Ngapuhi leaders are holding meetings in Australia this week to update Maori living there on progress on the iwi's Treaty settlement.
The mandated iwi authority Tuhoronuku has been contentious on its home turf in Northland but it says Ngapuhi living across the Tasman have always been keen to see the massive claim settled.
The Sydney mandate hui. Photo: RNZ / Lois Williams
Tuhoronuku's interim leader Sonny Tau is chaired an information hui in Sydney on Tuesday evening following a similar meeting in Perth on Monday.
It's the third such round of meetings across the Tasman and in New Zealand to make sure as many of Ngapuhi's 140,000 members as possible are kept up to date with the mandate process.
A spokesperson, Kipa Munro, says about 20 people attended the Perth hui and they will update whanau through their West Australian networks about elections next month for new Tuhoronuku reps, to direct negotiations with the Crown.
Mr Munro says thousands of Ngapuhi live in Australia and while they don't want to be involved directly with the negotiation process, they've made it clear they want to be kept informed.
Some sub-tribes in the Far North including Ngati Hine are refusing to join Tuhoronuku but the tide of opposition has turned this week, with a large Bay of Islands hapu, Ngati Rehia, saying it can now work with the revised mandate rules and it will take part.
Tuhoronuku says the settlement is for all Ngapuhi and the vast majority, who do not live in Northland, want to see the claim settled and Aotearoa's biggest and poorest iwi back on the road to prosperity.
Meanwhile Te Rarawa leader Haami Piripi made a strong plea on Tuesday for hapu to end their opposition to Tuhoronuku, set aside personality differences and join in the settlement process.
Mr Piripi, who has Ngapuhi ancestry through his Hokianga roots, says if Ngati Hine believes Tuhoronuku is broken it should join and help to fix it.
He says Ngati Hine, as ariki, have always produced strong leaders and they are needed by the whole of Ngapuhi.
