Monday 10th December 1900
Otaki
Court opened at 10 am.
Present – the same
No. 605 OHARIU SECTION 77
Lease 1900/275. Wiari Poiha and others to Emma Bryant and snr.
MR BLAIR for lessors. Ordered subject to Valuation and Declaration Section 5/95 being furnished.
No. 606 OHARIU SECTION 77
Mortgage 1900/276. Wiari Poiha to Superintendent Advance to Settlers. Ordered subject to undertaking to pay amount being furnished.
No. 707 OHARIU SECTION 77
Assignment of rent 1900/291. Wiari Poiha and others to Govt Advances to Settlers Superintendent.
Ordered
No. 607 NGARARA WEST C SECTION 41
Lease 1900/277. Wi Parata Waipunahau to J. W Kemp and another
Ordered subject to Valuation being furnished
No. 716 HAUTOTARA SUB 2
Lease 1900/300. Public Trustee to Wm Harris
Ordered
No. 79 MUHUNOA No. 1 – continued
Application for Partition – continued
HEIPORA TE WHIOI’s Case continued
MEREANA HURA called and sworn. I know the land called Muhunoa i te wahanga kia te Puke I know the people who cultivated on it. The mother of Hipora Pare Karangaroa I heard that Te Raute worked on the land. I also worked there. My mother Pareatakore also worked there.
I was a youngster then. Raute returned to Otaki and left Pare her sister on the land. Tukere whenua was the part they cultivated at Kauaepango. Te Raute and Pare cultivated so I heard.
It was the old people Patukino and others who told me. I saw the people working at Te Kirikiri after the court at Manawatu.
I am not clear about the early history of the land. I know the time that Raute died she died at Te aka Wakahokiatapango. I don’t know when Te Ao died.
I don’t know of any other matter concerning the land accepting that Pare the mother of Heipora and Te Raute cultivated together at Muhunoa. Kotahi tonu te papa whenua i noho nei matou.
HEMA ROPATA TE AO xd
I did not hear that the land was given to Te Ao. No Te Raute raua ko Pare te whenua so I heard.
I am speaking particularly about the part Pare and Raute cultivated but it was owing to the cultivation that all the land was held. I am speaking of the mahinga of Pare at Muhunoa. I heard she had a mahinga at Kauepango but I know they had mahinga’s at Kirikiri.
I was absent at Manawatu in after years. Did not hear that Hukiki turned Pare off from Muhunoa.
Naku tera a noho ai no Pare and Te Raute te whenua.
I did not know of this when the land was before the court. I am about 50 years old. Muhunoa was my kainga tuturu. After I got married I went to Manawatu. I returned to Muhunoa. Hipora is in the Waiwiri block. I can’t say why Hipora was put in the Waiwiri title, except that her mother lived there had a take to the land.
I don’t know anything about the troubles that have taken place about the land. Tuainuku and Ani Patere, Te Puke and Hipora had a disagreement amongst themselves about the land at Te Aruhe takaka one party attempted to encroach on the other. I heard from Ani Patene and Tuainuku about this matter and that the fence was destroyed. It is only recently I heard about this.
2/ paid £1 paid £1 paid
Case closed
ROPATA TE AO
JAMES COOTES sworn
I know the land called Muhunoa.
The take o tenei no matou. At the time Ngati Toa came to Kapiti Muaupoko sent a message to tell Rauparaha that they had a canoe fro him but Rauparaha did not tell Ngati Toa but he told Ngati Tera.
Te Rauparaha, Rakaherea, Taiko, Rangihoungariri, Te Uira, Te Aohau, Te Hononga, the daughter of Te Kahuirangi the party reached Ohau in the evening. Marou no Ngati Tera was also with the party. They all belonged to Ngati Tera.
Some of the people were sent to Horowhenua that evening. The three who went were killed by Muaupoko. The Muaupoko taua came to attack Te Rauparaha and his party who had remained at Ohau.
Ngati Tera knew that it was a case of murder and fled. Te Rauparaha and others also fled. All were killed but Te Rauparaha and Te Rakaherea. Te Hononga was not killed she was retained as a slave by Muaupoko.
A few days afterwards a taua was sent by Te Rauparaha to attack Muaupoko who were defeated and were constantly attacked in after years. After the defeat of the tangata whenua at Waiorua, the land became the property of Ngati Toa.
Kua tonoa mai Te Rauparaha e Ngati Raukawa and Ngati Pare. They came in the Heke Whirinui Te Ao. Kingi Hori of Ngati Pare went to Kapiti. Katahi kia tukua tenei whenua e Muhunoa na Ngati Tera te tuku know also as Ngati te Kanawa and Ngati Tehaunga. The tuku was to Te Ao and Kingi Hori.
