In its report on Hato Petera College the Education Review Office said: “A Treaty of Waitangi claim against the Catholic Diocese from old boys of the school, relating to the historical Deed of Trust for the property surrounding the school, is affecting school and Diocese relationships at present.”
The claim centres on the land where the kura (school) is sited, which was granted to the Catholic Church by Governor George Grey in 1849.
A spokesperson for a group asking for an inquiry, Frank Rawiri, said: “We are at a crisis point with the future of the school.”
“If the Wai 1385 claim is not settled the way we would like to settle it, we may as well say good-bye to Hato Petera.”
“We want to get the land back that has been lost or at least some of it. This remains possible because some of the land is still owned by the Crown.”
Rawiri was a member a trustee of Te Whanau 0 Hato Petera Trust from 1995 until he resigned this year.
He was chairman of the Trust from 2000 till 2010.
In June this year Rawiri presented a brief of evidence as part of an application for an urgent hearing in relation to the Crown’s 2014 decision to recognise the Tuhoronuku Deed of Mandate.
The brief states that, “Our Treaty claim concerns the 376 acres awarded in trust by way of a Crown Grant to the Catholic Church in 1850, and the subsequent maladministration of that land.
Rawiri identified himself as representing Nga Tauira Tawhito o Hato Petera.
He said was chosen to represent Nga Tauira for their Treaty claim because he is an old boy and has been actively involved with the College since 1995.
Nga Tauira Tawhito is pan tribal organisation made up of affiliated Catholic Maori and other Maori from around the country who share an allegiance to Hato Petera College.
Nga Tauira has approximately 1200 members.
It formed and registered the Nga Tauira Tawhito o Hato Petera Trust Board as a charitable trust on 2 September 2002 for the purpose of acting on behalf of and advocating for the education of Nga Tauira.
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