Iwi Chairs Forum

1. Business / Trading Name: National Iwi Chairs Forum (NICF) – also known as the Iwi Leaders Forum. This is a collective of iwi (tribal) chairpersons, not a traditional commercial business.

2. Company number: Data Not Found. The Forum is not registered as a company or incorporated society in public records (it operates as an informal alliance of iwi leaders).

3. NZBN: Data Not Found. No New Zealand Business Number is associated with the Forum (reflecting its lack of registered legal status).

4. Entity type: Unincorporated collaborative forum of Māori iwi chairs (not a registered corporate entity). It has been described as an “unofficial forum” of iwi leaders rather than a formal organisation with legal personality.

5. Business classification: N/A. Not applicable as it is not a business; it is a political/advocacy leadership forum for iwi.

6. Industry Category: N/A. The Forum does not represent an industry – it operates in the realm of indigenous governance and advocacy, spanning multiple sectors (social, environmental, economic policy).

7. Year founded: 2005. The NICF was formed in November 2005, with its first meeting held at Takahanga Marae in Kaikōura that year.

8. Addresses: No fixed head office. The Forum’s activities are coordinated by a small secretariat. Contact is typically via email (e.g. contact@iwichairs.maori.nz) and phone. Meetings rotate around different marae (tribal meeting grounds) quarterly, rather than a permanent address.

9. Website URL: iwichairs.maori.nz – Official website of the National Iwi Chairs Forum.

10. LinkedIn URL: Data Not Found. No official LinkedIn page has been identified for the NICF (any LinkedIn presence appears to be minimal or unofficial).

11. Company Hub NZ URL: Data Not Found. (No entry on common company directories, given NICF’s non-corporate nature.)

12. NZ Companies Office URL: Data Not Found. The Forum does not appear on the Companies Office or Incorporated Societies register.

13. Social Media URLs: The Forum maintains a Facebook page (facebook.com/iwileaders) and a YouTube presence for sharing hui videos. It does not have an active Twitter/X account or other official social media, aside from these platforms.

14. Ultimate Holding Company: None. (The NICF is not a subsidiary of any company; it is an independent alliance of iwi.)

15. Key Shareholders: None. (There are no shareholders; the Forum is not a company.)

16. Leadership: Collective leadership by iwi chairs. The NICF is structured into several thematic “Pou” (pillars) each with its own chairperson drawn from the iwi leaders. As of 2023, prominent leaders include Prof. Margaret Mutu (Chair of Pou Tikanga), Rāhui Papa (Chair of Pou Tangata), Jamie Tuuta (Chair of Pou Tahua), Tukoroirangi Morgan (Chair of Pou Taiao), and Marama Royal (Chair of Pou Take Āhuarangi for climate issues). These individuals, all influential Māori figures, collectively guide the Forum’s agenda. (Note: The Forum does not have a single CEO; leadership is distributed among these tribal chairs.)

17. Staff: The Forum is supported by a small secretariat and technical advisors. In addition, each iwi leaders group (ILG) under the Forum has its own advisors – for example, Te Huia Bill Hamilton serves as a lead advisor for Pou Tikanga. These staff are typically employed or contracted to assist the iwi chairs in research, communications and meeting organisation. (There is no large publicly-listed staff; support roles are largely behind the scenes.)

18. Staff that have held previous government roles: Notable “revolving door” cases exist. For instance, former Cabinet Minister Kiritapu (Kiri) Allan – who served as Minister of Justice until 2023 – has been involved by providing advice to the National Iwi Chairs Forum in Te Pou Take Āhuarangi for emergency management and climate adaptation on behalf of GNS Science. Such instances illustrate a revolving door, whereby ex-government officials engage with NICF initiatives. Aside from high-profile examples like Allan, most NICF secretariat staff are career Māori policy specialists; no comprehensive public list of their prior government roles is available. (In general, the Forum’s support personnel have backgrounds in iwi organisations or Māori public policy, but specific government employment history is not disclosed publicly.)

