This is an extract from the Traditional History Report prepared for the Waitangi Tribunal Inquiry.
Ngati Hinewai is a hapu descending from Rereahu of the Tainui waka and other tupuna. They were awarded land under the hapu name of Ngati Hinewai, in the Waimarino block. Ngati Hinewai are the descendants of Pare Huitao- a woman who features in whakapapa and who played a significant role in their history.
The WAI 1191 claimants are descendants of Taitua Te Uhi, a chief of Ngati Hinewai, who was descended from Tamatekapua and Rereahu.
Taitua married Maki Matarahirahi who was from Matahiwi and belonged to Nga Poutama. Taitua lived at Kituhua near Taumaranui with his wife and family and farmed at Piriaka while living permanently at Kituhua. The Crown took some land from Kituhua in the 1890s. Taitua died in 1902
and is buried in school grounds of Taumaranui primary school in the Ohura South block.
Taitua was a shareholder in Ohura South G4E1 and G4E2. Taitua and his brother Tanoa were awarded shares in several other land blocks; the Whitianga block (under Ngati Haua), and Ohura South, Pukuweka, Ohutu, and Retaruke blocks.
Taitua had several children including a son Tanga and daughters Ngarena and Moetu. Ngarena Taitua married Tuhi Te Huia. Ngarena died in November 1912. Ngarena had 5 children but 4 of them died in the influenza epidemic of 1918. Tanga Taitua was foster father to those children.
Te Pua was the wife of Tanga Taitua. Tanga had a farm up at Piriaka on the Waimarino 6F2C1A block. Tanga died in 11 March 1943 at Piriaka. The Waimarino 6F2C1A block was sold on 5th August 1970 at Hamilton. Tanga was a Shareholder in the Waimarino 6F2C & Waimarino 6E subdivisions at
Piriaka. He also owned shares in the Ohotu 1C2, Ohotu 8, and Retaruke 1 land blocks.
Most of the land of Ngati Hinewai was in the Waimarino block. When this land was taken to Court in March 1886, only a rough sketch plan of the huge block was made available to the Court, and to those interested in land in the area. On the plan presented to the Court in 1886, the Waimarino block included a large portion of what was known as the Aotea block.
Taitua Te Uhi of Ngati Hinewai gave evidence at the Waimarino hearing as to the extent of the hapu land interests:
Taitua Te Uhi is my name. I live at Kituhua. Ngati Hauaroa is my hapu, and my name is in the order for Waimarino. I have not sold my interest to the Crown; I also belong to the hapu Ngati Hinewai, and claim this land through Ngati Hinewai; I can point out the portion of this bock belonging to Ngati Hinewai. Arimatia is a portion I own on this land; The boundary of Ngati Hinewai begins at Ngatokoerua, thence goes to Waipapa and ends there for the boundary of the land called Arimatia; another boundary begins at Hikumutu stream, follows that stream in a southerly direction to
Opouretehou, thence to Maunganui, on to Hautawa then the line turns in an easterly direction to Raurimu, on then to Whakapapa stream, and follows that stream to the Whanganui river, and on to the point of commencement. The land embraced by this line belongs to Ngati Hinewai, Ngati Reremai
and Ngati Haua. I have ancestral rights to other portions of the block, outside these boundaries. I have a claim at the stream Retaruke… Tanoa Te Uhi and Tuao have identical claims with me. Our claims on these portions is through our ancestor. I have lived on all these portions, and our fathers
and grandfathers lived on these parts.
The Court awarded the non-sellers in the Waimarino block 41,000 acres, and the Ngati Hinewai share of this was a mere 1,350 acres. There were 3 non-sellers from Ngati Hinewai:
- Taitua Te Uhi
- Tanoa Te Uhi
- Tuao
They were awarded their 1,350 acres in the Waimarino 6 block which was allocated to Ngati Hinewai alone.
The small amount of land awarded to them was a cause of grievance for Ngati Hinewai. The three Rangatira awarded land continued to write letters of complaint to the Government and Native Department for years after the hearing of April 1887. They demanded that, as they had not sold their lands, all the area of the Tuhua district remain outside the Waimarino block and under their ownership. They absolutely rejected the idea that the 1350-acre Waimarino 6 block was the only area of their lands within the area encompassed by the Waimarino block to which they could lay title.
The period during which the Rangatira of Ngati Hinewai wrote letters to the Crown was a time of limbo for those who were awarded title and a share in the Waimarino block, as they were not notified of the location of their land until 1895. It was only then that the Crown had arranged to have the Waimarino block and its reserves surveyed.
However, between 1887 and 1895 the Crown had begun to develop and sell land within the Waimarino block; despite the boundaries of Crown and Maori land not being defined.
The Waimarino 6 reserve at Piriaka has no access to the Whanganui River apparently because the main road was adjacent to the River at that point. The loss of easy access to the river and its resources would have impacted heavily on Ngati Hinewai as they relied on the awa for food, and for
travel.
There are several urupa located on the Waimarino 6 block, which contain burial sites of a number of whanau members of Ngati Hinewai. The marae which still exists on the block is known as Matua Te Kore.
The Stout/ Ngata commission report on ‘Native lands in Whanganui District’ in 1907 was to comment on the Waimarino purchase:
In the whole history of the colony there has never been any purchase so extensive in any district, or one that was completed with such expedition.
It appears that when the Stout-Ngata report was prepared part of Waimarino 6 had been leased, and application to lease the rest of it – to a timber company- was awaiting confirmation.
Soon after this the 1909 Native Land Act opened the door to private purchasing of Maori land which began a new wave of alienations. The succeeding Acts dealing with Maori land similarly allowed easy alienation of Maori land- until the 1993 Act when changes were made- and now, little of Waimarino 6 remains in Maori ownership.