More Info →Otaki Maori Land Court Minutebook - 21 April 1874 .

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Tuesday April 21^st 1874

Place – the same Present – the same

Pukehou No. 5F – Waitohu

Hon: Wi Parata put in plan of part of Pukehou No. 5 being portion given by Hema Te Ao to Ropata Hurumutu and also showing five acres cut off forEmanuel Lemar.

Pukehou No. 5H

Names proposed by Wi Parata as certified owners ofPukehou No. 5.

Mareka, Ropata Hurumutu, Wi Parata

Ordered that a Memorial of ownership in the names of

Mareka, Ropata Kurumutu and Wi Parata

Be made for the above containing 138 acres.

Rangatira – Kapiti No.4 continued

Matene Te Whiwhi (evidence continued)

I wish to say that this land has been 30 years in our occupation and our claim thereto has onlynow been disputed. Relative to ---- evidence I wish to say that the cultivation referred to by him was a large one and not a small one as stated. There were large houses there belonging to Te Rangihaeata which were built for meeting houses. Te Rangihaeata’s house was called Te Umukiawhanganui. Te Rauparaha’s was called Te Umukiohau.

Xed by Hoani Taipua

Have you not a burial ground on the land? Yes, my brother Kahira is buried there also Tamihana’s mother Te Akau. This burial ground is at Rangatira.

Xed by Atanatiu

Do you claim this land for yourself and Tamihana? Yes.

Are there no other person who lived on this land than the persons named by you up to this time? Only Te Rauparaha and Te Rangihaeata. They are dead and we succeed them.

Did you not see some people of Ngati Toa living on this land? I have already stated to the court that between 1830 and 1840 Te Rangihaeata and Te Rauparaha lived on the land. I admit Mahurenga and Nohorua up to 1840 then they ceased.

Had not these persons cultivations on the block now under investigation? Yes, Nohorua and Mahurenga had.

Were not these cultivations evidence of ownership? I obliterated your brand, mine remains.

Was not this land Rangatira a pa? Yes, it was one.

Whobuilt the greater portion of it, was it not Ngati Toa’s? Yes.

Did you occupy the land during the period named by you to the court? Yes up to 1840 and up to this time we are still in occupation. In 1846, Te Rangihaeata and Te Rauparaha sold Maeneene. No one objected.

Is not your statement as to the dates contradictory? The sales referred to by me in my evidence were not disputed.

Case concluded

Adjourned till tomorrow for decision.

Mr Wyles claims for survey £49.1.6. Tamihana admits.

Waiorua – Kapiti No. 5 – 1645 acres

Wi Parata put in plan of Kapiti No. 5.

Wi Parata – sworn

I claim this land on behalf of myself and Ropata Hurumutu.

Objectors challenged: appeared Nopera Te Ngiha, Ngahuka Tungia, Tamihana Te Neke, Mary Niccoll, Rene Te Tahua, We Nera Te Kanae.

Wi Parata

The southern boundary is an arrangement between myself and the owners of the adjoining claim Kapiti No. 4. The boundary shown on plan of Kapiti No. 5 is the correct one.

I claim over the whole of the land shown upon the plan. When Ngati Toa went on to this land first, the canoe of my ancestors was the first to land on the block now under investigation.

On arrival there, they proceeded to cut up the land. Afterwards, others of Ngati Toa went in to the land but the land had by this time been cut up and divided. These who went shortly afterwards and those what first were on the land since time when the fight at Waiorua as spoken about by witnesses during the sitting of the court, took place.

The Ngati Toa considered that they had established themselves. The other tribes were defeated. Ngati Toa considered themselves the conquerors of the country. Ngati Toa considered that they had conquered and obtained possession of the land divided and occupied other places on the main land and across Cook’s Strait’s.

After that division, my ancestors lived permanently on this land. At the time that I arrived I saw them on the land. This was at the time of the Kuititanga. They were living at Waiorua together with the whalers. Whalers were living at Te Kahuoterangi and my parents were living with the whalers. There were no other Maori’s on the land. These old men occupied up to the time the whalers ceased to use it as a whaling station. Bob Gillett and O’Meara remained there.

The natives still continued to remain there.

