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Te Rohe Pōtae Introduction

Upcoming events:

Hui to introduce Tribunal commissioned researchers will be held on 15 and 16 August 2008. These research hui will be an opportunity to discuss some of the main reports as they get underway. Researchers who will be there and the projects they are working on are:

Kelly Barclay & Cathy Marr Political engagement, mid-1860s-1913
Leanne Boulton Land Issues, 1840-1907
Philip Cleaver & Jonathan Sarich Railways

Tribunal project briefs and commissions for these projects, and others, can be found in the ‘document store’ section of the Te Rohe Pōtae inquiry page on this website. (Parties to the inquiry can obtain a login and password to this document store from the Waitangi Tribunal’s librarian. Complete the ‘contact us’ section with your request on our home page.)

Recent developments:

June 2008

The Tribunal held its fourth judicial conference on 6 June 2008. The purpose of the conference was to discuss the claims to be consolidated and aggregated in the Wai 898 Te Rohe Pōtae district inquiry. This process is now well advanced. Other issues discussed at the conference included the boundaries of the inquiry, the Crown’s intentions for research preparation and presentation in the inquiry and claimants’ preparation of traditional and oral evidence (see the memorandum-direction of Judge DJ Ambler following the conference, Wai 898, #2.5.32).

May 2008

The boundary of the Te Rohe Pōtae inquiry district was finalised. The description of the boundary and associated maps is in the document store (Wai 898, #6.2.8).

On 8-10 May, Tribunal staff held research hui to consult on the remaining projects to be commissioned by the Tribunal. These projects are:

Political engagement, 1913 to present
Local government and rates
Economic development
Social sector issues and socio-economic impacts

Revised project briefs following this consultation will shortly be completed and added to the document store.

January 2008

The agreed casebook research programme was confirmed in January 2008. The programme provides for six assistance projects and about 20 main research projects, the details of which are outlined in Wai 898, #6.2.7. Some projects will be/have been commissioned by the Waitangi Tribunal and some by Crown Forestry Rental Trust. The Tribunal has commissioned two of the assistance projects: the Māori Land Court block index and the statistical overview of land alienation. Reports commissioned by the Tribunal to date are:

Political engagement, 1840-1863 (Wai 898, #2.3.6)
War and Raupatu (Wai 898, #2.3.7)
Political engagement and the Rohe Pōtae negotiations, mid-1860s-1913 (Wai 898, #2.3.4)
Land issues, 1840s-1907 (including old land claims) (Wai 898, #2.3.3)
Railways (Wai 898, #2.3.10)

General information:

Major issues in the inquiry include the Crown's relationship with the Kingitanga Movement and the creation of the Rohe Pōtae, the construction of the Main Trunk Railway through the district, the operation of the Native Land Court and the alienation of Māori land in the nineteenth century, the mangagement of Māori land in the twentieth century, waterways, environmental impacts, and public works takings.

A two-volume Rangahaua Whanui overview report for the district, prepared by Cathy Marr for the Waitangi Tribunal in 1996, provides a useful introduction to the history of the area. Volume one, entitled The Alienation of Maori Land in the Rohe Potae (Aotea Block), 1840 - 1920, covers land alienations before 1860, the decision to 'open up' the Rohe Pōtae, the 'compact' with the government, Crown land purchasing in the 1890s, and alienations of Māori land between 1900 and 1920. Volume two, entitled The Alienation of Maori Land in the Rohe Potae (Aotea Block), Part 2: 1900 - 1960, covers Māori Land Councils and Boards, Māori land under leasehold, sales of Māori land, compulsory land alienations, consolidation and development schemes, and Māori responses to land alienations.

Jane Luiten has prepared a research guide to local Te Rohe Pōtae historical sources, which is available from the document store. Other research resources will be added to the document store as they are completed.