The Crown and Marlborough iwi Ngati Kuia signed an agreement settling the iwi's Treaty of Waitangi claim on Saturday.
The Deed of Settlement is the first to be signed in the South Island since 1997.
It sets out redress worth more than $24-million, including the return of Crown properties and sites of cultural significance.
It also contains an apology from the Crown for historical breaches of the treaty.
The historical claims of Ngati Kuia were first heard by the Waitangi Tribunal between 2000 and 2004, and the iwi began negotiations with the Crown in 2006.
Treaty Negotiations Minister, Chris Finlayson, says the settlement is a significant step towards resolving the claims of eight iwi in the northern South Island.
