Ministers of Parliament have been told by the tribal group, Ngati Ruapani, in Te Urewera National Park that it fears its land rights could be lost if a Treaty settlement by Ngai Tuhoe is passed in to law.
The Maori Affairs Select Committee had been hearing from various roopu about the Urewera - Tuhoe bill in Whakatane.
A member of the committee and MP for Waiariki, Te Ururoa Flavell, says it was an opportunity for people, such as Des Renata of Ngati Ruapani - to have a say.
He says Mr Renata disputed that Ngati Ruapani is an iwi, but Tamati Kruger disagreed saying that Ngati Ruapani is an iwi, instead a hapu of Ngai Tuhoe.
Mr Renata worries his people, who have links to Lake Waikaremoana, could be subsumed by the bigger collective, Ngai Tuhoe.
Tamati Kruger told politicians that the iwi is continuing to work through concerns held by other tribal groups.
