He Taonga, He Haerenga, He Ara Whakamua

During our settlement process, we were asked whether Ngāti Tumutumu would present a gift to the Crown. What began with hesitation grew into something deeper, a project grounded in tikanga, whakapapa, and the kōrero of our iwi.

When the Crown insisted that Maunga Te Aroha should be shared among all iwi of Hauraki, the Waitangi Tribunal told us to “get in the waka and start paddling together.” From that challenge, the concept of a waka hoe was born.

Within just two weeks, our kaiwhakairo Ben Whitaker was tasked with carving a hoe to carry with us to Parliament. The result was a stunning taonga, one that reflects the darkness of our negotiation journey, the struggles faced, and the determination required to emerge into the light.

Since then, more hoe have been carved. Each represents a relationship formed throughout this settlement journey; the trust built, the movement from te pō toward te ao mārama, and the evolving partnership between Ngāti Tumutumu and the Crown.

As this kaupapa continues to grow, we wanted to share a glimpse of this mahi with you all. Behind each hoe is deep whakaaro led by our tikanga and our atua. Embedded within is the guidance of our tūpuna - whose struggles echo our own - and the collective responsibility we now share to paddle our iwi toward a brighter future.

A future that includes all of us.

A future that reflects the voices, hopes, and realities of our whānau.

A future that acknowledges our history of landlessness, the forced urbanisation of our people, and the impacts of colonisation that took many of us away from our home - and from each other.

Being Māori is not defined by where you grew up, the colour of your skin, or how long you’ve been away from the whenua. You belong because you are of us.

We are rebuilding our waka.

We are gathering our paddlers.

We are strengthening our direction, one hoe at a time.

And one day, with enough of us paddling together, Ngāti Tumutumu will move beyond the negative impacts of our past and into the prosperous, united future our tūpuna dreamed of.

He hoe, he hikoinga, he huarahi mō tātou katoa.

Preparing for Our Third and Final Reading

As we move towards our third reading, we’re beginning the important mahi of bringing our whānau together to prepare for this significant milestone.

The third and final reading of our Settlement Bill will be a momentous occasion — a chance for ALL our whānau to travel to Pōneke and stand together as our iwi’s journey reaches this historic point.

Shortly we will be holding Waiata Wānanga, Whakapapa Wānanga, and importantly, Settlement Wānanga — creating space for our people to learn, connect, and plan for the future of our iwi.

There’s a lot to do, and everyone has a role to play.

If you’d like to be involved, please contact us — we’d love to have you join us.

Ngati Tumutumu Trust: Submissions Now Open

E te whānau, he pānui tēnei mō tō tātou haerenga ki te whakataunga.

On 5 November, our Claims Settlement Bill had its first reading in Parliament, marking an important step toward finally closing one of the longest and hardest chapters in our history.

The next part of the process is the Select Committee stage, where the Māori Affairs Select Committee will receive and consider submissions from our people and the wider public.

We know many of you carry mixed feelings about the name used in the legislation, Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu.

Some have shared their mamae that this name does not reflect our true whakapapa, and that the inclusion of “Rāhiri” links us to a tūpuna who is not from our line.

We also acknowledge those who identify with Rāhiri, who feel hurt that our Post-Settlement Governance Entity carries the name Ngāti Tumutumu Trust.

Both kōrero are real.

Both hold whakapapa and wairua.

And the naming arrangement was a compromise made in 2017 during negotiations led by the Treaty Settlements Committee of that time.

With the Bill now before the Select Committee, every member of our whānau has the opportunity to have your say — whether you support the Bill as it is, wish to suggest changes, or want to share your personal or whānau perspective.

If you want to submit on any part of the settlement — including the naming issue, the redress, or our relationship to Te Aroha maunga — you are encouraged to do so.

Submissions are open now and close at 11.59pm on 3 December 2025.

The Māori Affairs Committee is considering travelling to our rohe to hear submissions kanohi ki te kanohi, date is to be confirmed, mid December has been proposed, we will update once confirmed.

Submissions can be made in te reo Māori or in English.

You can read the Bill and make your submission in the below links:

Press release: Have your say on the Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu Claims Settlement Bill - New Zealand Parliament.

Make your submission HERE

This is a significant moment in our haerenga.

Your voice matters.

Your kōrero matters.

And this is the time to share it.

He iwi tū kotahi tātou i roto i tēnei kaupapa.