ARBITRATION COURT.

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume III, Issue 3, 20 April 1863, Page 6

ARBITRATION COURT.

Pieseut:H. Walton, Te Hemara, C. Heath, Eruena Te Horo Thursday, 15th January, 1863. Hori Kingi Tahua got up and related the genealogy of their forefathers from the commencement of the residence of the Waikeri at Mangakahia. Hori Kingi-Tahua spoke, and said this is my root, Tewha. Because that land was given to him. He went to 3 lire" on it, at that time there was no word heard of disturbing him; if it had been land wrongfully occupied it would have been disputed;.down to the second, third, and fourth generations, even down to us. Now in these present days, for the first , time have we hearaa word disputing it, therefore I take firm hold on this la.nd, because the land and' the Karakas went cogether, when it was given up; if ii had been only the Karakas it would have been disputed before this; I never heard of their grandfathers nor their fathers; but the. man whose existence J have known of, who lived on that very place was the korau, his 90c is Reweti Maika; therefore I say, let the law search out among these genealogies, the number of y ears they lived on this land, this is all I have to say about Mangakahia. The reason ithat land .was given to Tewha, was the huru with which Tomaure was covered over. This is all I have to 6ay. My hands shall hold fast to that land. Question by the Arbitrators: When the land was given to Te Wha was alliihe land given as well as the, Karakas, or the Karakas only. Hori Kingi Tjthua: The land altogether.

By Te Hemara: What was the reason ihe land was given to Te Wha? Hori Kingi Tahua: This the love of the Ponaharakeke to that dead body. By Te Heraara: Are you quite certain that this was the reason of the laud being given, i.e. this hum? Hori Kingi Tahua: Ye?, I am certain it was the huru. By Te Hemara: Is this word of yours perfectly true? - Hori Kingi Tahua: It is perfectly true, it was the huru. By Te Hemara: Is this the way you got possession of the land? Hori Kingi Tahua. Yes, this was the way we got possession. By Te Heraara: Down to the present time? Hori Kingi Tahua: Yes, down to the present time. By Te Hemara: Has there been no dispute at all about the laud formerly in tlje days of your .fathers or grandfathers? Hori Kingi Tahua: There has been no dispute at all with our grandfathers or fathers down to the present generation. Te Hemara r Only now, this that has just passed. Paora Kaitangata spoke and said, this is what I know relative to Hori Kingi's statement when he said that formerly there was no fighting; I consent before you, that it is true, there was not the least, there was however, another cause, the other cause is this; quarrels about injuries done to the bodies of men, formerly, it was never said that they fought about the land, therefore it is riorht to say to-day in your presence, that our inquiry before you is a just one, the laud is ours, we hold the land in our hands and our feet tread on it. This is my

understanding in this enquiry; if a jnati lives for twenty-two years (a man living without authority the land not being- his) the land becomes his because he has lived on it twenty years, but?in tins case it has extended perhaps to one hundred years or even 500, it cannot be calculated. By . Te Hemara: Does your heart fully confirm. Paora: Yes, I fuljy confirm it. By Te Hemara: Was that the reason tbey got possession of the land—-the kuruY .Paora: Yes, that was the reason, and there was no other reason. By Te Hemara: Perhaps it was only the Karakas? Paora: Now, listen to me. If it had been the Karakas only, it would have taken oae day to gather them, and there would have been an end of it. By Te Hemara: Were the Karakas cut down? Paora: No, they were left standing on the land,'they were not cut down. Te Reweti Maika spoke, and said: This is my. word; I am the father of Matiu; Matiu is my child; as for me I have been an old man for some time; he is a young child; he wcas born after I got up into ye*rs; I know nothing at all about his claim; after he went among strange people he found it out; he left me living on the land, until the disturbances which came to Mangakahia, I lived upon the land. .To me the truth is in the statement of Hori; my word closes on the top of Hori's; my word finishes on the top of Hori's. By Te Hemara: Don't you know the piece of Matiu Aranui, whether he has any claim on the land? Reweti Maika: I don't know about Matiu; all I know is, he went after his mother, and left me living at Mangakahia. By Te Hemara: Is it from you, from the father's side, that Matiu has a claim on the land? Rewiti Maika: It is from m« that his thoughts hava extended on to the Ifttid. By Te Hemara: Is it because the ancestors came from Ngatimoeroa that you claim your descent? Reweti Maika: He has his. I hare mine. Te Hira Te Awa spoke and said: This is my word. What is the reason that. Ngatimoeroa should have given Mangakahia for that hunt when. Ngatiwairua ought to hafe paid for it, as- this dead man, Tomo-aure, verily belonged to Ngatiwairua. Let the law examine this statement. What is the reason that the tract of land should be so very large, as large as Mahurangi, round by Eaipara, and down to where we are? for Hori Tahua says

