Fighting over fish-the art of negotiation.

Recently Sam Morgan negotiated the sale of is internet company (trade me) for $700 million dollars. This is sheer genius considering that the company was started in August 1999 by a thirty year old with $150,000 in shares, and the company has no property portfolio.

Some of the greatest minds Maori have to offer went into negotiation on behalf of iwi (owning %100 of their fisheries, guaranteed under article two of the treaty)with the crown. The resulting document was "the Maori fisheries act 2004", providing the framework for the allocation to iwi, of their share of $750 million dollars worth of assets.

Was this a good negotiation in your opinion? Where Maori leaders under duress, or undue influence? Are we Maori our own worst enemies when it comes to gaining a consensus among ourselves?