The Maori Council plans to ask iwi for financial help to fund its Supreme Court case on Maori water rights.
The council and the Waikato River and Dams Claims Trust want the Government to delay its proposal to sell shareholdings in state assets, including Mighty River Power, until it has resolved Maori interests in water.
They have been granted a Supreme Court hearing early in 2013 after losing their bid in the High Court this month.
Maori Council solicitor Donna Hall predicts the Supreme Court case could cost at least $250,000 and says the council will be contacting tribes to seek financial support.
Ms Hall says the tribes have known for some time that they would need to make a contribution.
