Honoured Northland iwi leader dies

8:39 pm on 11 January 2018

A Northland iwi leader who was recognised in the recent New Year's honours for his work in securing treaty settlement for his tribe has died.

Russell Kemp

Russell Kemp died yesterday aged 71. Photo: Supplied

Russell Kemp from the Northland iwi of Te Uri O Hau died yesterday aged 71 years old after a long battle with cancer.

In the 2017 New Year honours, Mr Kemp was made an officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to Māori.

In 1991, he lodged the Wai 229 Treaty Claim with the Waitangi Tribunal for Te Uri O Hau and was a negotiator for the tribe which signed its deed of settlement in the Crown in 2000.

He was the chairman of both Te Uri O Hau Settlement Trust and Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Whātua.

He played a key role in securing Crown recognition of the Rūnanga's mandate to negotiate a settlement of Ngāti Whātua iwi-wide Treaty claims in 2008 and the Kaipara Harbour claim.

His tangi will be held at Otamatea Marae near the Northland settlement of Maungaturoto this Saturday at 11am.

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