Rangahaua Whānui Introduction

The aim of the Waitangi Tribunal’s Rangahaua Whānui project was to provide a historical overview of relevant Crown policy and actions that contributed to Maori land loss and other Treaty grievances. In a practice note dated 23 September 1993, the Tribunal explained that:

It is now clear that the complaints concerning specified lands in many small claims, relate to Crown policy that affected numerous other lands as well, and that the Crown actions complained of in certain tribal claims, likewise affected all or several tribes, (although not necessarily to the same degree).

It further appears the claims as a whole require an historical review of relevant Crown policy and action in which both single issue and major claims can be properly contextualised.

The several, successive and seriatim hearing of claims has not facilitated the efficient despatch of long outstanding grievances and is duplicating the research of common issues. Findings in one case may also affect others still to be heard who may hold competing views and for that and other reasons, the current process may unfairly advantage those cases first dealt with in the long claimant queue.

To alleviate these problems and to further assist the prioritising, grouping, marshalling, and hearing of claims, a national review of claims is now proposed.

For the purposes of the project, the country was divided up into 15 geographic districts, the boundaries of which were based on local catchment areas and Government boundaries (amended in some cases to take account of iwi movements and overlapping areas of interest). As well as the district reports, reports were prepared on a range of themes that applied across districts. A three-volume summary of the material accumulated for the project was then produced by Professor Alan Ward and published as the National Overview.