In November 2008 the Waitangi Tribunal released its final report on the Treaty claims of iwi and hapu of Te Tau Ihu. The collaboration of Ngāti Koata, Ngāti Rārua, Ngāti Tama and Te Ātiawa stems from a long history of association brought about through common causes and whakapapa connections developed over hundreds of years – first in the western coastal areas of the North Island between Kawhia and Moturoa in Taranaki and later in Te Tau Ihu.

Tainui Taranaki ki te Tonga Limited is the body that has been mandated to negotiate the settlement of Treaty claims in Te Tau Ihu on behalf of Ngāti Koata, Ngāti Rārua, Ngāti Tama and Te Ātiawa. Wakatū Incorporation is also a member of this collective. The WAI 56 claim is included in the definition of historical claims in the agreed Terms of Negotiation between the Crown and Tainui Taranaki ki te Tonga. WAI 56 representatives have been included in the negotiating body for the Tainui Taranaki iwi as the kaitiaki of WAI 56.

Our Kaumatua, Rore Stafford and the late Hohepa Matuaiwi Solomon lodged the WAI56 claim in the Waitangi Tribunal in 1986 on behalf of us all - the descendants of the original 254 owners.

Wakatu Incorporation is the kaitiaki of WAI56, and is the legal entity that represents our WAI56 interests.

Te Kahui Ngahuru Trust is the Trust formed to negotiate a resolution for our hapu claim.

In February 2009, the Crown promised to talk to WAI56 representatives about the best way to resolve our claims.  Now, the Crown is refusing to talk to us.

The Crown says our claims will be resolved by the proposed Te Tau Ihu Iwi settlements, and plans to pass legislation that will extinguish our claims - even though we do not agree with this approach.

The Crown has an obligation to settle honestly with us.

We expect the Crown to soon pass legislation to put the Iwi settlements in place.  This legislation will extinguish our legal rights to pursue our claims in the Courts and Waitangi Tribunal forever.  We will lose our rights to fight for our hapu land.

We need the support of our hapu and whanau.  Do not let your Iwi settlement extinguish WAI56.

Together we must make sure our Iwi seek a separate WAI56 settlement in addition to our Iwi settlements.