The block given was a large one but te Ao gave part of it afterwards to Ngati Tukorehe.
In 1854 Te Puke fetched me e hoa mona i runga te whenua katoia mai e te Puke i au i runga i te whenua. No te wakawakanga ka uru au ki te whenua.
When the upper part was cut off for sale Te Puke told me that he would think of me. He gave me £68 out of the sale. I told him that I wanted to cut off my share and it was agreed that it should be 80 acres and that part was cut off for me.
The land was not given to the hapu of Ngati Pare but to Te Ao and Kingi Hori only. Their relatives would follow them but it would be for Te Ao and Kingi Hori or their immediate kindred to surrender the area that should be appropriated for their relatives.
The Ngati Tera did not go on the land after the tuku. Na Te Puke au i aroha ka to atu au ki runga i te whenua.
I went on the land while Te Puke and others were at Kauaepango. I heard of the pakanga about the land in after years between Ngati Pare and Hamua. I was present when Roera Hukiki caused a disturbance.
Click on view to see genealogy line – Page 243
I asked Te Puke to consider my tuahine mana wakaoti.
INIA HOANI xd
Te Puke wanted me to go on the land but I did not go. It was through the relationship that the land was given to Te Puke. If it had not been for that, it would not have been given. It was through Te Puke inviting me to occupy the land that I got a share of the land.
Everyone is familiar with our relationship. I said that you were above the take kore’s that is that you had a better right than they had. I said to Inia Hoani that if Ropata te Ao had offered them 200 acres that they had better accept the offer in case it got reduced.
I said to you that I could not do you any good by coming as a witness.
It is not because land has been allotted to my female relatives Hana Naera. The people referred to are not in the certificate. Pare went to Muhunoa because of his relationship to Te Ao.
If an award was made to you as an equivalent for the part you cultivated about 20 acres would represent the quantity.
After Te Ao died Ropata and Te Puke occupied the land. I muri o te tuku te Ao occupied the land. I heard of a pkanga about the rohe’s. i don’t know whether Pare was there or not.
Raute has not long since died. I don’t know where she died.
Pare has only died recently. When I saw Pare she was living on a section near the Railway station. I don’t say that she die not died at Ohau. Te Puke and Hare Hemi were the persons I heard opposed the encroachment of Roera and others.
There are 23 owners of the block. Some of these persons have no right – names read out and marked X
HEMA TE AO
ROPATA TE AO
HOANI TAIPUA X
KATARINA TE PUKE X
MERE HAKARAIA X
MAKARETI TAHARNAGI X
EPARAIMA TE MAHAUARIKI X
ANAWARIHI ROPATA TE AO X
REWETI ROPATA
TE HAU O TARANAKI X
HOANI TAWHIRI X
PENE ARAMA X
HORI TE WARU X
POU (1/2) X
MAHINA X
TE AO PINEAHA X
NIKORA HUARAU X
MUNU X
HEMA ROPATA
HIPORA ERUERA TE WHIOI
HAKARAIA TE REINGA
INIA TE REINGA
ERUERA TE WHIOI X
Kaore hei take Te Puke put them in the list.
Heipara has hei take whanaunga but it is for Ropata te Ao to consider the area she is entitled to. The area cultivated would probably not exceed more than a few acres 20 acres would be ample provision in lieu of her right. Kahore e ritenga o te mahi o Te Pare ki te Kirikiri.
I did not see the house you refer to but I saw Pare’s sheep on the land.
BY THE COURT
I did not hear that it was through Pare occupying the land that Hukiki was prevailed from appropriating it.
HEMA TE AO xd
I saw flax and karaka trees, peach trees and other growth on the land. I saw Te Puke’s sheep on the land and his sheep yards. Na Te Ao katoa nga mea kua noho ki runga ki aua wahi.
If Te Ao had abandoned the land all the others would have done so likewise. Te Puke, Ropata, Taipua, and Hori te Waru were put in by me in the Kapiti Block. I did not know of Reipora at that time, that is the reason I did not put her in.
I heard of the wakatete of Hipora and Hoani Hakaraia kia Te Puke. Hei he ana te kupu o Hipora e rite ana tona mana kia Te Ao.
Hemi Kuti stated he desired to explain re Te kanawa that he should have stated he did not know whether Te Kanawa cultivated at Muhunoa or not.
ROPATA TE AO sworn
My take to the land is the tuku to Te Ao by Te Rakaherea and Tungia. Noho roa on the land is another tuku. The burials of my relatives on the land, the protection of the land against the encroachment of Roera and Hukiki, the decision of the court in favour of self and Te Puke.
My mother and father occupied continuously me a raua mokai.
When Te Ao died Te Puke conducted the affairs relative to the land. Hukiki tried to take the land. Na te Ao i pupuri ka mau te whenua part of the land towards the north on the Waiwiri side was taken by Hukiki.
