Link: Waitangi Tribunal Findings 2025
Statement to Mauri Sovereigns
This report stands as an official Crown forum record that the Crown overstepped its proper lane. The Tribunal identifies a central theme: the Crown pushed beyond kawanatanga, took power at the expense of tino rangatiratanga, and in doing so damaged trust and caused long term social and economic harm.
The report reinforces the core position our people have always held. Rangatira did not intend to give up tino rangatiratanga. The intention was not to relinquish the ability to govern our own affairs, our taonga, and our communities.
The report also makes the next point plain. The remedy is not symbolism. The remedy is structural change. The Tribunal is explicit that resolution requires legislative and policy reform to reset the relationship between tino rangatiratanga and kawanatanga so the promises of te Tiriti are realised in practice, not just in words.
Finally, the report gives clear direction on what must happen next. It repeats and adds recommendations for constitutional discussions and institutions at national iwi and hapu levels, the return of Crown land in the inquiry district, substantial compensation to restore the hapu economic base, and practical support for hapu and iwi authority within or alongside local government, including shared decision making and collaboration.
That is the message of this report. It confirms what we have said all along, and it sets a pathway that demands real transfer of power, real return of land, and real restoration of our economic base, with hapu and iwi authority recognised and operating as authority.
The Waitangi Tribunal report makes it clear that the Crown asserted authority over Mauri without consent. In Chapter 13, section 13.8 of the Tino Rangatiratanga report, the Tribunal states that New Zealand’s constitution evolved in ways that the rangatira never agreed to. The Crown unilaterally proclaimed sovereignty and progressively encroached on the tino rangatiratanga that was supposed to remain intact.
Tikanga as Law
Tikanga Māori (Māori customs and law) is a legitimate and complete system of law that must be respected.
The Waitangi Tribunal affirms that tikanga Mauri is a legitimate and complete system of law. In Chapter 13, section 13.4, the Tribunal discusses that tikanga was the first law of Aotearoa and that it remains a fundamental source of authority for Mauri. They conclude that Mauri have the right to apply tikanga as their own law, not just as a cultural custom, but as a true legal framework. Link: Waitangi Tribunal Findings 2025
No Token Roles
The Tribunal made it clear that Māori authority cannot be reduced to token advisory roles or symbolic gestures. Real decision-making power is required.
In Chapter 13, section 13.6.3, the Tribunal makes it clear that Mauri authority cannot be reduced to token advisory roles. They say that real power sharing means giving Mauri actual decision-making authority, not just consultation or symbolic inclusion. Link: Waitangi Tribunal Findings 2025
Crown Systems Must Change
The Tribunal stated that the Crown must change its own systems to allow for real Māori autonomy, not the other way around.
Local Control Matters
It’s not just about national recognition. Tino rangatiratanga has to be real at the local level—hapu and iwi must have real control in their own districts.
In Chapter 13, section 13.3.4, the Tribunal points out that tino rangatiratanga must be real at the local level. They emphasise that hapū and iwi need genuine authority in their own regions, not just at a national level. Link: Waitangi Tribunal Findings 2025
Protecting Land and Resources
Māori have the right to protect their whenua (land) and taonga (treasures) from external control or exploitation.
In Chapter 13, section 13.10, the Tribunal confirms that Mauri have the right to protect their whenua and taonga from external control. They stress that the Treaty guaranteed Mauri the continued authority over their resources. Link: Waitangi Tribunal Findings 2025
No Need for Crown Permission
Māori do not need Crown permission to exercise their tino rangatiratanga. The right is inherent and pre-dates the Treaty.
In Chapter 13, section 13.7, the Tribunal makes it clear that Mauri do not need Crown permission to exercise their tino rangatiratanga. They state that this authority is inherent and does not depend on Crown recognition. Link: Waitangi Tribunal Findings 2025
Future Focused
These findings are not just about history—they lay out a roadmap for a different future where Māori authority stands on its own.
In Chapter 13, section 13.11, the Tribunal notes that these findings are not just historical—they are about how the future should look. They emphasise that tino rangatiratanga is a living principle that must shape future relationships and governance. Link: Waitangi Tribunal Findings 2025
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Sovereign Crown of the Mauri Nation and the Tino Rangatiratanga Findings
Waitangi Tribunal Findings 2025
*The Sovereign Crown of the Mauri Nation proudly affirms that all our initiatives, including
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Supreme Council
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The Purple Thumb Community
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Live-Life claims
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Domicle claims
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Absolute claim of Right
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Native Earth claims
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Private foundations
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Trusts
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Private Notaries
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Seals
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Exemptions
stand in direct alignment with the Waitangi Tribunal’s findings on tino rangatiratanga.
*Affirmation of Full Autonomy
The Sovereign Crown of the Mauri Nation has implemented governance rooted in tikanga and has not sought permission from the Crown. This is in full alignment with the Tribunal’s conclusion that Mauri never ceded their sovereignty. We have embodied the principle that tino rangatiratanga means full Mauri authority and self-governance.
*Tikanga as Law
By using tikanga as our foundational legal system, we are fully aligned with the Tribunal’s affirmation that tikanga is a complete and legitimate system of law. This approach ensures that our governance structures are not symbolic but represent true Mauri self-determination.
*Building True Self-Governance
With the Supreme Council of Nu Tireni Aotearoa, the Purple Thumb Community’s Liv-Life claims, Native Earth claims, and the Sovereign Passports, we have established meaningful institutions that bring tino rangatiratanga to life. These processes ensure that Mauri authority is exercised both locally and nationally, fulfilling the Tribunal’s call for genuine self-governance.
In all these respects, the Sovereign Crown of the Mauri Nation has done the work to ensure that our sovereignty, our tikanga, and our tino rangatiratanga are fully realized and in full alignment with the Waitangi Tribunal’s findings.
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TINO RANGATIRA NOW!
The Best Way Forward for Mauri
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Stop waiting for permission and start standardising our own authority.
Build and document hapu based decision making rules, representation, dispute process, and kaupapa priorities. If we cannot describe our governance clearly, the Crown will keep defining it for us. -
Use the report as leverage, not as a lullaby.
The Tribunal gives political weight, but it does not automatically deliver power. Treat it like a mandate to organise, negotiate, and hold lines. -
Go straight at the structural targets the report names.
A. Processes and institutions that recognise and give effect to tino rangatiratanga.
B. Land return and economic base restoration, because without whenua and capital, authority stays theoretical. -
Build a negotiation platform that cannot be divided.
One voice does not mean one person. It means aligned positions: what is non negotiable, what is negotiable, what is time bound, what redress is required, and what governance form Mauri will accept. -
Create an implementation plan on the ground.
The Crown respects capacity. Show it. Land use plans, housing plans, marae and papakainga infrastructure, rates strategy, planning pathway, and economic projects that restore the hapu base.
To all of us as hapu: we are already on the right track. We’ve put strong structures in place that reflect our tino rangatiratanga and our full Mauri authority.