In 1988 Patukirikiri became one of twelve tribal governance members of the Hauraki Maori Trust Board (HMTB) and worked alongside other Hauraki and Auckland tribes to present the Wai 100 claim, being a blanket claim for all the lands of Hauraki and Auckland. However post the Wai 100 presentation many Patukirikiri members felt their specific tribal grievances particularly areas of high cultural significance had not been fully covered by the presentation, so as a result of that, Patukirikiri lodged its own tribal claim in 1999 which was formally acknowledged by the Waitangi Tribunal in 2000 assigning ‘Wai 811’ to the claim.
The Crown then introduced an alteration to their funding process, principally for Crown convenience, they instructing claimants to form cluster groups and large natural groupings with commonality like ancestry and common tribal lands etc. Patukirikiri with about fifteen other claimants established the Marutuahu Claims Committee (MCC) and in due course presented their Wai 811 claim in 2002. After this presentation the claimants under their tribal groupings formed a large natural grouping called the Marutuahu Working Group (MWG) to carry them through to the first stage of the mandating process, however the HMTB viewed the MWG as rivals to tribal mandate and and raised representation issues which halted the process in 2005.
Furthermore the Auckland tribes were in a similarly stalled predicament but for different reasons whereby Sir Douglas Graham was tasked by the Crown to find a way through the predicament. In 2009 Sir Douglas offered the tribes a solution being the appointment of their own tribal interim negotiators to continue the mandating process, which offer was accepted by all, but rejected by the HMTB. Nevertheless, despite opposition from the HMTB and its attempts to either influence hui each of the twelve tribes selected its negotiators.
At a Hui-a-Iwi on 29 November 2009, Patukirikiri appointed its interim negotiators being;
- William Peters (Active)
- David Williams (Active)
- Stewart Peters (Alternative)
… Whereby both active negotiators are involved in negotiations in both Auckland and Hauraki and continue to report back to their Patukirikiri people at hui-a-iwi and runanga hui level, which includes specific hui-a-Iwi involving the Chief Crown Negotiator.
It is the general intention of Patukirikiri and TPI to negotiate a full settlement for all Patukirikiri interests particularly former land estate so that these lands when returned by the Crown canl be delivered back to the rightful descendants of the original owners.
Na reira koutou, haere atu ra, ma te Atua e tiaki e manaaki ki a koutou katoa.