Otaki Maori Land Court Minutebook - 8 October 1881.
- Description
Saturday 8th October 1881
Place – the same Present – the same
Continued from page 131.
Titokitoki
Mr Maclean handed in a list of names of his clients and others.
Ordered that the names of Rikihana Te Tarure, Enereta Rikihana and Wiremu Te Manewha be entered in the register as owners of Titokitoki No. 1B
And
Petuha Te Koroheke, Erina Mihaka, Hareata Hohipua, Karaitiana Te Ahu, Hariata Hamuera, Kerenapa Raika and Piotarihi Mohi be also entered in the register as owners of Titokitoki 2B.
Fees charged
Titokitoki 1B
Hearing - £1.0.0 Order - £1.0.0 Total - £2.0.0
Titokitoki 2B
Hearing - £1.0.0 Order - £1.0.0 Total - £2.0.0
73 Makuratawhiti
Riripeti Te Ngaira – sworn
I live at Otaki. I belong to Ngati Maiotaki hapu of Ngati Raukawa.
I know the piece before the court. I have a claim to part of this land. Kingi Te Ahoaho gave it to my mother Makarata. Kingi had mana on this piece. He was a chief of Ngati Raukawa. No one objected to the Kingi’s gift. My mother was Kingi’s neice.
Rangipapanui was Kingi’s father. The katea was after.
Click on view to see geneology line
By Hema Te Ao
My mother cultivated and died on it. She lived there a long time. Some of her children died on it. Six of her children died on this piece. No one disturbed her in occupation of this piece.
After my mother’s death, I lived on the land. I was living on this piece when this town was first occupied. No one disturbed my occupation of this piece. I cannot say when my mother died.
I was never disturbed till the present sitting of this court. Pene had no cultivation on the part I claim. The Rikihana was the only one who objected to me while I was at Manawatu. He wanted to take the land saying he was the owner.
I referred the matter to the Maori Committee. They gave it in my favour. Rikihana was present. Rikihana signed the document of award to me – here produced. Rikihana and I referred the matter to the committee who both signed one name to that document.
Pene Te Hapupu was also present at that time. Pene made no claim to the land. This is the first time I heard that Pene claims to this piece.
Xed by Tame Ranapiri
I know the land before the court and I claim the western portion of the piece. My boundaries run from the creek Makuratawhiti up to Tewiata’s piece on the western boundary. Adjoining mine on eastern side is Rikihana’s piece up to Tewiata’s piece only.
Enoka has no questions to ask. Pape has no questions to ask.
Xed Maclean
I know that Te Rikihana has a piece. I have seen him loving on his own piece.
My father’s name is Ihaka. I cannot say where my father’s house was. It was on the north of the road. Wiremu had a house along side my father’s on his own piece.
He was not invited by Wiremu. He did not give my father the house.
I cannot say if Ihaka lived with Hapimana. I do not know if Hapimana had houses outside of the land.
My mother died on the land. I do not know if my mother died at Hapimana’s. I know the name of Te Hapupu but I did not see him on the piece I claim.
By Hema Te Ao
I am only claiming the part which my mother owned.
By court
I cannot say how old I was when I lived on this land. I did see Pene Te Hapupu on this land. I only saw his fence.
I heard that my father has a claim has a claim to this piece. I saw my father cultivating on the part which my mother owned. I did not see my mother on my father’s land cultivating.
I have seen Te Rikihana working on his own piece. Te Roera was the only one I know of being buried there.
Xed by Hema Te Ao
Te Wiata – sworn
I live at Otaki. I belong to Ngati Te Horu hapu of Ngati Raukawa.
I know the piece before the court. I know the part claimed by Riripeti. Her claim runs up to my boundary from the creek along the western boundary.
I heard it was given by the Kingi to Maharata. It was not given to Ihaka. I saw Maharata living on this piece. She cultivated on it. All our houses were in one place. That was the reason I said the land belonged to Maharata. No one disturbed her on the land. I was by her charge of this piece when Riripeti went to Manawatu.
