The Ngapuhi group hoping to settle the tribe's Treaty claims has deferred a series of hui it was planning, to seek a mandate.
Tuhoronuku, a committee of the Ngapuhi runanga, has bought space in Northland papers to announce the deferral and state that it is not aiming for a cash grab.
The Northland tribe is the largest in the country, but most Ngapuhi are in Auckland, and many live in Australia.
Tuhoronuku says previous hui wanted the tribe's land claims to be settled as soon as possible and supported direct negotiation with the Crown.
However, many Northland claimants, including the large Ngati Hine sub-tribe, want the Waitangi Tribunal to hear the claims first.
