On behalf of the Crown the Prime Minister has apologised to Taranaki iwi for historical breaches of their rights under the Treaty of Waitangi.
And in an unprecedented move the iwi - collectively Taranaki Whanui ke Te Upoko o Te Ika - have expressed their forgiveness in return.
Prime Minister John Key said that the statement of forgiveness, the first ever by any iwi to the Crown, marked a new phase in Crown/iwi relations.
The apology and statement of forgiveness, both delivered in Parliament's Beehive theatrette on Thursday evening, followed the passing of legislation settling the claims of those iwi whose rights were breached in the 19th-century sale and management of the Port Nicholson block covering 270ha of land in the Wellington region.
No public access affected, says minister
Treaty Negotiations Minister Chris Finlayson says the settlement provides for cultural and commercial redress, including a financial package of about $25 million.
But, he says, no public access will be affected by the settlement, which satisfies all historical claims by the iwi involved.
