Taranaki Iwi Claims Settlement Act 2016

The Crown unreservedly apologises for its failure to honour its obligations to Taranaki Iwi under Te Tiriti o Waitangi/the Treaty of Waitangi, and for failing to give appropriate respect to the mana and rangatiratanga of Taranaki Iwi.

The Crown deeply regrets its actions that led to the outbreak of war in Taranaki, and the lasting impact those wars have had on its relationship with Taranaki Iwi. The Crown unreservedly apologises for the many injustices carried out against Taranaki Iwi during those wars, including the shelling of settlements and the use of scorched earth tactics, and for the severe distress, hardship and death that those actions caused.

The Crown is deeply sorry for the immense prejudice it caused by confiscating the land that had supported Taranaki Iwi for centuries. The raupatu was indiscriminate, unjust, and unconscionable. The Crown deeply regrets the serious damage that the raupatu and its subsequent actions with respect to your remaining lands has caused to the social structure, economy, welfare, and development of Taranaki Iwi. The Crown deeply regrets the actions it took to suspend the ordinary course of law and imprison Taranaki Iwi people without trial for participating in campaigns of non-violent resistance. The Crown sincerely apologises to those tūpuna who it imprisoned far from their homes for political reasons, to the whānau who grieved and struggled to survive in the absence of their loved ones, to their uri, and to Taranaki Iwi.

The Crown unreservedly apologises to Taranaki Iwi, and to the Taranaki Iwi people of Parihaka past and present, for its unconscionable actions at Parihaka; for invading their settlement, for systematically dismantling their community, for destroying their ability to sustain themselves, and for assaulting their human rights. The Crown deeply regrets the immense and enduring harm that these actions caused to Parihaka and its people. Over several generations, the Crown’s breaches of Te Tiriti o Waitangi/the Treaty of Waitangi have undermined your leadership and your communities, your ability to exercise long-held rights and responsibilities, and your ability to maintain your cultural and spiritual heritage, your language, and your Taranakitanga.

Through this settlement and this apology, the Crown hopes to ease the heavy burden of grievance and sorrow that Taranaki Iwi has carried for so many years, and to assist Taranaki Iwi in its pursuit of a better future. To this end, the Crown looks forward to building a relationship with Taranaki Iwi based on mutual trust, co-operation, and respect for Te Tiriti o Waitangi/the Treaty of Waitangi and its principles.”