Te Paparahi o Te Raki (Northland)

Claims and geographical area

Northland area map

 

The Te Paparahi o Te Raki (Northland) inquiry (Wai 1040), presided over by Judge Craig Coxhead, inquired into around 415 claims. The claims were brought by hapū from Ngāpuhi, Ngātiwai, Ngāti Hine, Patuharakeke, Ngāti Rehua, Ngāti Whātua and Ngāti Manuhiri.

The northern boundary of this inquiry district runs along the ridge of the Maungataniwha Range and includes Whāngāpē Harbour. The western boundary includes the inland boundary outside the Te Roroa and Kaipara inquiry districts. The southern boundary runs along the North Shore of the Waitemata Harbour. The eastern boundary runs down the east coast and includes some of the outlying islands, such as Rangitoto and Aotea (Great Barrier).

See a map of the Te Paparahi o Te Raki (Northland) inquiry district [PDF, 60 KB]

Major issues

Major issues in the Te Raki stage 2 inquiry included:

  • Tino rangatiratanga, kāwanatanga and autonomy: political engagement between Māori and the Crown, including the 1860s rūnanga system and the Crown's relationship with the Kotahitanga movements of the 1880s, 1890s, and the twentieth century.
  • The immediate aftermath of the Treaty of Waitangi (in particular the Old Land Claims process 1841–43, scrip, and surplus lands, Crown pre-emption and purchasing, and the Northern War 1844–46).
  • The operation of the Native Land Court and the alienation of Māori land in the 19th and 20th centuries.
  • The management of Māori land in the twentieth century, including local government and rating, and public works takings.
  • Ownership and management of environmental, water and other non-land resources.
  • Takutai moana/foreshore and seabed.
  • Economic development and socioeconomic issues and capability.
  • Te reo Māori, wāhi tapu, taonga, and tikanga.
  • Specific local issues including the Port of Whāngārei/Northport, Marsden Point Refinery, Hauturu (Little Barrier Island) and Hato Petera College – sale of Crown Grants Lands.

Find out more in the Tribunal's 'Statement of Issues' for stage 2 [PDF, 595 KB]

Panel members

Stage 1

The inquiry panel for stage 1 was presided over by Judge Coxhead.

The panel also included:

  • Dr Richard Hill
  • Joanne Morris
  • Kihi Ngatai
  • Keita Walker
  • Emeritus Professor Ranginui Walker

Stage 2

The inquiry panel for stage 2 is presided over by Judge Coxhead.

Find out more about Judge Coxhead(external link)

The panel also includes:

The late Emeritus Professor Ranginui Walker was a member of the stage 2 panel until February 2016.

The late Dr Kihi Ngatai was also a member of the stage 2 panel until August 2021.

Inquiry progress

Stage 1 inquiry

The stage 1 inquiry hearings took place between May 2010 and February 2011. On 14 November 2014, the Te Paparahi o Te Raki stage 1 report handover took place at Te Tii Marae, Waitangi. The stage 1 report addressed the issues posed by the Tribunal, which – uniquely in Tribunal inquiries – focused on Māori and Crown understandings of He Whakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga/the Declaration of Independence 1835, and Te Tiriti o Waitangi/the Treaty of Waitangi 1840.

Read the full version of the stage 1 report:

Te Paparahi o Te Raki stage 1 report(external link)

Stage 2 inquiry

Stage 2 hearings concluded in October 2017. Final closing submissions were received in May 2018. The inquiry is now in the report writing phase.

The Tribunal released its pre-publication version of part 1 of Tino Rangatiratanga me te Kāwanatanga: The Report on Stage 2 of the Te Paparahi o Te Raki Inquiry in December 2022.

A ceremony to hand over the final published version of the report was held on 9 December 2023 at Waitangi Treaty grounds in the Bay of Islands.

Download the final published version of the stage 2 part 1 report:

Volume 1 - Tino Rangatiratanga me te Kāwanatanga: The Report on Stage 2 of the Te Paparahi o Te Raki inquiry(external link)

Volume 2 - Tino Rangatiratanga me te Kāwanatanga: The Report on Stage 2 of the Te Paparahi o Te Raki inquiry(external link)

Volume 3 - Tino Rangatiratanga me te Kāwanatanga: The Report on Stage 2 of the Te Paparahi o Te Raki inquiry(external link)

Find out about:

After hearing process

Research

A Crown Forestry Rental Trust (CFRT) research programme produced most of the stage 2 research. The Waitangi Tribunal also commissioned several reports focusing on local claim issues. Other reports were produced by claimants and the Crown.

An index to the record of inquiry [PDF, 1.1 MB]

Find out more about inquiry documents(external link)

Document requests:

For all document requests for this inquiry, email: WT_Requests@justice.govt.nz

Inquiry requests:

For all inquiry related requests, email: WT.Registrar@justice.govt.nz

 

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