Events - 1990s

1990 The Sesquicentenary

In the mid-1980s, in response to rising protests, the official role in celebrating 6 February at Waitangi had been minimised, and in 1988, it was suspended altogether. For the sesquicentennial year marking 150 years since the Treaty signing, official participation returned to Waitangi.

1992 Treaty settlements signed

A comprehensive Treaty settlement on commercial fisheries was signed, vesting $170 million with the Waitangi Fisheries Commission to enable it to buy 50% of Sealord Products Ltd, a large, Nelson-based fishing company. But the allocation of the fishery resource and proceeds has since caused much disagreement among Māori, particularly between coastal and inland tribes, traditional iwi and newer urban authorities, and the allocation issue remains unresolved more than a decade later. Major settlements were subsequently signed with Tainui in 1995 and Ngāi Tahu in 1998, each at an estimated total value of $170 m.

1993 Te Ture Whenua Māori enacted

After a great deal of discussion, led largely by the New Zealand Māori Council, a completely new act regulating Māori land was passed.

1995 Rising protest on land and Treaty issues

A series of protests in the mid-1990s marked a new phase of activism on land and Treaty issues. Many protests developed in response to the government's proposal to limit the monetary value of Treaty settlements to one billion dollars over ten years, the so-called 'fiscal envelope'. A series of hui around the country showed the breadth and depth of Māori rejection of such a limitation in advance of the extent of claims being fully known. Much of the policy package, including the concept of the fiscal envelope, was subsequently dropped.

These protests included occupations of Wanganui's Moutoa Gardens and the Takahue school in Northland (leading to its destruction by fire).