19. Past Employees: Data Not Found. The NICF does not publish information about former staff. The secretariat function has shifted over time – for example, during the 2009–2010 period, a private consultancy (Iwi Corporate Solutions led by Willie Te Aho) provided secretariat services for the Iwi Leaders Group on climate issues. However, detailed records of past personnel or contractors (and their tenures) are not publicly available.

20. Clients: N/A. The Forum does not operate on a client-service model. It represents its member iwi and does not take on external clients. Its “clients,” insofar as the term applies, are effectively the iwi chairs and Māori communities it advocates for, rather than paying customers.

21. Industries/sectors represented: The NICF advances Māori interests across multiple sectors rather than any single industry. Its working groups (Iwi Leaders Groups) engage with issues in environmental management (e.g. freshwater and climate change), social policy (health, child welfare, education), economic development (tribal finance, housing, resource rights), and constitutional and Treaty matters. In essence, the Forum represents iwi in nearly all sectors where government policy affects Māori rights and interests – from natural resource management to social services – rather than any commercial industry per se.

22. Publicly Disclosed Engagements: No formal lobbying disclosures (no register) – New Zealand has no mandatory lobbyist register, and the NICF operates mostly behind closed doors. However, some of its engagements are a matter of public record or media coverage. For example, the Forum meets with Government ministers quarterly, often in conjunction with Waitangi events; under the John Key National government (2008–2017) ministers met regularly with the NICF. In February 2020, NICF leaders met Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern at Waitangi to discuss iwi concerns. The NICF also makes public submissions on policy – e.g. it submitted an official report to the United Nations Human Rights Committee in 2023 regarding New Zealand’s human rights record. In late 2024 the NICF sent an open letter to King Charles III appealing for intervention in NZ’s Treaty politics, which it publicised via the media. Despite these instances, the Forum does not routinely publish details of its meetings with officials or minutes of its hui; much of its engagement with politicians happens off-record or only becomes known indirectly through government briefings or media reports.

23. Affiliations: The NICF often collaborates or aligns with other Māori entities on shared goals. It works alongside the Federation of Māori Authorities (FOMA) (which represents Māori businesses) on economic and trade issues. It has a partnership with the New Zealand Human Rights Commission, jointly promoting constitutional reform and indigenous rights initiatives. The Forum is distinct from the New Zealand Māori Council (a statutory body) – at times NICF’s role has effectively rivalled the Māori Council’s, with government choosing to consult NICF in lieu of the Council on key issues. Regionally, NICF interacts with clusters like Te Kahu o Taonui (the Northland Iwi Chairs collective) and others, as these regional groups feed into the national Forum. In summary, NICF’s affiliations are primarily within te ao Māori and with public agencies on specific projects, rather than any corporate parent or international organisation.

24. Sponsorships / Collaborations: Collaborations – The NICF frequently co-hosts or co-organises events with various partners. Notably, it teamed up with the Human Rights Commission and University of Auckland to host national conferences on constitutional change in 2021, 2022, and 2024, as part of its Matike Mai constitutional transformation project. The Forum’s Pou (working groups) have also collaborated with government departments: for example, the Data Iwi Leaders Group has worked with Statistics NZ and MBIE to improve Māori business data collection. Sponsorships – The Forum itself does not publicly list corporate sponsors. Its hui are typically funded by the host iwi and occasionally supported by government agency grants (for venue costs, etc.). For instance, a Māori Climate Leaders Summit in 2018 was convened under the NICF umbrella with assistance from ministries. Overall, NICF’s collaborations tend to be with public sector or Māori community partners; there is no evidence of it being directly sponsored by private corporations.

