Author(s): Tipene O'Regan

NZ History

Negotiating a claim before the Waitangi Tribunal can involve troubling challenges to an iwi's legitimacy, sometimes from unexpected places. In this unique behind-the-scenes account of the negotiation of Ngai Tahu's Waitangi Tribunal claim, Sir Tipene O'Regan describes what happened when claims of New Age mysticism attempted to undermine traditional whakapapa and academic scholarship.