Claims settlement

The Ngāi Tahu Claim, lodged with the Waitangi Tribunal in 1986, included 73 grievances under nine general headings, which related to the eight large sales of Kāi Tahu land, and mahika kai. These were referred to as the Nine Tall Trees of Ngāi Tahu and related not only to land but also fisheries, the loss of language, and lack of recognition of Māori cultural values. Following three years of hearings and nine years of negotiations directly with The Crown, the Ngāi Tahu Claims Settlement Act was finally passed in 1998.

For a thorough account of the treaty settlement negotiations see:

• A long time coming : the story of Ngāi Tahu's treaty settlement negotiations with the Crown 

Heritage Collections holds several primary resources related to the Ngāi Tahu claims settlement, including:

• The Ngai Tahu report, 1991 (Wai 27) 

• Parties Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu and Her Majesty the Queen in right of New Zealand : deed of settlement

• Crown settlement offer : consultation document from the Ngāi Tahu Negotiating Group : five generations of Ngāi Tahu men and women have grown old in the shadow of our tall trees

The Ngāi Tahu Claims Settlement Act can be viewed at Heritage Collections and is also available online.

Information from Ngāi Tahu about the settlement can be accessed online here

There’s also a video series available to view.