Crown's failures listed in Treaty hearings
Hapu¯ land and taken ‘by the stealth of the pen’
Like a sandpiper whose sandbanks have become obliterated by the flowing tide is a quote that Ani Mikaere of Nga¯ ti Pareraukawa descent uses to describe the “virtual confiscation” of their land by the colonial government. The result was the hapu¯ were left mostly landless.
Ms Mikaere presented her brief of evidence for Nga¯ ti Pareraukawa at this week’s Waitangi Tribunal hearing held at Ngatokowaru Marae, Hokio.
Her tupuna Wa¯ tene T¯ıwaewae wrote to Donald McLean in the wake of a 1873 Native Land Court decision and Ms Mikaere says, “The metaphor is an apt one: a colonial law tsunami swept the land out from under us — and with it, our way of life.”
At this sitting of the Waitangi Tribunal hearing they listened to Nga¯ ti Huia ki Horowhenua who are based around the Levin area. These hapu¯ are part of the Nga¯ ti Raukawa iwi confederation who have been presenting their Treaty claims to the tribunal over the last two years. This is Week 11 of the Covid-affected hearings.
The iwi comprise some 30,000 members and belong to Nga¯ ti Raukawa ki te Tonga, Nga¯ ti Kauwhata, Nga Iwi O Te Reureu and are based in the Manawatu¯ , Horowhenua and Kapiti Coast. The main grievance and highly contentious issue is termed “te pene raupatu” or land loss “by the stealth of the pen for over 320,000 acres”.
Other claimants presented Nga¯ ti Huia hapu¯ in the Horowhenua during the week dealing with claims to inland waterways, environmental and natural resources and land alienation. Wayne Kiriona presented on behalf of Matau Marae, Larry Parr is a claimant for Nga¯ ti Hikitanga and Dr Te Ahukaramu Charles Royal presenedt his research on Kikopiri Marae at Muhunoa. Nga¯ ti Huia ki Poroutawhao had a wide ranging set of presentations that focus on topics such as education, health and mahinga kai.
The tribunal is headed by Deputy Chief Judge Fox and includes Dr Monty Soutar, Dr Grant Phillipson and Tania Simpson.
Nga¯ ti Pareraukawa of Ho¯ kio on Monday detailed how the virtual confiscation of the land “resulted in a loss of language, culture and identity for the next generations of Nga¯ ti Pareraukawa”.
The Waitangi Tribunal’s Porirua ki Manawatu¯ Inquiry has held 10 hearings since March 2020. Monday was the first day of hearing week 11 of the Covid-affected hearings.
The Waitangi Tribunal is listening to Nga¯ ti Huia ki Horowhenua based around the Levin area. These hapu¯ are part of the Nga¯ ti Raukawa iwi confederation who have been presenting their Treaty claims to the tribunal over the last three years. Nga¯ ti Huia ki Horowhenua welcomed the Waitangi Tribunal on to
Nga¯ tokowaru Marae, Hokio¯ , Levin.
During his whaiko¯ rero (speech) pu¯ ko¯ rero (distinguished speaker) Pakake Winiata outlined relevant Nga¯ ti Huia tu¯ puna depicted in the whakairo (carvings) of the wharenui. This included the rangatira Te Whatanui who was one of the Nga¯ ti Raukawa leaders who migrated from the Waikato to Horowhenua during the early 1800s.
He sheltered the defeated Muau¯ poko iwi from the Nga¯ ti Toa leader Te Rauparaha who sought to exterminate them. Muau¯ poko had murdered the prominent leader’s children during the migration of the northern people.
Later on in the hearing lecturer Ani Mikaere reiterated the ko¯ rero given on the marae of Pakake Winiata regarding the actions of Te Whatanui to protect Muau¯ poko. In response, Muau¯ poko gave him the title Te Whetu¯ ma¯ rama-o-te-ata (the shining star of the morning). She said, “He was their carer, their protector, he was the rangatira, he had the authority . . . ”
Further examples of Te Whatanui’s mana to protect Muau¯ poko were outlined including the setting up an area of 20,000 acres where Muau¯ poko were to be sheltered. This was part of the 52,000 acre Horowhenua Block.
However, disputes over the ownership of land by the two iwi for various reasons switched to the courts which reversed Nga¯ ti Huia’s claims to the land and awarded it to Muau¯ poko whose leaders largely fought on the side of the Crown during the Land Wars. This largely left the iwi landless. However, Ms Mikaere also confirmed the Waitangi Tribunal process was about pointing out the wrongs of the Crown rather than disputing the actions of various iwi involved in the dispute.
Rachael Selby and her son Pataka Moore were the other presenters on the first day. Ms Selby detailed how the virtual confiscation of the land “resulted in a loss of language, culture and identity for the next generations of Nga¯ ti Pareraukawa”.
Coupled with the above the hapu¯ were seriously affected by environmental desecration with the pollution of Lake Horowhenua and the sacred waterway Ho¯ kio. Mr Moore described graphically the result of raw sewerage on a stream that was a food source for the hapu¯ . He outlined decades-old disputes with local authorities which included toxic neighbours such as a piggery and the Levin rubbish dump. They maintain the Crown and local authorities’ actions are a Treaty breach.
Other claimants representing Nga¯ ti Huia hapu¯ in the Horowhenua detailed grievances regarding the inland waterways, environmental and natural resources and land alienation. Wayne Kiriona presented on behalf of Matau Marae as the closing speaker.
Larry Parr is the claimant for Nga¯ ti Hikitanga and Dr Te Ahukaramu Charles Royal presented his research on Kikopiri Marae at Muhunoa.
Nga¯ ti Huia ki Poroutawhao closed the hearing week with a wide ranging set of presentations that focus on topics such as education, health and mahinga kai.
Nga¯ tokowaru Marae anticipates more than 400 people attended during the week.
As with other hearings in the past two years, the hearing observed Covid protocols as a significant number of claimants and wha¯ nau are people over 70 and particularly vulnerable to the effects of the virus.
The confederation of iwi who occupy the Manawatu¯ /Horowhenua/ Kapiti area are generally known as Nga¯ ti Raukawa or Nga¯ ti Raukawa ki te Tonga to differentiate themselves from their relatives Nga¯ ti Raukawa who occupy the area around Tokoroa, Putaruru, Maungatautari and east towards the Kaimai/ Mamaku Range. They comprise as well hapu¯ of Nga¯ ti Kauwhata, Ngati Tukorehe, Nga¯ ti Wehiwehi, Nga¯ ti Maniapoto and Nga¯ ti Tu¯ wharetoa. Nga¯ ti Huia ki Horowhenua is a group of hapu¯ belonging to Te Ngare o Huia who are a major grouping within the Nga¯ ti Raukawa confederation.
These iwi originally inhabited the southern Waikato area but migrated to the Manawatu¯ /Horowhenua/O¯ taki area alongside Nga¯ ti Toa, Te A¯ ti Awa and other iwi during the early 19th century.
The Waitangi Tribunal hearings started in 2020 in the northern region of the confederation’s rohe and a progression of hearings will conclude with sittings in O¯ taki.