More Info →Otaki Maori Landcourt Minutebook - 21 April 1876

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Friday 21^st April 1876

Court opened at 10am. Place the same. Present the same.

Maungahanene No.2

Metera Te Karaha and others

Metera Te Karaha sworn. I belong to Ngati Huia I live at Otaki, I claim with others it has been surveyed and I produce a plan. I claim through my grandfather Tou, this is the place where he used to get his flax from there was a house on it but as cultivations it is a swampy piece of land.

Objectors challenged. Hare Wirikake, Tamehana Te Rauparaha, Mihipara Tatana appeared as counter claimants.

Hare Wirikake sworn. I belong to Ngati Huia I live at Otaki, I claim an interest in this land my uncle’s eel weiro were in the creek is my claim when I came here in 1840 we caught eels there. I saw no one else catching eels there I saw no one at work at the flax. I have no further claim it was Aperahama who killed the eels weiro, I don’t know anything about your driving him off. Cross examine by Metera.

Hare Wirikake then called.

Maka Pukehi sworn. I belong to Ngati Turanga I live at Otaki, I know this land Aperahama caught eels in the break I have seen him at work it was a long time ago when he left off work l was a child at the time. Hari catches eels there now, notwithstanding the creek is included in this claim. Hari worked there because he heard it was Aperahama’s eel weiro I did not hear Karamarama tell Akuhata not catch eels there at the time Hari ___.

Cross examine by Tamati Rupuha one of the claimants. I don’t remember the year when Aperahama worked there – I never heard of Aperahama eel weiro being destroyed by Akuhata I don’t remember seeing you there catching eels. I did not hear you went there last year in the big floods Hari goes to catch them.

Karamarama Te Kapukai __. It was in 1858 that people just caught eels there it was Aperahama who caught them we didn’t know there were any there. I told my son to give up his eel weiro to Aperahama.

Counter claimant. Tamihana Te Rauparaha sworn. I claim an interest in this land we used to work the flax there when I was a youth we ceased to occupy when we left to come to Otaki about the year 1840 Ngati Huia have no business there I claim on behalf of myself, Pipi Kutea and James Wallace (L.G).

Cross examine by one of the claimants Tamati. All this land is mine we had no house there we only worked the flax, we caught eels thereHone Te o Koro was the man who caught them after I left.

Tamihana called.

Pipi Kutea sworn. I belong to Ngati Huia and live at Otaki, it will not be worth while giving any evidence we cannot give any other than that given yesterday and we __.

Counter claimant. Mihipara Tatana appeared and withdrew her name as a counter claimant. Counter claimants case closed.

Metera Te Karaha. I have no further evidence to add that given by me just now. Cross examine by T. Te Rauparaha.

I have a house on the land I never saw Kutea there.

Tamati Rupuha sworn. I belong to Ngati Huia I live at Otaki, I claim an interest in this land I have heard Metera evidence it is correct my claim is the same as hers. The other claimants with me are Metera Te Karaha , Tamati Rupuha, Topi Te Karaha, Karepa Te Kapuikai.

The court having considered the evidence gave judgement.

Certificate ordered in favour of Metera Te Karaha , Tamati Rupuha, Topi Te Karaha, Karepa Te Kapuikai subject to the approval of of plan by the deputy inspector of surveys. No restrictions. Fees £3:0:0

Paremata

Tamihana Rauparaha and others.

Matini Te WhiWhi sworn. I belong to Ngati Huia and Ngati Raukawa I live at Otaki I know this land as shown on the plan, I claim it. The Ngati Toa cultivated and cleared this land of Karaka and __, they worked there two years the Ngati Toa left this place after the battle ov Horowhenua about the year 1833. I don’t know who worked upon it afterwards the Ngati Toa did not return to work upon it afterwards with exception of Rauparaha Topiora and myself and others, we worked there after Mr Hadfield came. Ngati Kauwhatu was the hapu who lived there they had a Pa and houses there the names of the chiefs were Kainga, Tamamutu andTe Hoetu, Rauparaha cultivated kumera’s close to the Ngati Kauwhatu Pa on this land. Ngati Wehewehe was the hapu who worked there for Rauparaha. We also cultivated upon the land, potatoes and corn when this township was laid out we left it I have not been since to work this area about 1846 when the township was laid off.

Objectors challenged

Court adjourned until 2pm.

Mr Booth district officer asked for an adjournment until tomorrow in order that the deputy inspector of surveys might be able to go into all the plans and see in what position the plans of Paremata are in and that he would be in position to give information which the court would require in the morning.

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