In 1848, Te Oiroa and Penetiu died. I buried them. These were the persons who pulled the first canoe on to the land. My mother let the land in 1847. No one said a word against it. The Europeans remained to look after the old men. Oriwia, Ropata’s wife, heard of the land having been let by my mother. No men joined in this letting, it was done by women. Oriwia went to obtain some of the rent money. She and Ropata got some of the money. My mother gave it to them. The first rent was distributed to my ancestors according to native custom.

In 1853, my mother died and I administered the property. When she was ill and near her death, she desired to be taken to Waiorua to die there. She died at Waiorua. She was not buried there. She was buried at Waikanae.

I then let the land up to 1870. I purchased the sheep and cattle that were running upon the land – one thousand p---s also two boats. The sheep and cattle are there now. I purchased all the property connected with the run. My possession has not been disturbed up to this time. I have been in possession of the land from the first. I have lived at Waikanae and crossed over from time to time to Kapiti.

I hold the land now.

Haoani Taipua appeared to conduct the case for objectors and called

Ngahuka Tungia – sworn

I live at Porirua.

I claim the land under investigation. I claim over the whole.

When Ngati Toa came, we lived at Waikanae. Ngati Toa crossed over to Kapiti. They occupied Kapiti and cut it up. I stayed at Te Kahuoterangi. My fathers went over there. I had not arrived at years of discretion then. My parents also lived at Te Ngaiopiko. Te Rere was a permanent boundary of my parents and no other persons were on the land.

The dispute relative to this boundary, Te Rere, is only of a very late period. The persons who were on this land were Tungia, my father, Mahi Te Hua and Te Tahuarehu. These persons possession was not disturbed by anybody. I am not aware of the number of years they were on the land.

When the migration of Te Puoho came, these persons gave the land to Te Puoho. It was he who had a right to the land. Then my parents came to Ngaiopiko and occupied that portion. Puoho remained for a number of years and then came over to the main to Te Kenakena at Waikanae and returned the land to my parents who were then at Ngaiopiko. They then went and cultivated over the whole block along with the hajpu Ngati Kahutairi.

Wi Parata has no right over this land. Any claim that he has is through his mother but not on my piece. The only place that he has any right to through his mother is at Waiorua. The boundaries of which are defined. I let this land for 20 years. I don’t remember the dates. The boundary was from Waiorua right across the island on the north side and Te Rere on the south. The northern portion of this was Ropata’s, Pitiroa’s, Metapene’s and Oriwia’s. It was a matter of arrangement between us and the old people the fixing of the boundaries of the block of land to be let.

I received the rents. Wi Parata and Ropata received the rents of the block on the north side. This was for a period of ten years when another lease was entered into. The first leased was to Gillett and O’Meara. The second to O’Meara alone. Wi Parata said let the letting cease and let a term of five years be fixed for the sheep to run over the land.

Since consented, since did not, I did not consent. I waited for the expiration of the five years at which time Tumea crove the sheep off. Half of the sheep are mine. Five years was allowed, ther was no charge made and so I claime half the sheep.

Xed by Wi Parata

Did you live with your parents continuously upon this land up to this date? Yes, I have a right through my parents. We were there at the time of the Kuititanga. My father and mother died at Pukerua.

Were --- and Tungia the persons who had authority or right over this land that belonged to Ngati Toa? They had authority over their own pieces.

Did Mohi Te Hua live at Te Kahuoterangi? Yes. He lived there and at Ngaiopiko.

Was the stream of Waiorua an old boundary? It was a boundary of the time of the letting.

Are you living at Kapiti at this time? No, my name is there.

Were you the first to let this land? Yes, on my portion.

Have you the lease? No.

Did you sign a paper at the time the land was leased? Yes. I signed my name relative to my piece.

Rene Te Tahua – sworn

I live at Porirua and at Arapawa.

I belong to Ngati Toa and Ngati Kiraha.

I claim on the land on either side of Waiorua Stream.

When Ngati Toa came, they lived at Waikanae.

My canoe called “Waihou” went over to Kapiti. This was my father’s. This was at the same time that Ngati Toa as a whole went over also Ngati Koata and Ngati Awa then this block was occupied.

