More Info →Otaki Maori Land Court Minutebook - 12 September 1881 1 - 8.

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At the Native Land Court Session held at Otaki on

Monday 12^th September 1881

Present – E. W. Puckey Esq Judge Hoani Meihana – Assessor

32 Waerenga No. 7 – 413 – continued from book 4

Claimant’s case

By J. Ransfield

Hoani Taipua – sworn

I am of Ngati Pare of Ngati Raukawa. I live at Otaki.

I know the land before the court. I have worked on it. Ngahuka gave it to Hera Ani. One season we grew potatoes and one season we grew wheat on it. We worked the N. part.

Horomona was not there then. He was somewhere else then. He never disturbed us. You did. You were the only person who came to ask us who had permitted us to work on this land. You then told us you may remain. Had it been anyone else you said you would have destroyed our fence.

We saw Horomona and Hurumutu cultivating there afterward. Hurumutu was married to a sister of Ngahuka. I don’t know by what right Horomona occupied. After we left, Ngahuka gave it to somebody else. Ngahuka merely gave it to these others for the purpose of working.

I never heard that Horomona owned the land. I heard that the land belonged to Hori and others. The part near the creek belongs to Nepia Taratoa. I only know this by report. I saw Hori and others only working on the other portion.

Ngatihuri was Hori’s tribe. Ngatihuri put up the first fence. Hori was one that fenced it. They worked there a good many years – clearing and cultivating. I was then young. I think about 1856.

Horomona then lived at Ohau. Nepia and others were then at Manawatu. I did not hear Hunia’s statement.

I think Hori and others are the proper owners of this land. Only recently I heard that Ngahuka returned this piece to Hori. I don’t think Horomona occupied for so long as 15 years.

Xed by McLean

Hori was son of Wairaka and uncle of Riria. The year that “Te Horo” was heard by the Native Land Court was the year that Tiemi Ranapiri came to speak to me about cultivating this land.

Ngatihuri cleared the bush and put up the first fence. A portion of the land has been taken away by the water of the river.

If the piece has not been sold, the fence – a Maori one, was right along the west side. This fence was put up to preserve the cultivations. It was put round the cultivations to the bush.

I know the piece cultivated by Horomona. The fence is still there (pointed to S. part of block). I can’t say who first caught this land.

I have seen Hori and his whole tribe working on this land. I don’t know who first surveyed it. Ngahuka got it from Te Rei. I heard so. I never heard of anybody being buried there. I heard of a body being hung in one of the Rata trees there.

Xed by Tame Ranapiri

We worked there when Te Horo was heard by the court. It was after the hearing of Tararua Block. I never heard that the Dr took possession of Horomona’s cultivations elsewhere.

I remember coming before the court last year and asking to have this case adjourned to allow Nepia to attend. I only heard Nepia’s name spoken of on this block. I never saw him on it. It was because I heard his name on it that I asked to have it adjourned. I never heard that Nepia I – gave a Piece of this land to Horomona.

Paranihia told me that Nepia gave a part of this land to Roka and Hori. Te Rei told me at Cambridge that he had received a horse from Ngahuka. I never heard that Te Rei took that horse to Nepia and his mother.

The only cultivation on this block is Horomona’s. His fence is still on it. I never saw Horomona and Amiria working on this piece in olden times. Nepia himself directed me to apply for the adjournment of this case at a former court.

Re-xed by Tiemi Ranapiri

It is quite recently that Horomona worked on this land. Horomona lived with Amiria at Te Rekereke during Amiria’s life.

By Tiemi Ranapiri

Hemi Kooti – sworn

I am a halfcaste. I live at Otaki. I am of Ngati Raukawa and Ngati Toa.

I know this land. I saw this land under cultivation about 25 years ago. Those working there were Te Rei’s and Hori’s peoples. I don’t know exactly when they ceased working there. It was several years subsequently. I then heard that the land had been given by Hori and Te Rei to Ngahuka. This was about 16 years ago.

Ropata Hurumutu is married to Ngahuka’s sister Oriwia. Horomona was married to another sister of Ngahuka named Amiria. Ropata Hurumutu got my cart to carry his fencing on to the land. The land was then fenced by Ngahuka’s authority. This fence was round the whole piece. Ropata, Piripi and Ngahuka cultivated after this fence was put up.

I cultivated this land about 4 years ago. When Ngahuka’s people first cultivated this land, Horomona was on another piece called Waerenga about 30 chains N. W. of this piece. He left Te Rekereke to come there. When this other Waerenga was sold to Dr Hewson, Horomona then got me to cart fencing to this land. About 8 years ago, this was the first time Horomona occupied it. He was brother in law to Ngahuka and according to Maori custom, had a right to go there.

My dray crosses this land 4 or 5 times a week. I saw Ngahuka’s letter – returning this land to Riria. Wi Neera wrote to his brother about it. I heard of a meeting at Enoka’s house. I did not know of it before it took place. I heard of the result of it – viz – that Ngahuka gave this land to Riria.

