7 Dec 2012

Treaty signing to provide legal protection for haka

6:48 am on 7 December 2012

Ngati Toa will sign its Treaty settlement on Friday - which will pave the way for tribe to have legal rights to the haka, Ka Mate.

The iwi - of the Wellington region and the top of the South Island - is due to resolve its historical grievances at Parliament on Friday morning.

The package includes an apology, cultural redress and a payment of $70 million.

The Crown will also introduce unique legislation to acknowledge the significance of the haka as a taonga to Ngati Toa Rangatira and an integral part of the tribe's history, culture and identity.

It means Te Rauparaha must be identified as both the composer of the haka and a chief of Ngati Toa Rangatira - whenever Ka Mate is used commercially.

However, official sponsorship advertisements featuring the All Blacks will not be affected.

The rule also won't apply to Ka Mate performances made by kapa haka groups or sports teams.

Elsewhere, the Kapiti Island Nature Reserve site, at the northern end of the island, will be symbolically returned to Ngati Toa - which the tribe will gift back to New Zealand.

The Treaty signing has been delayed due to failed legal attempts by another iwi to torpedo the Crown package.

The High Court rejected Taranaki Whanui's claim that it was doubled-crossed by the Crown, when officials offered key land to Ngati Toa.