THE TARAWERA BLOCK.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 3 July 1925, Page 7

THE TARAWERA BLOCK.

INTERESTING MAORI LAND CASE. The Native Land Court, at Napier, which was hearing the claims for inclu. >ion in the Turawera Jslock, has so far completed its labors as to decide that a certain section of natives who laid repeateiliv petitioned Parliament were tlie rightlul owners of tne block when it. was confiscated for acts of rebellion. i lie larawera block is situated on the Napier-Taupo load, and the title hasiinsisted for lil'ty years. Amongst tne owners were many who had remaii etl neutral, while others had assisted the European forces as friendly auxiliaries against their fellow-Maoris. Pnrlianientarv authority was gi\en last year to the Court to enquire if the allegations as to the ownership were true, and if so to add the names of. those entitled, irrespective of their participation in the rebellion as Hauhaus. It was feit that this was only an act of justice, seeing that old-time quarrels had ceased, and that any errors by hostile Maoris in the past should he forgotten hi view of their sacrifices lor the Empire in the Great \\ ar. Those who were already in the title claimed on their part that while they acknowledged that the petitioners were undoubtedly owners of the land formerly, the hostile section had been conquered, and that when, the land was confiscated by the Crown, it no longer belonged to the Ngatiliineuru, but had passed into the hands as conquerors. Ancient Maori history was quoted in the hearing, involving reference to incidents in the Gisborne district, and to the killing of a chief named Tupuruniru, whose bones were desecrated and used as fish-hooks by his enemies. Mention was made, in this connection, that some of the hones had also tipped the bird-spears of Tupurupuru’s slavers. Curiously enough, the Ngatihiueuru acknowledged a similar incident which led to their conquest by a Taupo tribe, but they alleged that no land had passed by the conquest, and that when things had settled down they came and re-occupied the land, and liad held it ever since. Leading up to this theie was told an interesting story of vendetta. The Ngatiraukawa, a tribe from Manngatautari,- near Cambridge, had joined other natives in raids on the Hawke’s Bay Maoris, many of whom were then i n refuge on Mahia. The refugees, with the. help of some Ngapuhis then at Mahia, later attacked these railers and killed a chief named To Memo. In the custom of those days, the hodv was cooked, the flesh was oaten, a ltd as a corollary his bones were fashioned into bird spears, some of which reached the Hineuru chiefs. One of these visiting another tribe, in true Maori fashion flaunted his possession, unaware that there were present relatives of Te Mourn. A warning was given him. but too late : the news was! carried to the Itaukawa, an army of revenge wa.s formed, the Hineuru were Rmominiousir defeated, and the oflending chief killed. His body was treated as*"was that of Te Memo, Ins bones pointing the bird-spears of the conquerors. The remnant of the Hineuru then appealed to the Ngatikalmugunu to assist them in taking vengeance m turn upon the JI auk aw.a : the appeal was gladly acceded to, and a glorious victory was won over the Raukawa, thus blotting out _ the stain on the escutcheon of the Ngatiliineuru. The Court, held that it was probably the latter incident that gave rise to the claim of conquest over the Hineuru, hut as both sides admitted that no land was taken on. that occasion, the Court considered that the two incidents about dead men's bones bad been confused, that tin* Hineuru liad never lost their rights, and that therefore they should bo" included in the title. Later the Court awarded two-thirds of the block to the Hineuru, and the balance to those already in the title, and jti order that no trouble should arise between tiie factions, allocated to each its particular area of the block. As some 3<>o , Hinemus are concerned the natives ■ asked for a sufficient adjournment to permit the formulation of the list of I names, and to allot shares among themselves. The further bearing was accord- . ingl.v adjourned.