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Te Rohe Pōtae District Inquiry

 

Bridge over Kawhia Harbour

Photograph by Leanne Boulton   

Major issues in the Rohe Pōtae inquiry include the Crown's relationship with the Kingitanga movement, 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.

The agreed casebook research programme for the inquiry was confirmed in January 2008. It provides for six assistance projects and about 20 main research projects, the details of which are outlined in paper 6.2.7 on the Wai 898 record of inquiry, which is available in the Te Rohe Pōtae document store 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.

Some research projects will be or have been commissioned by the Waitangi Tribunal and some by the 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, 1840–63 (paper 2.3.6)
  • War and raupatu (paper 2.3.7)
  • Political engagement and the Rohe Pōtae negotiations, mid-1860s to 1913 (paper 2.3.4)
  • Land issues, 1840s–1907 (including old land claims) (paper 2.3.3)
  • Railways (paper 2.3.10)

The commissions for these projects are available from the document store.

Rangahaua Whanui Report

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 I, 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 II, entitled The Alienation of Maori Land in the Rohe Potae (Aotea Block), 1900–1960, covers Māori land councils and land 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.

Upcoming Events

Upcoming events are still to be confirmed.

Recent Developments

7 July 2009 - 5th Judicial Conference

The fifth Judicial Conference for the Te Rohe Potae Inquiry was held at Te Tokanganui a Noho Marae, Te Kuiti. 

8 July 2009 - Workshop for Claimants

 A workshop for newly registered claimants and those with claims yet to be registered in the Te Rohe Potae Inquiry was held at Te Tokanganui a Noho Marae, Te Kuiti.