Midnight tonight is the deadline for all Treaty of Waitangi claims. Last year, there were 97 claims but more than 1,000 claims are likely by midnight tonight. This is the last time that anyone can make an historic claim although it will take many years for all these claims to be settled.
A claim for the Waitangi Tribunal to hear can be made by any individual Maori or a tribe. Most claims are made by tribes or iwi. They have to show that the Crown has broken the agreement made by the Treaty of Waitangi. Maybe they want the Crown to give them back land that was taken from them or to give them money instead of the land.
The Waitangi Tribunal was set up in 1975. It is not a court. The job of the Tribunal is to hold an inquiry into claims made by Maori. Half of the members of the Tribunal are Maori and half are Pakeha because both Maori and Pakeha are interested in a fair decision. The Tribunal looks at both the Maori and the English version of the Treaty because there are some differences.
In 1975, the Tribunal was only able to inquire into recent claims but since 1985, it has looked at historic claims, going right back to 1840 if necessary. Many unfair things happened to Maori, especially during the time of the New Zealand wars in the 1860s. In some cases the government took Maori land even though the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840 guaranteed Maori the rights to their land.
Anyone making a claim needs to have an historian to research evidence to show how the Crown broke the Treaty. Usually they need a lawyer also. The Tribunal has historians and lawyers too. The members of the Tribunal meet with the tribe and listen to evidence. They usually meet on the marae belonging to that tribe. Finally the Tribunal makes a recommendation to the Crown.
The Minister of Treaty claims is Michael Cullen. He is also the Minister of Finance. Already this year, he has announced many settlements with tribes involving millions of dollars. Usually, the Crown also makes an apology to the tribe for what happened in the past.
