Hundreds of people from three Tauranga iwi have held a protest march against another group of outside iwi making a claim in the area.
They say the 'Hauraki Collective' of 11 tribes are moving into their territory - trying to stake a claim on land, harbour rights and political control.
"We've got other iwi coming into our area, into our district, into where we hold mana - trying to claim what is ours," Mate Samuels from Ngāi Te Rangi told Newshub.
"So I'm here to stand up and fight back against the Hauraki Collective, who have pushed too far in my view. When you get pushed too far, you want to push back."
Jack Thatcher says the Hauraki Collective doesn't have the right to make claims.
"We belong here. We've lived here for generations and to be honest, Hauraki haven't lived here. So how then do they have the right to make claims?" he told Newshub.
Tamati Nicholas said their land is "most definitely under threat".
Paul Majurey, chair of Hauraki Collective, called the protest disappointing.
"What I know is that the leadership of Tauranga iwi between 2012 to 2014 negotiated and reached agreements with us over each having treaty redress, whether you call them interests or rights, they agreed to us having the crown returning land to us," he told Newshub.
A spokesperson for the Minister for Treaty Negotiations, Chris Finlayson, told Newshub accusations the Government was accused of entering into a secret deal with the iwi of Hauraki are wrong.
"There is no secret deal. Ngāi Te Rangi has been advised of this fact repeatedly," they said.
"The Waitangi Tribunal confirmed in 2004 that the iwi of Hauraki have customary interests in Tauranga Moana, particularly in the Te Puna-Katikati area.
"An overlapping claims process between the iwi of Hauraki and Tauranga Moana iwi (including Ngāi Te Rangi) has been ongoing since 2012.
"The parties have agreed a range of matters including recognising the interests of Hauraki iwi in the Tauranga Moana Framework by adding a fifth iwi seat to the Tauranga Moana Governance Group."
Newshub.