Te Rikihana who objected while I was in charge during Riripeti’s absence – Rikihana told me that Ihaka gave it to him. I went to Manawatu to see Ihaka Ngamura, father of Riripeti, about it. He denied Rikihana’s story.
Pene was living at Otaki at this time. Pene did not object to me. It is only now that I hear that Pene Te Hapupu laid a claim to this land.
Rikihana made no further dispute for the part claimed by Riripeti because Rikihana referred the matter to the Native Committee. Rikihana has the adjoining piece to Riripeti next to him Hapimana and Matiu.
Ihaka had a cultivation on this land.
Xed by Tame ranapiri
I claim a piece on this land.
I saw Hapimana and Matiu working on the land. I cannot say what year it was when they worked there. They cultivated on the northern side of the road. They cultivated from the north side of the road up to here.
I saw Ani Kanara working on this piece. She married Matiu’s son. That was the reason she cultivated there. She cultivated there long after her husband’s death.
Xed by Enoka Te Wano
I do not know what right Matiu and other had to work on this piece as owners. There are other owners besides Rangiwhaea and Te Hapupu.
I knew a barn for threshing wheat stood on this piece. It was the Ratana’s. There is a mark of boundary of my land. It is a fence alongside the Hollow.
Xed by Pape Ranapiri
Ihaka’s piece is included in the part claimed by Matiu. The barn house was on the east side of Matiu’s land.
Xed by Maclean
At the present time, Rikihana only has houses on south side of the road. The woolshed belongs to all of us. There is no one living in it. I do not know if the barn is used by Rikihana.
Hapimana and Matiu are both dead. I cannot say if Hapimana had a house outside of land. This land belongs to Keepa Kerikeri.
I never heard that Rikihana leases this land. I never heard that he lease to Knicks. It was his own piece. He leased to Bell. I cannot say if any land adjoining was leased.
I heard that Te Kukura was buried there. She was Rikihana’s mother.
I did not know if Marotipatipa was buried there.
Te Kekeke was buried there. She was Ngati Kahungunu.
I never heard that Rikihana broke down the houses on east side of road.
By Hema Te Ao
I did not see Pene’s houses on it.
By court
Pene lives on another piece of land. He has no houses on this land.
Riripeti is now living at Manawatu. She has no houses on this at present. My houses are not on this piece. My fence and cultivations are on this land. Some of my fence has been removed. Rikihana did not pull the fence down.
By Hema
Tame Ranapiri – sworn
I live at Otaki. I belong to Ngati Tukorehe hapu of Ngati Raukawa.
I remember the time when the committee of Riripeti and Rikihana took place. Pene was present at that meeting. He did not say there that he had a claim on the part claimed by Riripeti.
Hema’s case closes.
By Tame Ranapiri
Tewiata – already sworn
I claim through my father for the part which I claim. My father cut the land up. He and I lived and cultivated it. Hekiera is outside the block and joins ours.
Matiu, Rikihana and others joins my land on the north side.
The whole of my piece is not included in the survey. The piece on the eastern side outside the block belongs to Anawarihi. There are people present that know I own the land.
I did not see Rutera and others working on this piece.
Xed by Enoka
I saw Hekiera and Mena break down Pene Te Hapupu’s fence. It was through ancestor’s, Matiu and others, that they broke the fence down.
Xed by Pape Ranapiri
There was a line between Ihaka and Matiu’s cultivations. I never heard that Ihaka was disturbed on this land.
Xed by Maclean
It was not through Mohi that I claim this land. He did not want it for Hekiera or ramari. She worked there. It was not through Mohi but my father.
I went to Rikihana to consult about this land to divide my piece from his. He would not consent. Ramari was not present. Wiremu and Pene were both present. I was referred to Pene. He refused.
Xed by court
Ihaka was invited by Matiu to work there. He had no piece of his own.
I have seen Ihaka working on Maharata’s piece.
Court adjourned till 10 am on Monday 10th October.