Treaty Negotiations Minister Christopher Finlayson says Ngai Tuhoe is going to be playing a much bigger role in future discussions over Te Urewera National Park.
The park's future is the subject of talks between iwi, recreation groups and local authorities.
At a Rotorua summit on Friday, Mr Finlayson said the Crown understood the special nature of the land in historical terms to the iwi and that a map of Te Urewera shows it's 'pepper-potted' with private land.
Ngai Tuhoe has previously stated it wants what it calls unencumbered ownership of the National Park, but that's been rejected by the Prime Minister, John Key.
