into the Hearings

In December 2003 the Tribunal after hearing from legal advisors and iwi and hapu representatives agreed that individual hearings will take place and involve individual claimant groups within the Wairarapa and Tararua districts. NgaiTumapuhia-a-rangi would hosts the Waitangi Tribunal at Okautete School on or about the 23 July 2004 [4].

NgaiTumapuhia-a-rangi - Developing the Hapu Entity and Progressing the Claim

Following the Mediation for NgaiTumapuhia-a-rangi, two work streams were managed

• Te Ropu Whenua continued to manage the hapu claim within the Wairarapa ki Tararua Waitangi Tribunal process.
• Te Ropu Kaimahi sets about building a representative and legal entity that would represent all hapu members.
• Te Ropu Whenua managed the claims process until the new entity was established and registered as a Trust organisation acting on behalf of hapu members.

Developing a single entity

The development of the single entity took some time as each issue was addressed and the contents of the Trust Deed worked through. On Sunday 24 July 2005, at Okautete it was agreed to name the Trust Te Runanga o Ngai Tumapuhia-a-rangi ki Wairarapa [5]. On 17 August 2006 the trust deed was approved by the Registrar of Incorporated Societies and the hapu organisation is now known as Te Runanga o Ngai Tumapuhia-a-rangi ki Wairarapa.

A Proposal to Set Up an Iwi Negotiation Entity

At the time of the Tamaki nui a rua Hearing (10 May) at Makirikiri a proposal was put forward to bring the Wairarapa and Tamaki nui a rua claimant groups together to explore the possibility of forming a process that would begin moving claimants towards a Wairarapa negotiation and possible settlement process. The Wairarapa ki Tararua Strategy and Planning Group was formed with the expressed intent of leading Wairarapa claimants to negotiations with the Crown.

In May 2005, two possible models were presented

• A single settlement that confederates the interests of Rangitane and Ngati Kahungunu, and
• Two settlements for Rangitane and Ngati Kahungunu respectively

The Crowns position was to settle Waitangi Tribunal claims with large natural groups. However NgaiTumapuhia-a-rangi saw this process as effectively marginalising its individual hapu claim and as a result it elected not to establish itself along side these proposals at that time. Te Runanga o Ngai Tumapuhia a Rangi sought to move ahead on a hapu base.

2006 Onwards

The Runanga then formed an alliance with other hapu that had the same approach. Hence the formation of the Kahungunu Alliance inclusive of Ngai Tumapuhia a Rangi, Akura, Te Hika a Papauma. Throughout 2006 to July 2008 the Alliance set about establishing its identy and structure. Hinewaka joined in 1997.

The Pouakani Inc and Moana Trust along with Nga Hapu Karanga, formed the Kahungunu Caucus and sought to negotiate the comprehensive settlement of Wairarapa Tamaki a Rua claim without the Kahungunu Alliance but were turned away by the Crown.

The Kahungunu Alliance was recognised by the Crown in 2008 as the body to seek a mandate to enter into negotiations.

The Kahungunu Alliance held a number of hui to gather in other claimants in the Wairarapa Tararua rohe - namely the Kahungunu Caucus members. This culminated in a hui held on the 16th of August 2008 whereby 10 representatives were elected to form a leadership group to progress the claims and to produce a draft mandate strategy to be presented to the iwi, at a hui a hapu when completed.

The process is still in place and ongoing.

Claims activity has intensified over the last year. Representatives have attended numerous hui with other Kahungunu hapu/marae from Wairarapa and Tamaki Nui a Rua areas, with the emphasis on "Hapu and Marae". The Kahungunu hapu collective grouping has indicatively decided on 9 hapu groupings and they are:

• Papauma ki Wairarapa Hapu
• Ngai Tumapuhia a Rangi ki Wairarapa Hapu
• Papawai Marae me ona Hapu
• Hurunui o Rangi Marae me ona Hapu
• Tamaki nui a Rua (x 2)
• Ngati Hine Waka
• Te Ore Ore Marae/Hamua
• Akura

Please note that all of the hapu above consist of many other hapu/marae of Wairarapa and Tamaki Nui a Rua.

The next crucial step in the process is to submit a deed of mandate strategy to the Office of Treaty Settlements that allows the grouping to seek the mandate from the Kahungunu Wairarapa/Tamaki Nui a Rua people around Aotearoa. This also allows the grouping to negotiate with the Crown and Rangitane on overlapping issues.

Our hapu register is crucial moving forward so please make sure you and your whanau sign up.

NgaiTumapuhia-a-rangi Hapu Whakapapa [6]

NgaiTumapuhia-a-rangi whakapapa as presented in brief at the Waitangi Tribunal Hearing in the first week of the Waitangi Tribunal hearings (Copthorn - week of 30 March 2004) in which claimants introduced NgaiTumapuhia-a-rangi)

NgaiTumapuhia-a-rangi

	Tumapuhia = Hine te Ao
Te Hinurewa		Rongomaiaia		Te Ikahoroiwi		Hikawera		Hikatoa

1 - Waitangi Tribunal, 20 April 1994
2 - See whakapapa of NgaiTumapuhia-a-rangi
3 - Tamatekapua Law, Auckland
4 - Also see Memorandum and Direction of Judge CM Wainwright, 9 March 2004 http://www.waitangitribunal.govt.nz/inquiries/wairarapa_inq/wairarapa_docstore.asp?category=4
5 - Replaces the earlier name, Te Ropu Matua
6 - Te Maipi Hearing, Takitimu District Minute Book 9, 12 (1888, pgs 98 and 496, 498)