the Colonial Secretary expects unlimited claims of the same sort as these wherever the Cession principle may be attempted, none of which would probably have been heard of had the principle laid down in His Excellency’s proclamation of 11th July 1863 been consistently adhered to and made the basis of what is after all a forced acquisition of native lands under the colour of a voluntary sale [emphasis added].26
Ngaiterangi Deed
There were at least five separate deeds drawn up for the Katikati and Te Puna blocks, but it was the No 3 deed which provided for the allocation of a Native reserve at Otawhiwhi.
The deed was drawn up by Janies Mackay Jnr on 3 November 1866, and further receipts and signatures were added on 10 December 1866, 24 June 1867 and 23 January 186827 The deed was written in both Maori and English, and the following summary is taken from the English language version. The deed was a ‘full and final sale conveyance and surrender’ by those chiefs whose signatures were attached, who:
by signing this Deed under the shining sun of this day parted with and for ever transferred unto Victoria Queen of England Her heirs the Kings and Queens who may succeed Her and their Assigns for ever.
In return they were to receive £7,700. The deed included a description of the boundaries of the block and specified that the sale of the land included ‘its trees minerals waters rivers lakes streams and all apertaining to the said Land or beneath the surface of the said Land.’
The deed was signed on 3 November 1866 by:28
Na te Maonanui,
Na Hamiora Tu,
Kepa te amohau,
te Patu,
te ninihi,
Tuaere x his mark,
Temi x,
Harawira,
Hohepa Hikutaia,
Te Kuka Te Mea,
Hori Ngatai,
Wiremu Parera,
Tahere,
Enoka Make,
te wharehera,
Rotoehu x his mark,
Mangapohatu x his mark,
Tomika te Mutu,
Karora,
taraiti Wiripo x his mark,
te puru,
Hori Tupaea x his mark,
rangawaka,
Hatarira.
The signatures were witnessed by Henry T. Clarke, Civil Commissioner, and H.N. Warner, survey department.
A receipt for payment of £700 was added on 10 December 1866, which was signed by:
te moananui,
Harawira,
Enoka,
Timi x his mark,
Turere x his mark.
The receipt was witnessed by W.G. Mair, Resident Magistrate, and R. J. Gill, Clerk.
On 24 June 1867 a receipt for £3,000 was signed by:
Enoka,
Turere,
moananui,
Paratoenga,
Te Kuka Te Mea,
te Wharenui,
26 William Fox to Governor Grey, 24 September 1865, G 17/3 No 15, National Archives, Wellington
27 Te Puna and Katikati Block No. 3, Tauranga, Bay of Plenty District, H.H. Turton, Maori Deeds of Land Purchase in the North Island of New Zealand, Wellington, Government Printer, 1877-1878, No 461
28 The names have been capitalised, or not, depending on the spelling in the original.
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