the end of the boundary is one. We never heard of this; it is very false; it ia a story got up to tell before the Court; "the only thinrr that is correct is that Taururangiatea gave the Karalcas only to Tewha. This is the second person that came to the ancestors: of Matiu, of Matikikuha, of Paikea, of Taupuhi, asking for land. They must: have been a people without land. Our ancestors never went begging lani. We : are the descendants of Rangi, of Tahinganui, of Whitikainganui of th» Atua-haere. The reason he.was called Whitikainganui was—the great extent of this land —very great indeed. These, are the mountains of the land of! these, ancestors— Tangihua—Maungaru—Unuwhao —Tutamoi —Whatitiri—the Taraiorabiri; these are the noted hills of our ancestors. These are the descendants, all of us who are present here. The greater portion stopped away, Paikea, Matikikuha, Taupuhi-^-they are descendants of these ancestors; the land belongs to us only, because their ancestors have not mixed with our ancestors; three days have we searched and theirs have not been found to mingle. This is my word to the law; give us up our land; let the anthority of the Government rest upon us, the heirs of our ancestors—upon us, Paikea, Matikikuha, and their tribe, that our land may be secured to us for ever, because their ancestors have not belonged to ours. This is all I have to say. Iri the days of Mene and Ngere the land was disputed; they disputed by words with the chief« of thg Patawhau; also in the days of Weltiwehi and Kaiwaka. Those numerous chiefs 9aid the land was theirs; Mene said—The land is ours (Mene's and Ngere's) When the dispute got very strong they fetched Tiheru, an old man of the Ngatimoeroa; Tiheru cam* to Pukeokui where they were assembled. Mene then arose and asked of those numerous chiefs and said—Who does this land belong to? They said—lt is ours. Mene then said—Trace up your ancestors; but they did not do sa; but they said W« hold it by the strong arm. When this word was spoken, Mene said to Tiheru—Old man get up and speak; if you speak right I will not hurt you, if you speak wrong I.will scatter you to the winds, —therefore Tiheru got up and scoffed at the words of the chiefs of the Parawhau, and said—My land is my own, I got it from my. ancestors, Rangi, Tahinganui, Whitikainganui, Rangiornawaru, the Atuahaere. (These were theancestors which Tiheru traced his descent from, down to the time of his own birth). These many chiefs then referred to Te Kahore. Tiheru told them that it was K&wanui only that was given to Te Kahore. As to Haruru ho (Tiheru) gate it to Mainuku, the ancestor of Parore, as a place