25. Events (held or organised by this organisation): The NICF holds four hui (forums) per year, rotating among different tribal host locations. These multi-day meetings, called National Iwi Chairs Forum hui, gather dozens of iwi leaders to discuss issues and often include sessions with Government officials. In addition, the NICF or its sub-groups have organised national summits on specific kaupapa (topics). Examples include the Māori Climate Change Summit in March 2018 (hosted by the Climate Iwi Leaders Group), and a Constitutional Convention in 2021 (with follow-up events in 2022 and 2024 as mentioned) to discuss transforming New Zealand’s constitution. The Forum also facilitates regional workshops and wānanga (seminars) on issues like freshwater management, data sovereignty, and anti-racism (often under the banner of its thematic working groups). These events are generally targeted to iwi and hapū representatives rather than the general public, and summaries are occasionally shared via iwi newsletters or press releases rather than comprehensive public reports.

26. Political Donations: None disclosed. The National Iwi Chairs Forum, as a non-incorporated body, has never been reported as making donations to political parties or candidates. It does not maintain a political donations register. (Member iwi or their trusts may individually donate to political causes, but such donations are not in the name of the Forum.)

27. Controversies:

• Exclusion of Urban Māori: At its early hui, urban Māori organisations were not invited – a 2006 gathering was criticised by Urban Māori leader Willie Jackson as “plain ignorant” for excluding urban Māori voices. (The NICF defended this by saying it only recognizes traditional iwi-based groups.)

• Media Secrecy & Transparency Issues: The Forum has a longstanding stance of media exclusion and low public profile; even some government ministers were frustrated by being shut out of meetings. In 2010, Māori lawyer Annette Sykes accused the NICF of a “lack of transparency”, arguing it operated opaquely and without wider Māori mandate. She noted that iwi leaders and their technocratic advisers often met behind closed doors, with minimal accountability to Māori at large.

• “Iwi Elite” Allegations: Critics like Sykes have portrayed the NICF leadership as a self-selected Māori elite co-opted by the Government – “first in the queue to sit at the Master’s table” in return for economic opportunities. This feeds a perception that NICF pursues iwi corporate interests at the expense of broader Māori needs, a claim the Forum’s leaders reject.

• Radical Agenda Fears: The Forum’s involvement in constitutional transformation (through the Matike Mai initiative and the subsequent He Puapua report) has been controversial. Right-leaning groups accuse NICF of pushing a “radical race-based constitution” and undermining democracy. For example, its vision of Māori-Crown co-governance by 2040 has been attacked by some commentators as separatist – a debate which intensified in 2021–2023.

• Internal Divisions: In mid-2024, leaders of the largest iwi, Ngāpuhi (and others like Ngāti Manuhiri), walked out of an NICF meeting in protest. They were dissatisfied with both government policies and NICF’s approach, and called for excluding government officials from the Forum until Māori rights were respected. This very public rift exposed internal tensions – some iwi feeling NICF was either not confrontational enough, or conversely that it had become too political. (Ngāpuhi’s move foreshadowed the Forum’s later decision to bar ministers from its hui.)

• Strained Crown Relations: The NICF’s relationship with the Government has swung between cooperation and conflict. In 2019 the Forum formally “uninvited” the Crown from attending after perceived slights, forcing a reset of engagement protocols. More recently, in late 2024, the NICF again declared Government ministers unwelcome at its gatherings due to what it labeled anti-Treaty policies. These dramatic steps have been controversial in wider NZ politics, with some applauding iwi for taking a stand, and others accusing the Forum of intransigence.

28. Other information of note: The National Iwi Chairs Forum is a unique power structure in New Zealand:

• It currently comprises over 80 iwi (tribal nations) from across the country, including both Post-Settlement Governance Entities (PSGEs) and iwi still in Treaty claim processes. Collectively, these tribes represent the majority of Māori population.

• The NICF was the brainchild of Sir Mark Solomon of Ngāi Tahu, who envisioned a unified Māori front on strategic issues. It was established to enhance Māori self-governance (mana motuhake) in dealings with the Crown.

