By Kathy Marks *Indigenous tribes celebrate victory in fight for rights lost by breaches of 1840 treaty with Britain New Zealand took a momentous step to address the historic grievances of its original Maori inhabitants yesterday, handing back nearly half a million acres of Crown forestry land in a settlement worth NZ$418m (160m).

A new scientific study claims to add proof to the theory that humans didn’t arrive in New Zealand until 1300 A.D.

By HIRST, Liz The latest Nelson Marlborough District Health Board's 29-page 35- year Health and Disability Maori Health Strategy Framework will gather dust, alongside other failed health strategies written over the past 10 years. And that is a lot of dust.

By KIDSON, Sally The Tasman District Council is writing to Prime Minister Helen Clark about a Waitangi Tribunal claim against it, which if successful could see management of water returned to Maori.

By DONOGHUE, Tim AN URGENT Waitangi Tribunal hearing is being sought by Maori eyeing up water as "the new gold" in a claim likely to have major election year implications.