A lawyer is calling for the Government to fund efforts to track down tangata whenua who are unaware they are entitled to millions of dollars in unpaid dividends.
The Atihau-Whanganui Incorporation recently declared it had more than $1.6 million in unclaimed dividends.
The Maori Trustee now says it administers 59,000 accounts with unclaimed dividends worth about $5 million.
The Ngai Tahu Maori Law Centre's senior solicitor, Desiree Williams, said more than a quarter of land trust and incorporation shareholders in its records - are deceased.
She said either the Justice or Maori Development ministries should fund the Maori Land Court to find their ancestors.
Ms Williams said a one-off project could be established where court members use sources like the White Pages, the electoral roll, or even Facebook to find people.
