When Whakatōhea Rangatira signed Te Tiriti o Waitangi/the Treaty of Waitangi, they did so in a spirit of trust and co-operation, with a view to the benefits Treaty partnership could bring to their people. The Crown betrayed that trust by waging war and confiscating Whakatōhea land in a raupatu for which the Crown alone is responsible. The Crown’s actions caused significant loss of life, devastated Whakatōhea communities, created conflict between Whakatōhea hapū and whānau, and led to the loss of mātauranga Whakatōhea which is still felt today.
The Crown apologises to the rangatira who died at its hands. The Crown apologises to ngā uri o Te Whakatōhea, who have lived with economic, cultural and spiritual loss and deprivation as a result of the Crown’s actions. The Crown has failed to uphold its obligations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi/the Treaty of Waitangi and brought dishonour upon itself. For its breaches of teTiriti o Waitangi/the Treaty of Waitangi, and for the pain it has caused Whakatōhea through its acts and omissions, the Crown is deeply sorry.
The Crown pays tribute to the resilience of ngā uri o Te Whakatōhea, who have strived for justice and fought to retain and rebuild Whakatōheatanga over generations. Through this settlement, the Crown hopes to honour the promise of partnership it made with Whakatōhea in 1840. Let us look forward to a future of prosperity for the people of Whakatōhea and move towards it together in a spirit of good faith, partnership and respect for teTiriti o Waitangi/the Treaty of Waitangi.
For the full Crown Apology, check there Deed of Settlement document, page 62 – click here:
2.1
despite the promise of teTiriti o Waitangi/the Treaty of Waitangi, many Crown actions created long-standing grievances for Whakatōhea and over the generations Whakatōhea has sought to have their grievances addressed;2.2
the work of pursuing justice for these grievances has placed a heavy burden on the whānau and hapū of Whakatōhea and impacted on the physical, mental, spiritual and economic health of the people; and2.3
the Crown has never properly addressed these historical grievances and recognition is long overdue.For the full Crown Acknowledgements, check there Deed of Settlement document, page 62 – click here:
The Historical Account provides an overview of Whakatōhea’s experience with the Crown and the range of Treaty grievances which Whakatōhea has suffered.
The Historical Account was co-commissioned by the Crown and WPCT and developed through various research reports. The KomitiWhiriwhiriHītori and the Taumata Kaumatua have been instrumental in the collation and verification of the Whakatōhea Historical Account.
While the Historical Account provides a basis for the Settlement it is not the entire history of Whakatōhea nor is it meant to be. We are fortunate that the Settlement also allows, for the first time, the Waitangi Tribunal to continue hearing the Whakatōhea claims after the Settlement has been completed. This parallel process allows the Whakatohea claimants to lead our participation in the Waitangi Tribunal process.
To find out more about the Historical account, page 17 – click here:
The Deed of Settlement is legally binding and represents the full and final agreement to settle the historical breaches by the Crown against Whakatōhea and creates the ongoing basis of the relationship between Whakatōhea and the Crown.
The agreed Deed of Settlement includes the Crown Apology, Cultural Redress and Financial and Commercial redress. Whakatōhea negotiated its Settlement package based on, Mana Tangata, Mana Whenua and Mana Moana.
To read a summary of the Deed of Settlement click here:
