THE TARAWERA BLOCK.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LI, Issue 16768, 29 June 1925, Page 12

THE TARAWERA BLOCK.

INTERESTING MAORI LAND CASE

(Special to, the Herald.) NAPIER, this day

The Native Land Court, at Napier, which was hearing the claims for inclusion im the Tarawera Block, has so far completed its labors as to decide that a certain section of natives who nacf repeatedly petitioned Parliament were the rightful owners of the block when it was confiscated for acts of rebellion. 15 The Tarawera block is situated fin the Napier-Taupo road, and the titles has subsisted for fifty years. Amongst the owners were many who had remained neutral .while others had assisted the European forces as friendly auxiliaries against their fellow-Maoris. Parliamentary authority was given last year to tho Court to enquire the allegations ks to owneship wpre true, and if so to add tho names of those entitled, irrespective of their participation in, the rebellion as Hauhaus. It was felt that this was only an act of justice, seeing that old-tim’e quarrels had ceased, and that any errors by hostile Maoris in tho past should be forgotten in view .of their sacrifices for the Empire in the Great War. Those who were already in tho 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 Ngatihineuru, 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 tho killing of a chief named Tupurupuru, whose bones wore desecrated and used as fish-hooks by his enemies. Mention was made, in this connection, that some of the bones had also tipped the birdspears of Tupurupuru’s slayers. Curiously enough, tho Ngatihineuru acknowledged a smiliar incident which led to their conquest by a Taupo tribe, but they alleged that no land had passed by the conquest, and that when tilings had settled down they came and rc-occupied tho land, and had held it over since. Leading up to this there was told an interesting story of vendetta. Tim Ngntiraukawa, a tribe from Maungatautari, neiar Cambridge, had joined other natives in raids on the Hawke’s Bay Maoris, many of whonf were then in refuge on Mahia. The refugees, with the hoip of some Ngapuhis then at Mnhia, later attacked these raiders and killed a chief named Te Momo. In the custom of those days, the body was cooked, the flesh was eaten, and ns a corollary his bonus were fashioned into bird spears, some of which reached tho Hiqeuru chiefs. One of these, visiting another tribe, in true* Maori fashion flaunted his possession, unaware that there wcj'o present relatives of Te Momo. A warning was given him, but too lata; the "nows was carried to the Raukawa, an army of revenge was formed, the Hineuru were ignominiously defeata:l, and the offending chief killed. His body was treated ns was that of To Momo, his bones pointing the birdspears of the conquerors. The remnant of th 0 Hineuru then appealed to the Ngatikahungunn to assist them in taking vengeance in turn upon the Raukawa : the appeal was gladly acceded to, nnd a. glorious victory was won over the Raulaawn, thus blotting out the stain on the escutcheon of the Ngatihineuru. The Court hold that it was probably tha latter incident that gave rise to tho claim of conquest over the Hineuru, but as both sides admitted that no land was taken on that occasion, the Court considered that tho two incioents about dead mem’s bones had been confused, that the Hineuru had never last their rights, nnd that therefore they should bo included in tho title. Later I the Court awarded two-thirds of the block to tha Hineuru,, and the balance to those already in the title, and in order that no trouble should arise between the factions, allocated to each its particular area of the block. As some 300 Hincurus are concerned, the natives asked for a sufficient adjournment to permit the formulation of tho list of names, nnd to allot shares among themselves. The further hearing was accordingly ndjouraed.