Some of Ngati Toa lived at Waiorua and Ngati Koata lived near Te Ngaipiko. They cultivated over the block. Tungia, Te Tahua, my father and Mohi went then to Te Kahuoterangi and also at the southern boundary Te Rere. The villages were Te Kahuoterangi and Kaititi. The villages were on the Hills. Two years they were cultivating the land when the Waiorua fight which has been spoken about took place, simply, my parents joined in the fight. My father was knocked over by a stone in the fight.

Ropata Hurumutu took part in the fight. He helped to dispatch a woman. The circumstances of this fight I have heard of I took no part in it.

My parents remained on the land afterwards.

I was born at Tamaiharanui’s time. When I was grown up, I saw a village of my parents at Tokomapuna – an island – then went over to Kaititi and saw Te Rangihiroa and Metapere also Te Hiko. I went to and fro between these places and Motungarara. I admit Wi Parata at Waiorua.

Te Tahua died at Kapiti and was buried there. He died at Kaititi and was put into a cave at Wharekohu. When my father died, Te Hiko, Pehi’s son, lived continuously on the land. Te Hiko is a relative of mine. I then cultivated at Tuwhapaua also on the side of the Okupe Lake and also at Te Awaiti also at Taopuku. Whalers went to Te Kahuoterangi. They were there one year when Gillett went to Waiorua. Te Hiko and Mohi Te Hua then went to Porirua and returned. This was after the Wairau Massacre. Myself and Wi Parata and some of Ngahuka’s men were at that time on the block in question living at Waiorua.

At the time that the land was offered for sale on the other side of the straits, then leasing commenced. We went to Porirua but came back again. Metapere then said she would let the land to Bob Gillett and John O’Meara. She said, let us send to the people at Porirua. Oriwia came and Ropata and Pitiroi and Mohi Te Hua and Te Waka and Nopera and Rawiri Puaha and myself and Ngahuka, it was then, by consent of these people that the lease was established. That is Metapere’s lease and all Ngati Toa. It was then the land was divided off as stated by Ngahuka. Bob Gillett rented one side of Waiorua and O’Meara the other side.

When Rawiri Kingi died, it was then that O’meara leased the whole of the land.

On the occasion of my coming with Bob Gillett and others from Porirua to Waikanae, it was then that Bob informed me he had given up his portion and that O’Meara was leasing the whole block. An arrangement was made about the rent money equalizing it on the blocks. A confirmation of the lease of the land to O’Meara was signed at Waikanae. I do not know the year. It was after the death of Rawiri Kingi. The persons in the lease were Wi Parata, Ropata, Ngahuka and myself. I did not sign my name to it. It was written by somebody else. At that time, it was arranged that Wi Parata was to receive the rents on one side and Ngahuka on the other side. It was only on my return lately from Arapawa that I heard of the expiration of the lease and the arrangement referred to by Ngahuka relative to the sheep.

I was told that a division of the sheep would be made and that I should share in it. I agreed to this as Wi Parata was one of us but afterwards, I heard that Wi Parata had paid for all the sheep with money. I admit Wi Parata on the north side of Waiorua but I wish my burial ground reserved at Ngaiapiko.

I am not aware whether Te Hiko and Rangihiroa had cultivations formerly on the south side of Waioru. I give up all the cultivations and land on the north side of Waiorua to Wi Parata.

Xed by Wi Parata

Was it at the time of Te Hiko’s death that you ceased occupying this land? Yes.

Was it also at that time that Ngahuka ceased? It was previous.

After Te Hiko’s death, did you return onto the land and live on it up to this day? My name is on the lease.

Did you see Teretiu and Te Oiroa on this land up to the time of the leaseing? I did so.

Did they live under the truth of Tungia or Te Tahua on that land? They did.

Were these the chiefs of all Ngati Toa? Yes. Pehi and Rangihiroa were also chiefs.

Was it to you that the person who first wanted to lease the land went? I have stated he went to Metapere.

Do you know the number of years you were absent from this land? No, I do not.

What I have stated to the court has been related to me orally by Ngati Toa and not been written about the division of the sheep.

For continuation of evidence see Wairarapa No. 2 Book for 51.

Court adjourned till tomorrow at 9.30 am.

Identification