The Raukawa rohe is described in a tauparapara used by Raukawa kaumātua:

• The district of Raukawa is from Te Wairere, Horohoro and Pohaturoa
• At Ongaroto is the house of the ancestor Whāita
• From Nukuhau to Taupō-nui-a-Tia, to Hurakia on the Hauhungaroa Range,
• From Titiraupenga mountain, the horizon is the boundary of the district of Raukawa
• To the mountain Wharepūhunga and the marae at Arowhena
• To the ranges of Whakamaru
• The view extends to the region of Te Kaokaoroa-o-Pātetere
• To Maungatautari
• The view extends beyond Wharepūhunga to the ancestor Hoturoa
• To the marae at Pārāwera

The Crown recognised the mandate of Raukawa negotiators in September 2008, and entered into Terms of Negotiations in July 2009. On 21 September 2011, Raukawa and the Crown initialled a Deed of Settlement, which was then ratified by the people of Raukawa and signed on 2 June 2012. The Deed will be implemented following the passage of settlement legislation.

Raukawa are represented in negotiations with the Crown by the Raukawa Settlement Trust, chaired by George Rangitutia, Chris McKenzie and Vanessa Eparaima.

The Office of Treaty Settlements, with the support of the Department of Conservation, Land Information New Zealand, the Treasury and other government agencies, represented the Crown in day-to-day negotiations. The Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, Hon Christopher Finlayson, represented the Crown in high-level negotiations with Raukawa.

The wars of the 1860s in Taranaki, Tauranga and particularly the Waikato had a severe impact on Raukawa. The Crown acted unjustly in sending Crown forces into the Waikato in July 1863, and occupying land in the Waikato region during the war of 1863 and 1864. While some Raukawa appear to have participated in the conflict in 1863, it was not until 1864 when Crown forces reached the Raukawa rohe near Cambridge, Rangiaowhia, and Paterangi, that significant numbers of Raukawa fought as a tribe.

The final battle of the Waikato war took place between 31 March and 2 April 1864, at Orakau, near Rangiaowhia. Approximately 250 to 300 Māori, a significant proportion of whom were Raukawa, defended Orakau pā against up to 1,800 Crown troops for three days until the defenders broke out of the pa on 2 April. Some, such as the Raukawa chief Te Paerata were lulled, while others escaped the pursuing Crown forces and made it to safety.

After the battle at Orakau, Raukawa were involved in anned conflict in Tauranga, particularly at the battles of Gate Pā and Te Ranga. While many Tauranga hapu and iwi made peace widi the Crown following the end of open conflict in 1864, three years later some Raukawa joined hapū from Tauranga in what are known as the ‘Bush Campaigns’.

The Crown confiscated land at Tauranga and the Waikato that Raukawa had interests in as punishment for what the Crown regarded as rebellion. The Crown returned some land to individual members of Raukawa hapū residing in Tauranga and none to Raukawa hapū in the Waikato. Confiscation had a significant impact on Raukawa who experienced a prolonged period of disruption during the armed conflict and loss of life and property, all of which had a severe impact on the social structure of Raukawa and the strength of Raukawa as a people.

Before the Crown completed the confiscation it refonned Māori land legislation leading to the introduction of the Native Land Court within the Raukawa rohe in 1866 at a time of uncertainty and economic and social disruption. Raukawa, as part of the Kīngitanga, sought to retain control and ownership of Māori land within the wider Te Rohe Pōtae; but the Crown encouraged Raukawa to detach itself from the authority of the Māori King. The court processes facilitated the alienation of Raukawa land and Raukawa consider that the court was not able to recognise all of its land interests. For example, Raukawa did not fully participate in the 1868 Native Land Court hearings for Maungatautari as the Crown had not negotiated peace with Raukawa and other Kīngitanga iwi following the armed conflict of the 1860s. Raukawa unsuccessfully used legal processes to challenge the exclusion of their tupuna, Raukawa, from the tupuna of the Taupō-nui-a-Tia block.

In the Raukawa rohe, systematic large scale land speculation resulted in rapid and substantial land loss for the iwi in the late nineteenth century. The Crown and private parties purchased nearly 800,000 acres (80 percent) of land within the Waikato basin before 1900. In the twentieth century the iwi lost further land through public works takings. Raukawa have a longstanding grievance relating to the Crown’s 1915 gift of 20,000 acres of land in the Pouakani block to an iwi with no ancestral ties to the area, which exacerbated the grievance that Raukawa continue to feel today about the earlier loss of their interests in the Pouakani lands. Today the iwi is landless.

