5 Jun 2012

Deed of Settlement a team effort, says negotiator

7:33 am on 5 June 2012

The lead negotiator for South Waikato iwi Ngati Raukawa, Vanessa Eparaima, says its signing of a Deed of Settlement with the Crown is thanks to a team effort by the whole tribe.

Raukawa and the Government signed the agreement at Aotearoa Marae in Te Awamutu on Saturday.

Ms Eparaima, chairperson of The Raukawa Settlement Trust, says getting to this milestone has been challenging, but worth it.

She says the occasion at the weekend helped to address past grievances and is a chance to look towards the future.

A deed typically includes historical accounts between the Crown and an iwi, grievances suffered by Maori, a formal apology and financial, commercial or cultural redress to an iwi.