Te Kāhui Whakamana (Settlement Commitments)
We support durable Treaty settlements
We work alongside the rest of the Crown, local government and settled iwi to safeguard the durability of historical Treaty settlements. We help ensure the gains made to Māori Crown relationships through Treaty settlements are maintained and built upon. We report to the Minister for Māori Crown Relations: Te Arawhiti.
We support the Crown to deliver on its Treaty settlement commitments
Treaty settlements include commitments made by the Crown as redress for historical events. As Treaty settlements progress, the number of commitments arising from settlements continues to grow.
We help the Crown gain an overview of its Treaty settlement commitments, assist coordination across the agencies responsible for implementing commitments and act as an initial contact point for enquiries on post-settlement matters.
Te Kāhui Whakamana (Settlement Commitments) has been developing Te Haeata – the Settlement Portal. Te Haeata is an online record of Treaty settlement commitments, to help agencies and settled groups to search for and manage settlement commitments. Te Haeata went live in June 2019. If you are a representative of an organisation with Treaty settlement commitments, you can register for an account on Te Haeata.
You can find information on settlements on the:
New Zealand Legislation website
We maintain and strengthen relationships with settled iwi
A key aspect of maintaining relationships is working with iwi and central and local government to resolve issues arising after settlement. We work with iwi and the lead agencies to resolve issues as they arise.
Our connection with Te Kāhui Whakatau (Treaty Settlements) negotiations team (also part of Te Arawhiti) is especially important, as we build on the relationships developed with groups while in settlement negotiations.
We also engage with Te Puni Kōkiri, the Ministry of Social Development and other agencies about implementing accord arrangements arising through settlements.
We use what we learn through Treaty settlements to inform Treaty partnerships
We contribute to advice on post-settlement matters alongside other departments. Our key focus is ensuring new policies uphold the durability of Treaty settlements.
A key function of the Te Arawhiti portfolio is supporting the Crown to act fairly as a Treaty partner. We support this goal by looking for opportunities for partnership between the Crown and settled groups, and ensuring agencies and local government are aware of their Treaty settlement commitments.