The whare’s of Ngati Parewahawaha on the side of Rotokare were burnt by Te Ao. Roera attempted to take all the land from Te Puke. The original gift started at the beach. Topeora gave some land to Hukiki but he gained other land by intrusion on the part given to Te Ao. A meeting of the Ngati Raukawa was assembled at Muhunoa to consider the continual attempt of Hukiki to encroach on the land.
Hipora and her mother had mahinga’s on the Waiwiri block. We had mahinga’s at several places at Kauepango was one place. We cleared the bush on the land. We had snaring trees on the land. At the time potatoes were planted Pare and her tane Haimona came to us. Came to plant potatoes for themselves. My mother planted apples Pare planted peaches and Te Puke planted flax cultivated the land and snared birds.
While Mere Hanita, came to obtain a ridge pole for Rangiatea (the church). Hanita, Kingi and Mohi went to get the tree and afterwards sent Ngati Raukawa to fell the tree, when permission was granted.
Te Ao went with his mokai’s to plant potatoes. He planted flax there. Ngati Raukawa fetched the ridge pole. Hare Hemi asked Te Puke to establish a rohe between them Te Puke fixed the rohe at the Ohau River. Assembled Ngati Raukawa to fix the boundary for Hare Hemi on one side and Te Roera on the other. All the people assembled and Hare Hemi’s rohe was fixed this was before the court sat. after that Hukiki’s rohe was fixed.
Te Puke wanted to place at Muhunoa but Roera would not consent.
Ka noho tuturu te Puke ki te Kirikiri. Self and others fixed the northern boundary as now shown on the map. ka tuturu te rohe.
Hipora was at Manawatu then. Pare her mother was dead. When the land was dealt with by the court we were adjudged owners.
After the wakawa Te Puke awarded land to Hemi Kuti. One of my children died at Te Kirikiri. Te Puke sold the party next the hills to the government. Hukiki let land to Mr Kebbell but Te Puke obstructed the lease. Puke had a mahinga at Te Kirikiri. He took Hoani Tawhiri with him to assist in working the land.
Afterwards a fence was erected at Pakaraka. I am speaking of these places because we had trouble over the occupation through Tuainuku and others interfering. We held the land again at them.
After we erected a fence along the northern boundary that was after the court sat. While we were erecting the fence Tuainuku and others came to interfere with us. Te Puke threatened Hukiki that if he did not stop interfering with the fence he would summons him which he ultimately did and Hukiki was defeated.
On all occasions when we were disputing with Roera the parent of Inia and Hakaraia were siding with Te Roera.
The people who assisted Te Puke are the persons whose names are in the list who are stated to have no right to the land.
INIA HOANI xd
Te tuku kia te Ao te mana nui.
Your father Hakaraia did not support Roera against Te Puke. Hoani Hakaraia first wife was Roera’s sister but it was afterwards that he assisted Roera against Te Puke, at the time he was married to Hipora.
The pakanga I speak of was before the mahinga ki Kauepango. I can’t say whether Hipora was born at that time.
She was not born then. Hipora was born at Muhunoa.
Ngaone and Hipora are one and the same person.
I know of the whare at Te Kirikiri.
No Ngati Tuhaua tetahi whare ki reira. No Te Puke te whare tuatahi ki te Kirikiri.
It was owing to Roera turning Pare and Haimona from Muhunoa that they came to Te Puke at Te Kirikiri.
Te Raute came to Otaki after she became ill. In my opinion Pare followed after Te Raute her elder sister. I Ropata te Ao am the Kaiwakahaere at the present time of the land, tuku wakahaeretanga ko nga riihi, me nga rakau. My atawhai of you is not the same as Te Puke’s atawhai of Hoani Tawhiri.
It was Pare who asked me to take you so that you might attend school in 1871. I had none of your cows or Hori’s, it was your mother who had your cattle.
Katahi au ka rongo ki te wakapapa i tenei rangi ko te tuku anake te mea rongo ana. It was through the occupation of Te Ao that held the land, not through Te Pare and Te Raute. I saw Hare keke at Kauaepango and also at other places.
The flax has probably been destroyed by the sheep and the peach trees decayed by age. I don’t know that Hakaraia was hei tamaiti whangai no Te Puke. Hei korero rangatira tenei kia korua kia 250 acres so koutou, kaore hoki koutou i wakaare a kua kore tera korero.
You brought the matter now before the court and have to abide by the result.
HEMA TE AO xd
Me kore wakatete o te Puke ki tenei whenua kua riro i a te Roera.
Case adjourned till the 11th instant.
Court adjourned till the 11th instant
NATIVE APPELLATE COURT opened and adjourned till the 17th instant.
