The Claims

The Rohe Pōtae inquiry district ranges from Whaingaroa Harbour in the north, as far east as Maraeroa and Wharepuhunga blocks, and south to the area just north of Taumarunui. Te Kuiti and Ōtorohanga are towns central to the area. The inquiry district encompasses many wāhi tapu, such as the caves at Waitomo, and Pirongia Maunga. The Waipā River runs through the inquiry district and is one of several important waterways in the area. Kāwhia, too, is of special significance as the resting place of the Tainui Waka.

There are over 270 claims in this district, including iwi and hapū claims, whānau claims, block-specific claims and district-wide claims. A large proportion of the claimants are Ngāti Maniapoto, and there is a diverse presence of many other iwi and hapū, including Ngāti Kauwhata, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Whanganui groups, Ngāti Hikairo, Ngāti Toa Tupahau, Ngāti Mahanga, Ngāti Hāua, Tainui Awhiro and Ngāti Raukawa.

Major issues in the Rohe Pōtae inquiry district include:

• The Crown's relationship with the Kīngitanga movement
• The creation of the Rohe Pōtae, and the 1883 petition
• The construction of the main trunk railway through the district
• The operation of the Native Land Court
• The alienation of Māori land in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries
• The management of Māori land in the twentieth century
• Waterways
• Environmental impacts
• Public works takings