Waikato-Tainui says it will never cede rights to a portion of the valuable radio spectrum.
When all TV signals go digital, a band will become free to be sold to telecommunication companies for a new generation of mobile phone technology.
Some claimants and the Maori Party have been attempting to secure an allocation for Treaty partners, but talks have stalled.
Tom Roa is the head of Waikato-Tainui's executive arm, known as Te Arataura. He says there are parallels with the wai Maori claim.
He says claims to rights and interests in water have never been ceded, and that approach applies to the spectrum.
Mr Roa says Waikato-Tainui supports existing Maori claimants in principle.
