11

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on Pukekura, and they have held possession of it to the present day Te Raihi and some others now in Court live there now Many of Ngatihinepare are living there. Examined by the Court: Pukekura was not taken by Ngatimaru at all. Ngatikauwhata assisted Ngatihaua against Ngatimaru. It was tho resident or remaining members of Ngatikauwhata who assisted to drive away Ngatimaru. Te Muera Te Amorangi (examined by Mr. McDouald) sworn : I am of Ngatikauwhata, from Wehiwehi. I have just now come from Kapiti. I went to Kapiti the year Awahou (Manawatu) was sold to the Crown (1866) I shared in the Wehiwehi lands at Kapiti. I was born here. I heard of Taumatawiwi. I went to Tauranga to see my sister when that battle began. I did not remain there, but returned to Pukekura and lived there until I went to Kapiti. I have a good right as a descendant of Kauwhata to the lands of Pukekura and Rangiaohia. Examined by the Court: Ngatikauwhata did not leave this for fear at the time of Ngatihaua's fight with Ngatimaru. We joined Ngatihaua at Taumatawiwi and all the fights. Those left behind at the migration to Kapiti were Wairoa and Kanapa, Wiwini and other chiefs. Examined by Major Mair: I was at Kapiti during the European war. I came here to Pukekura after that, and returned again to Kapiti. I cannot tell the year. Examined by the Court: When Governor Hobson arrived, Ngatikauwhata, who remained behind, lived here. They intermarried and lived with Ngatihaua. Hakiriiohi (examined by Mr. McDonald), sworn : I am of Ngatihaua and half-caste of Ngatikauwhata. I live at Tamahere. Waikato is my home from my birth until now. I know Pukekura perfectly well. lam a chief of Ngatihaua. According to our custom Pukekura belongs to Ngatikauwhata. I have heard of Te Waharoa. He was one of our fathers—a principal chief of Waikato. He and Te Wherowhero were principal and equal men. Tamihana succeeded. Wi Tamihana was a half-caste of Ngatikauwhata. 1 have seen Waharoa and Tamihana. I always heard their conversations. I heard what Tamihana said of those who went to Kapiti. He had a vessel called " Kauwhata," which he intended for bringing back the Ngatikauwhata from Kapiti —also the bones of those who had died there. I never heard him say that Ngatikauwhata were not to return here. According to Maori custom, Tapa and his companions have aright to Pukekura. Examined by Major Mair : Ngatikauwhata said they went to Kapiti to obtain guns, and for white men. They handed over their land to us. Wharepakaru was the man who handed it over to us. Wharepakaru said to Wiwini, "We leave the land to you." He then went away, and we have quite understood that ever since—that is, to hold for them, Wiwini belonged to Ngatihaua half-castes of Ngatikauwhata. Wiwini according to Maori custom was a real Ngatihaua, and we are also Ngatihauas. In olden times we were half-castes, now we are called really Ngatihauas. lam in the Crown grant of Pukekura. I gave evidence at the hearing of that land. I cannot remember my evidence then. Toil have it in the books. [Minutes read relative to claim, and assented to.] One claim was by conquest, and one by ancestry I did not live on Pukekura by conquest, but by ancestry Wo said at that Court that Ngatihaua had no right to Pukekura. I and Te Raihi said so. [Minutes of witness's former evidence read to him by Major Mair.] That was my statement, although there is a contradiction between that statement and what I now say I have said the land was given to Te Whetowheto Murupara. Wiwini was another name for the same man. Examined by the Court: The land was taken by Ngatimaru. Wo retook it. We went to Tamahere. Ngatikoroki went to their own place. Hinepare went to Pukekura. Waharoa was the great (Ngatihaua) chief who presided over our return, and located us. Waharoa was from Kauwhata. I cannot say that any of Kauwhatas came from Kapiti to assist us to retake the land. Examined by Mr. McDonald : Had Tapa and his companions been here at the investigation (1868), we could not have excluded them from Pukekura. I would not have admitted Ngatiraukawa. Examined by the Court: Tamihaua's invitation was because of their natural right. The sanction of Tamihana and Waharoa was not necessary Wata Tahi was a half-caste Hinepare and Haua ;so also were Reweti Waikato, Hori Puao, Piripi Whanatangi, Hemi, and Wi Te Whitu. It would be said that the Kauwhatas who remained from Kapiti migrations were Ngatihauas. Te Waharoa would not be an owner of Pukekura as a Ngatihaua, but as a Kauwhata. Title would not be lost by occupation (by consent) of strangers. Had Waharoa been alive at the first hearing, Ngatikauwhata would have received a share of the proceeds of the land. Tamihana and Waharoa always exhibited their affection to any member of Kauwhata who returned, though he were ever so humble. HZarele Tamihana (examined by Mr. McDonald) sworn : I am daughter of Wi Tamihana and Wikitoria—their eldest child. I was born at Matamata, and have lived there to the present day I have heard of Ngatikauwhata tribe. I have heard of Pukekura from father and mother. They were both Ngatikauwhata. From my childhood they expressed great affection for the people of Ngatikauwhata. Waharoa was dead a long time. My father, Tamihana, died before the Court of 1868. I was present at that Court. Had Tapa and his friends been present they must have shared in the land, as will be seen by my statements then. Examined by the Court: I am one of tho grantees by descent from Kauwhata. I had no other claim. I well remember my statement at that time. I did not say I claimed by conquest; that statement applied to Maungatautari. A portion of Maungatautari was included in the Pukekura Block. To that portion my claim was by conquest. My claim to Pukekura proper was from ancestry, others claimed by conquest. | Statement at former hearing read.] What I have said to-day is that I was ignorant of the proceedings of the Native Land Court in those days. That was my first examination by a Court. I was without any know-ledge. I was sworn, but 1 did not understand an oath. This is the true statement. That was a wrong statement. Examined by Major Mair : I did not include Kauwhata in the list of grantees, because I did not know their names. Examined by the Court: It was because of Parakaia's opposition that I brought forward conquest. I did not wait to hear Parakaia's statement. [Mr. McDonald said he had brought this evidence tp show what would have been done had this part of Ngatikauwhata been present.]