The Crown failed to protect Raukawa from becoming landless and the lack of land and resources had a negative impact on the ability of Raukawa to participate in new economic opportunities in its rohe contributing to the economic, social and cultural impoverishment of Raukawa.

Recognition of the traditional, historical, cultural and spiritual association of Raukawa with places and sites owned by the Crown within their area of interest. This allows Raukawa and the Crown to protect and enhance their conservation values associated with these sites, and includes:

Vesting of sites

• The following sites will be vested in Raukawa:
• Whenua ā-kura (29 ha)
• Part of Pureora Conservation Area (63 ha)
• Whakamaru (Site A) (2.45 ha)
• Whakamaru (Site B) (17.56 ha)
• Whakamaru Hydro Village site (1.9 ha)
• Whakakahonui (67.6 ha)
• Te Tuki (7 ha)
• Korakonui (1.85 ha)
• 91 Tirau Street, Putāruru
• 16 Bridge Street, Tokoroa
• Domain Road, Putāruru.

Overlay classifications

Overlay classifications acknowledge the traditional, cultural, spiritual and historical associations of Raukawa with sites of significance. The declaration of an area as an overlay classification provides for the Crown to acknowledge iwi values in relation to that area. The settlement provides overlay classifications over maunga Pureora o Kahu and maunga Wharepūhunga.

Statutory acknowledgements

A Statutory Acknowledgement recognises the association between Raukawa and a particular site or area and enhances Raukawa’s ability to participate in specified Resource Management Act processes.

The settlement provides statutory acknowledgements over:

• Titiraupenga
• Part Kaimai Mamaku Conservation Park
• Part Pureora Conservation Park
• Waihou River Marginal Strip
• Arahiwi Scenic Reserve
• Arapuni Scenic Reserve
• Kaahu Scenic Reserve
• Kawakawa Bay
• Parts of Waikato River, Waihou River, Puniu River and their tributaries
• Part of Lake Ohakuri, Lake Maraetai, Lake Atiamuri, Lake Whakamaru, Lake Waipapa, Lake Arapuni and Lake Karapiro
• Geothermal sites: Okauia, Taihoa, Okoroire, Mangakino, Atiamuri, Whakamaru Hot Beach and Ongaroto.

Deed of recognition

The settlement provides a Deed of Recognition over:

• Parts of Waikato River, Waihou River, Puniu River and their tributaries
• Part of Lake Ohakuri, Lake Maraetai, Lake Atiamuri, Lake Whakamaru, Lake Waipapa, Lake Arapuni and Lake Karapiro
• Waihou River Marginal Strip
• Arapuni Scenic Reserve
• Kaahu Scenic Reserve.

Place name changes

Omahine Stream to ‘Māhina-a-rangi Stream’

A currently unnamed historic site at the confluence of Omahine Stream with Waiomou Stream, to be called Whatawhata’

A currently unnamed historic site at the source of Omahine Stream, to be called ‘Whenua-ā-kura’.

Cultural fund

A $3 million fund to assist Raukawa negotiate the sale of, or access arrangements to, sites of signifigance.

Pou whenua fund

A $50,000 fund to assist Raukawa in the creation and erection of pou whenua at sites of signifigance.

Maungatautari

The Crown acknowledges that Maungatautari is of significant cultural, historical and spiritual importance to Raukawa and other iwi.

The Deed provides for the interests of Raukawa to be recognised in any future agreement reached regarding the Crown-owned land at Maungatautari.

Waihou River

The Crown acknowledges that Raukawa has interests in Waihou River.

The Deed provides for the interests of Raukawa to be recognised in any future agreement reached regarding the Waihou River within the Raukawa area of interest.

This redress recognises the economic loss suffered by Raukawa arising from breaches by the Crown of its Treaty obligations. The financial and commercial redress is aimed at providing Raukawa with resources to assist them to develop their economic and social well-being. It includes:

Financial redress

Raukawa will receive approximately $52 million in cash, which includes value transferred under the Central North Island forest settlement in 2008 and estimated interest.

Commercial redress

Raukawa will have the opportunity to purchase part of the Pureora North Crown Forest Licence land.

Raukawa will also have the opportunity to purchase up to 25 Crown owned properties within a deferred selection period after settlement date ranging from 6 months to 5 years. 11 of these properties would be subject to lease back to the Crown.

Raukawa will have a right of first refusal for a period of 172 years over 99 Crown properties.

The settlement provides support for the strengthening of commercial relationships between Raukawa and Mighty River Power. Raukawa will receive $8 million to explore future commercial arrangements with Mighty River Power.