from Mōtītī Island tangata whenua - Tribunal
But it did find the review process undertaken by the Crown in 2015 was flawed, and that consultation could have been a lot better.
About 40 people live on the island, which sits about 20km off the coast of Pāpāmoa in the Bay of Plenty.
The tangata whenua of Mōtītī - Te Patuwai and Te Whānau a Tauwhao - went to the Tribunal after the Crown said they were covered by its settlement with eastern Bay of Plenty iwi Ngāti Awa.
The people of Mōtītī regard themselves as independent from Ngāti Awa, thus warranting their own settlement.
In its report, released today, and following hearings in Tauranga and Whakatāne, the Waitangi Tribunal determined that the Crown's claim that Te Patuwai was an affiliate to Ngāti Awa stood.
It found the Crown had properly informed itself through the kinship review, and that it had correctly assesed the claimants' settlement status, deeming that they were covered by the Ngāti Awa settlement.
Link to article: Crown not in breach of treaty for rejecting settlement from Mōtītī Island tangata whenua - Tribunal | RNZ News
