Treaty of Waitangi claimants are being implored to settle internal disagreements through mediation rather than court processes.
The call came today at a treaty settlements hui in Wellington where iwi leaders and officials met to discuss plans to speed up historic claims.
MPs including Finance Minister Bill English, Treaty Negotiations Minister Chris Finlayson and Maori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples appeared to be well received as they spoke about the Government's mandate to resolve all treaty claims by 2014 and provide assistance to achieve that.
Mr English said that money earmarked for treaty settlements had remained a high priority in the budget while spending in other areas had to be pared back due to the recession.
Mr Finlayson announced increased funding for iwi to support their claims.
Claimant groups without access to funding from the Crown Forestry Rental Trust will have the amount they are eligible for boosted by 60 percent, while groups with access will get a 10 percent boost.
The changes were expected to provide between $2 million and $3m extra a year across claimant groups, Mr Finlayson said.
Greater co-ordination with independent agencies would be considered, and the Government was looking at seconding public servants who were members of settling groups to assist with settlement processes.
Mr Finlayson said any groups who were not in current negotiations were not disadvantaged by time lines, but those who wanted to get around the table needed to be prepared to make decisions.
"If they are not settling, groups are forgoing opportunities for investment and the development of their cultural and social capacity."
Dr Sharples said any iwi with internal disputes needed to do all in their power to solve them internally.
He urged leaders to avoid a situation being played out at the High Court in Wellington this week involving claim disputes within Tuhoe.
Dr Sharples told reporters the fallout following the Sealord fisheries deal in the 1990s should serve as an example of why every effort should be made to settle disputes internally.
"We don't want to go through that stuff again. Besides, it transfers the mana to the court to make our decisions.
"The court is there to legalise our processes, that's all. Not to tell us who is chief."
Dr Sharples said there was some internal backlash following early claim settlements involving Ngai Tahu and Tainui, but people realised now how beneficial for the tribes the settlements had been.
Mr Finlayson echoed the comments in relation to the Tuhoe case; "My entreaty to them is get out of court ... sit down at the negotiating table and sort it out.
"We want to settle with Tuhoe, we think there are fantastic opportunities for them and we don't want to see them wasting time and money in court."
Today's hui follows an initial one in Auckland in April.
In a closed session this afternoon, nine regional iwi groups were given 15 minutes each to address government officials.