where he might set his eel nets. First, Kawanui; secondly, Haruru; the Karakas things my ancestors gave to their ancestors. What does this mean? Their ancestors never* gave anything to our ancestors; but their, ancestors always came to ask for land, and to? beg for Karakas for themselves. The land is ours; it is our own. Let the law return our land to us; let our land be thoroughly secured to.us. I have finished. By Mr. Heath: Are you quite sure it was only the Karakas. that were given to Tewha, or was it the land altogether? Te Hira: The Karakas only. By Mr. Heath: Who hqs been living on the land since the Karakas were given away? Te Hira: The people belonging to the land, Kgatimoeroa. By Mr. Heath: Have the ancestors of the Tirarau never liv?d or cultivated that land? Te Hira: If' they belonged to Ngatiraueroa I should know, but in this case I know nothing. By Mr. Heath: You don't know. Did Tuiarau ever cultivate or live on that land? Te Hira: I don't know. This I know; their land <was -at Waipoua; Whangarei was another place; and they • went -backwards and forwards to 4Sfarpoua and to Whangarei. It was because they ran about so much 4hat the "term "_Tocec6" was applied to them. This was <the Huarabi's word at the time he quarrelled with Kukupa—My land in the Wairpa iemy own; it belongs -to NgatemoeBut you are like a piece of raupo •drifting -■ about; therefore I have -not answered yoqr question (addressed to the arbitrators). Ido-notknow. If they belonged to Ngatimoeroa I should know. Haniakere spoke and said :. I get up to support Hira. By Te Heraara: What is the reason ithut the - Tirarau at present occupies that land? Haot&kete : Occupies which piece? one extending down below? I do not know; I am 'This;much I;know; when Pehi' marked the Rangiwhatitiri, the Keha had two daughters,'J»th< married to N*hi. The Keha lived at Kaitaru; the.reason <of:his living-there was, that,"when ' he married> Pekepeke ); lie . was ' >allewed4x) cultivateat Kaitaru asa mark >of fovor from the Hakuanei; Paora'a father gave the permission to cultivate. ' Thiawaa the-way -that -Pehi iand>his father-in-law lived together at<>Kaitaru. After -the Keha died ithe two daughters who marriedPehi died. This land, Que,and>Kaitaru,werethen deserted. Paora K4withen 'Cameandlived onthese-pieces, >and have occnpied Jthem to the present day. Pehi -returned totheWairoa. By the Hemara: What was the cause of the

Tirarau and his people cultivating and Jiving on that land? Hautakere : It was on account of Fehi that the Tirarau and people went to Mangakahia to live together because the daughters'of Kukiipa were married to the Whareoneone, and j the Keha's were married to Pehi. The land did not belong to the Keha, but these are the people the land belongs to, the Arai, Kohu, Tukutahi, and their brothers. One is here present whose name is Hepana ; Matiu is the descendant of Tukutahi. When that woman Tukutahi married Ngawao, Reweti Maika first came to live at Mangakahia; what he said was false, " that it was through him Matiu came to live at Mangakahia." However, there was a dispute with Tukutahi respecting.some flax bushes she claimed at Waiomio, the place where the men lived. The woman was therefore ashamed, and in consequence came to her own place to Mangakahia to live ; she afterwards returned to Waiomio; whilst living there, that woman thought she would return It) Mangakahia, and she did so. This is what brought the men, Reweti and his family, to Mangakahia to live j the woman died at Mangakahia, her children remained there; their natnes were Matiu and the Watarauhi; the place they lived on was below Oue. After the woman died the men continued to live at Mangakahia; I skw tliem living there; I was a man growu when they lived there; I-have never seen Hori and his people living there; but Reweti and his people I have seen living there from the days when I became a man until .the present time; I-nave never seen Hori and his people cultivating at Oue; I have never heard that it was Hori's mother (Whakakati) who settled Reweti and his people at Mangakahia, but it was Matiu s mother, because she, was descended from the ancestors who belonged to the land. Therefore, the word of Matiu to the Reweti -was right that Reweti should take up the dead bodies and he and his people go to Hikurangi. These are the things that I know myself, and the only reasons why they lived at Mangakahia. This, is the Uriroroi's settlement. {When the Arai married the-Tauhara, the woman lived at Mangakahia, and the men came and lived together at Mangakahia; after the Tauhara died, the Arai wished, to marry the Hahunga, but the woman got up and ran away to.the upper part -of • Mangakahia, but the men continued to live at the woman's place. Now these women were owners oftheland, but the men weie only occupiers and : had no chum on the land. This is what T know myself, and what my eyes have seen from my childhood upwards until this time that I am now talking- to you. The Reweti says it was through him that Ma-

tiu claims the land ; I say that this is false. By Te Hemara : Are these the reasons that Hori and the Tirarau lay claim to the land on

[ account of the woman ? I Hautakere : Yes, these women are the roots | of the land.