• The Forum has no statutory authority; it derives influence from the mana of its member iwi and their Treaty relationship with the Crown. In 2019, in an effort to formalise relations, the NICF and the Government (through Te Arawhiti) agreed on a “Relationship Agreement” or engagement framework to guide how the Crown and iwi chairs interact. This was an attempt to add structure to what had been an ad hoc arrangement.

• The NICF’s work is organised into numerous Iwi Leaders Groups (ILGs) each focusing on a policy area (e.g. Freshwater, Health, Housing, Climate, Education, Resource Management, Data, etc.). These ILGs often function like specialist committees and sometimes include non-chair experts. They have been pivotal in formulating Māori positions – for instance, an ILG negotiated elements of the national Freshwater policy from 2009–2017.

• In public discourse, NICF is often contrasted with the older Māori representative bodies. Unlike the Māori MPs in Parliament or the Māori Council, NICF is not democratically elected nor created by law – it is a self-organised network of tribal CEOs (chairs). This raises ongoing debate about who legitimately speaks for Māori on national issues. Despite this, successive governments have found the NICF an indispensable interlocutor on contentious policies.

• The economic clout behind NICF is significant: member iwi have amassed substantial assets through Treaty settlements (the top 10 iwi control NZ$8.2 billion in assets). This war chest underpins the Forum’s ability to undertake legal challenges, develop independent policy research, and present itself as the voice of an economically empowered Māori sector.

• Finally, it’s notable that the NICF’s influence has spilled into international arenas. It established an Independent Monitoring Mechanism on indigenous rights (to report to the UN) and often engages with UN forums. In recent years, facing domestic pushback, the NICF has looked to international allies – even appealing to the British Crown (King Charles) as noted – which is unprecedented in modern NZ politics.

29. Recipient of Wage Subsidy Scheme: No. There is no record of the National Iwi Chairs Forum itself ever receiving any COVID-19 wage subsidy in 2020–21. Since the NICF is not an employer of staff in the conventional sense (its secretariat is small and likely funded by iwi contributions or government departments directly), it did not appear on the Ministry of Social Development’s wage subsidy recipient list. In fact, during the pandemic the NICF’s role was primarily as an advisor/advocate (it formed a Pandemic Response Group to liaise with officials) rather than a recipient of business support.

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Sources:

[1] National Iwi Chairs Forum, Wikipedia – “…entity founded in 2005 made up of the chairpersons of 71 iwi groups in New Zealand…” (Accessed 2025) – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Iwi_Chairs_Forum

[2] Donna Gardiner, Ngāti Ranginui Iwi Annual Report 2022 – “National Iwi Chairs Forum is a networking and strategic visioning lobby group of 74 iwi… who enact collective power as Te Tiriti partners when dealing with the Crown” (pp.15–16, 2022) – https://ranginui.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Ngati-Ranginui-Iwi-Annual-Report-2022-1.pdf

[3] Ward Kamo, “Iwi Chairs Forum”, Te Karaka (Ngāi Tahu Magazine) – Discussion of NICF purpose and positions, e.g. support for charter schools (2013) and housing issue (2014) (2018) – (Referenced via Wikipedia and RNZ) – RNZ: “Iwi leaders see light in charter schools”, Radio NZ News, 3 Dec 2013 – https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/te-manu-korihi/229901/iwi-leaders-see-light-in-charter-schools; RNZ: “Leaders seek ban on state home sales”, Radio NZ News, 27 Nov 2014 – https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/te-manu-korihi/260715/leaders-seek-ban-on-state-home-sales

[4] National Iwi Chairs Forum – Wikipedia (Organisation & Work section) – Details NICF formation, criticisms (Willie Jackson 2006, Annette Sykes 2010), and examples of NICF work (climate ILG 2011, charter schools 2013, state housing 2014, Pandemic Group 2020) (Accessed 2025) – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Iwi_Chairs_Forum

[5] Bryce Edwards (Democracy Project), “Federation of Māori Authorities” – Context on FOMA’s relationship with NICF and noting “Recipient of Wage Subsidy Scheme: No… no record of FOMA Inc itself receiving the 2020 COVID-19 wage subsidy” (DemocracyProject Substack, 2023) – (Via cache) – https://democracyproject.substack.com/p/federation-of-maori-authorities (snippet mirrored in search results).