Xed by McLean

I only lately heard that Nepia Taratoa owned this land.

I think Hori was the first claimant on this land according to my hearing of course Rauparaha was the first. Hori’s claim was – clearing, cultivating and putting his people on it. I only heard this land was Hori’s and Te Rei’s. Hori went to Patetere. He was here after the king movement about 1861 – 3. Hori may have come back again or not I don’t know.

The fence was put up by Ngahuka’s mana. He was living in Otaki then. That describes the fence. Horomona’s fence of 7 years ago is there still. The other fences there are Ngahuka’s. I deny that Horomona has occupied this land for more than 7 or 8 years. There are two Waerenga’s – the other one was sold to Dr. Hewson.

Xed Tame Ranapiri

Horomona occupied because he was brother in law of Ngahuka. Amiria died about the year 1860. I am not sure of the year. He was still Ngahuka’s brother in law after Amiria’s death until he married again. This is Maori custom.

I know that Piripi worked on this land. I saw him fencing on it.

I say I worked on the land last. Wi Neera and I worked together. Wi Neera put the last crop in. There is no fence there. I did not work in Horomona’s enclosure. We worked outside of Horomona’s. I did not hear of Ngahuka giving a horse to Te Rei.

Re-exed by Tiemi Ranapiri

Piripi and co made the fence for themselves viz Ngahuka’s people. I don’t know what became of this fence. Ngahuka’s fence was standing 4 years ago when Wi Neera put the last crop in.

There is a fence now along the eastern boundary but I don’t know whose it is.

By Tiemi Ranapiri

Perenara Te Tewe – sworn

I live at Otaki. I am of Ngati Kapu of Ngati Raukawa.

I know the land before the court. This land belongs to Hori Ngawhare and his parents. I saw them here in 1855 growing potatoes.

You and I laid down the boundary on the N. West (part of it). My wife belongs to Ngati Huri. That is Hori Ngawhare’s hapu.

In 1858, I cultivated there. No one ever came to disturb Hori during that time. In my opinion Hori is therefore the chief owner.

I never saw Horomona there then. He may have been at Te Rekereke or Te Waerenga near Ranapiri’s residence there. The first time I saw Horomona on this piece was after the sale of Waerenga No. 7. Horomona came here under Ngahuka’s mana. Ngahuka and Horomona were brother’s in law.

I remember the meeting in Enoka’s house. He told Riria to -----. He said Oriwia is dead, now I return your land to you, I will no longer come back to Otaki. He never did return to Otaki. I don’t know how many years Horomona remained at Te Waerenga near T. Ransfield’s house. Kuti and Hoani Taipua worked here before Horomona.

Xed by McLean

Tiemi and I laid off the N. W. boundary in 1866. There was no fence there then. It was broken down. The southern part was not fenced. The N. E. part had been fenced. There was no one living there on the S. part then. I heard them all – the S part was Hori’s.

I remember the years 1855 and 1858. I was married then in those years. I was married in 1854. When I got married, I went on this land.

I am giving evidence on behalf of Hori. I don’t wish to be in the title. I think I am entitled to be in the title through my knowledge. I have no interest in the land personally. My wife has no interest in the land. We merely went there to cultivate. We belong to Hori’s tribe. The Ngati Kapu have land elsewhere. Ngati Kapu have no interest in this land.

I heard of Nepia Taratoa’s daughter being buried in the bush. The bush was tapu because of it. I never saw the place of her burial. I only know of this by hearsay. I believe her body was put on some tree on this land.

I don’t know the year of the meeting in Enoka’s house. This year was not written in my heart like that of my marriage.

I know that Ngahuka was in Wellington 304 years ago. He did not come through Otaki then. I did not hear that Ngahuka had given this land to Nepia Taratoa first. It may be 304 years since Ngahuka went to Porirua.

Xed by Tame Ranapiri

I say Hori and others have a claim on this land because I saw them working there. I can’t say how Hori came into possession of this land. I saw them there in 1855.

Te Waerenga near your kainga belongs to Hori and others. I can’t say how Hori’s claim to this Waerenga arose. I saw him working on it. I know a piece called Ngatoko. I don’t know who the owners of it are.

I have seen Horomona on this Waerenga before the court. I have never heard of Horomona being disturbed on this land.

I heard that Te Rei and Hori gave it to Ngahuka. I never saw the horse given by Ngahuka to Te Rei. I never saw Ngahuka cultivating on this piece.

I was present at the meeting in Enoka’s house. One object of that meeting was a tangi. This was the previous subject to this land. The last time I saw this block was when under Horomona’s cultivation.

Re-exed by Tiemi Ranapiri

When I saw Horomona, he was working on one corner of this piece. I saw Horomona’s last cultivation there about a year ago.

Court adjourned until 10 am tomorrow.

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