The government and Auckland Council are being told they can't just wash their hands of the Ihumātao land dispute.
Mana whenua want the contested land returned, but both the council and the government have signalled it's not their problem to fix.
Leading Māori academics are challenging that - they say the council and the government played a big role in creating the dispute, and they must be prepared to sort it out.
RNZ Māori news correspondent Leigh-Marama McLachlan reports.