[6] NICF Official Site – NICF submission to UN Human Rights Committee (ICCPR) – illustrating NICF’s international engagement (2023) – NICF website – https://iwichairs.maori.nz (see “National Iwi Chairs Forum Submission under the ICCPR: List of Issues for NZ”).

[7] NICF Secretariat Website – Footer showing social media links (Facebook, YouTube) and indicating NICF’s online presence (2025) – https://iwichairs.maori.nz

[8] Laura Walters, “Iwi cold shoulder forces Govt to change engagement”, Newsroom – Report that NICF formally uninvited the Prime Minister and ministers from its forums, prompting Te Arawhiti to find new engagement model (Dec 2024) – (Newsroom) – https://www.newsroom.co.nz/ (article dated 9 Dec 2024) – Note: referenced via summaries on social media due to paywall.

[9] Eva Corlett, “Māori tribes make rare plea to King Charles for intervention in NZ politics”, The Guardian – Discusses NICF open letter to King Charles signed by 80+ tribes, citing breaches by right-wing government and asking King to uphold Treaty honour (10 Dec 2024) – https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/11/new-zealand-maori-tribes-letter-king-charles-treaty-of-waitangi

[10] Meetings with Government, Wikipedia – “The National government met regularly with the Iwi Chairs Forum from 2008 to 2017… In 2020 the Forum met PM Jacinda Ardern at Waitangi… Labour govt more stand-offish than previous govt.” (citing RNZ 2020) –.

[11] Te Arawhiti (Office for Māori-Crown Relations), Annual Report 2019/20 – Notes reset of Crown–NICF relationship in 2019 and agreement of an engagement approach (2020) – (Extract via search) – “…resetting the relationship between the Crown and NICF resulting in the agreement of a Statement of …” – (Te Arawhiti site).

[12] Democracy Action, Susan Short, “Human Rights Commission advances political agenda of Iwi Chairs Forum” – Highly critical perspective on NICF’s Matike Mai constitutional campaign, describing it as radical and noting NICF-HRC partnership (events in 2021–24) and quoting David Lange on democracy vs separate sovereignty (Jul 2024) – https://www.democracyaction.org.nz/hrc_advances_political_agenda_of_iwi_chairs_forum

[13] Democracy Action (cont’d) – Details on HRC and NICF collaborations: co-hosted Constitutional Kōrero 2022, Designing Our Constitution 2024; mentions Julia Whaipooti (HRC Māori co-leader) and Claire Charters joint initiative; notes NICF rep on panel to select new Chief HRC (2023–2024) – https://www.democracyaction.org.nz/hrc_advances_political_agenda_of_iwi_chairs_forum

[14] Heta Gardiner, “Tukoroirangi Morgan elected as new Māori Party President”, Te Ao Māori News – Background on Tuku Morgan: former NZ First MP (1996), later Māori Party president, and noting his roles incl. Waikato River Authority co-chair, member of Iwi Leaders Forum, etc. (16 Jul 2016) – https://www.teaonews.co.nz/2016/07/16/tukoroirangi-morgan-elected-as-new-maori-party-president/

[15] Ministry of Social Development, COVID-19 Response Reports – Mentions engagement with NICF during pandemic and confirms NICF (and CTU, TIA) represented in response planning; also indicates no special wage subsidy role (2020) – MSD OIA release – e.g., “Strategic engagement occurred with the National Iwi Chairs Forum in context of broader COVID-19 response” – https://www.msd.govt.nz (COVID-19 Wage Subsidy Evaluation Summary).

