Labour president Andrew Little says the party must claw back the Maori vote if it's to get back into Government.
Mr Little said in Rotorua that means acknowledging it was wrong to deny Maori the right to pursue their foreshore and seabed claims through the courts.
He told Waatea News that this became very significant in the minds of Maori voters.
Mr Little said that while protest over the Foreshore and Seabed Act led to the formation of the Maori Party, the two parties are natural allies and bridges need to be built between them.
Labour MP Shane Jones also says the party needs to present a better face to Maori voters to win them back.
The party's Maori caucus and council met in Rotorua on Friday in advance of Labour's annual conference there this weekend. It is the party's first conference since losing the general election last year.
Noting that the loss of Maori votes did not in itself put Labour out of office, Mr Jones acknowledged it was a factor.
Mr Jones also told Waatea news that he agreed with party leader Phil Goff that Labour lost because it allowed itself to be branded by issues that were not central to the lives of the majority of voters.
Labour must learn - Goff
In his opening remarks, Mr Goff said Labour must learn the lessons of defeat.
He said the voters are never wrong, and Labour has plenty of work to do.
But Mr Goff said Labour must be patient. He said New Zealanders are a fair minded people and want to give any new Government a fair go.
