thesis describes how Whanganui rangatira had tried to stop the tidal wave of land sales during the mid to late 1800s. Our ancestors held hui, wrote petitions, travelled to Wellington in attempts to protect their lands from acquisition by the Crown. By the late 1800s most of the land in the Whanganui rohe had been sold. Māori leaders had been unanimous in asking the Crown to cease the purchase of Native Lands and ensure that the adjudication, management and administration of the remnant of their lands be vested in controlling councils, boards or committees composed of representative Māori. And so, in 1897, when Native Minister James Carroll met with Whanganui Māori at the Moutoa Gardens “to dscuss the best method to be adopted to assist [the] people and to preserve the remnant of their lands for the benefit of future generations,” Taitoko said, “E Timi, te morehu tangata, te morehu whenua ki a koe.” (To you, James, I leave the remnants of the people, and the remnants of the land). Within the year, Taitoko passed away. Whanganui Māori appealed to the Premier and Carroll that landbuying cease. The Government then passed the Maori Lands Administration Act 1900. Māori were able to voluntarily vest land in councils of 5 to 7 members for leasing. The Aotea Māori Land Council was established whereby the Crown and Māori of the district appointed the members. The majority of the Aotea Māori Land Council were Māori. Whanganui acknowledged the passing of the 1900 Act by vesting 115,000 acres in the care of the Government-appointed and Māorielected Aotea Māori Council. The
Photo: Te Āti Hau Trust Chairperson Toni Waho at Ngā Mokai Marae Māori members of the Council were Rū Reweti, Taraua Marumaru, Takarangi Metekingi, Waata Wiremu Hipango and Te Aohau Nikitini. There were two Pākehā members who were both judges of the Native Land Court. Judge Johnstone was president and Mr T. W. Fisher was an ordinary member. Later the Government changed the councils to boards, giving Pākehā the majority. Mr T. W. Fisher became the president of the Aotea Māori Land Board, with Mr Lundius and Takarangi Metekingi as ordinary members, all chosen by the Government. The role of the Board was to decide what would happen with our ancestors’ 115,000 acres. There was no money given to run the Board. All income derived from the land paid for the administration. Ultimately the Board’s function was to determine who would lease the land and for how much under the “Glasgow” lease regime. These were perpetually renewable leases with 21-year rent reviews, with rental set at 5% of unimproved value. The improvements on the land were developed, owned and managed by the lessee. The Board had the power to resume land from lessees who wanted to vacate their land or
whose leases the Board wanted to take back. Tinirau (20152005) states it bluntly, “the reality was that the Board had no intention to resume the land nor were the lessees going to vacate - Evidenced by the numerous attempts over the years by lessees and government officials to turn the leases into perpetual ones! This really is a story in itself with respect to our resilience over generations, inherited legacy, and continuity of leadership.” The legislation guaranteed lessees would be compensated the value of the development of the land, from the bare land up. Our ancestors were not happy about that situation. Ngā Whenua: So which were the land blocks that were vested that became the lands of Atihau Whanganui Incorporation and what do we know about them? Paula Berghan (2003) and Tony Walzl (2004) each wrote a report for the Waitangi Tribunal. Their research reveals the hapū, tūpuna and significant aspects of our whenua as it was when it was presented to the Native (later Māori) Land Court. These are some of the descriptions of our whenua taken from their reports.
TOITŪ TE MANA
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