[16] Te Ao Māori News, “Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Manuhiri walk out of Iwi Chairs Forum hui with ministers” – Reports Aug 2024 walkout: Ngāpuhi and Ngāti Manuhiri left NICF meeting in protest of government policies, calling for exclusion of Govt until issues resolved (2 Aug 2024) – https://www.teaonews.co.nz/2024/08/02/ngapuhi-ngati-manuhiri-walk-out-of-iwi-chairs-forum-hui-with-ministers

[17] Radio NZ News, “Ngāpuhi leaders walk out of meeting with Luxon in protest” – Details of Aug 2024 incident: Ngāpuhi Chair Mane Tahere and others walked out on PM Luxon at NICF, citing policies (Māori wards, Oranga Tamariki Act changes, Treaty Principles Bill) and stating they wouldn’t sit in silence with govt. They planned protests. Mentions many ministers present at that NICF meeting. (RNZ, 2 Aug 2024) – https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/te-manu-korihi/523945/ (lines 45–59 relevant).

[18] Willie Jackson, NZ Herald (2006) – Quotes: “Hui leaders ‘plain ignorant’ for snubbing urban Māori” – New Zealand Herald, 3 Mar 2006 – Criticism of NICF’s 2006 Pipitea Marae meeting excluding urban Māori reps.

[19] Annette Sykes, “The Politics of the Brown Table” (Bruce Jesson Lecture) – A speech heavily criticizing NICF (referred to as Iwi Leaders Group) for lack of transparency, being co-opted by neo-liberal govt, and serving iwi corporate interests over people. Contains examples of closed meetings and alignment with Govt on ETS. (20 Oct 2010) – Bruce Jesson Foundation – https://www.brucejesson.com/annette-sykes-2010-bruce-jesson-memorial-lecture/ (see esp. p.24, p.25 of transcript).

[20] RNZ News, “Other iwi ‘shouldn’t interfere’ in talks with Govt” – Story of Sep 2012: Haami Piripi (NICF member) supports Govt decision to only talk to Waikato River iwi re water, excluding Māori Council’s national hui. (RNZ, 4 Sep 2012) – https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/te-manu-korihi/115057/ (lines 55–63).

[21] NZ Herald, “Top 10 iwi assets reach $8.2b, steady growth” – Report on TDB Advisory analysis of iwi financial performance, noting total settlements $3.5b turned into ~$12b assets by 2023; top 10 iwi have $8.2b assets, many investments in property and diversified portfolios. (NZ Herald via Waikato News, 15 May 2023) – https://www.nzherald.co.nz/waikato-news/news/top-10-iwi-assets-reach-82b-report-reveals-steady-growth-the-front-page/I6XK57YDXBCCRDRY5UVQVO534Q/ (lines 147–156, 165–174).

[22] The Treasury – Various references to NICF in official documents: e.g., “The Government should invite the Iwi Chairs Forum, FOMA… Collectively these groups…” (from NZ firms: reaching for the frontier, 2021) and “Te Arawhiti leads Crown engagement with NICF… plays critical role in convening Rangatira ki te Rangatira…” (Te Arawhiti briefing); also Stats NZ mentioning NICF in identifying Māori businesses via NZBN (Stats NZ Annual Report). These illustrate NICF’s embedded role. (Multiple sources 2019–2022).

[23] NZCPR (Muriel Newman), “Water Rights Agenda Exposed” – Critical piece alleging closed-door collaboration with NICF on freshwater policy under National govt. (NZ Centre for Political Research, c.2015) – https://www.nzcpr.com/water-rights-agenda-exposed/ (skeptical viewpoint on NICF influence on water policy).

[24] Legislation / Official statements: Pae Ora (Health Futures) Bill – NICF submissions (2021); Three Waters Reform cabinet papers (2021) – references to NICF and iwi engagement; He Puapua report (2019) – conceptual link to NICF’s Matike Mai (NICF initiated Matike Mai and then He Puapua was govt working group building on it).

Spot anything in this entry that is wrong? Please either leave a comment at the end or email, in confidence: bryce@democracyproject.nz