Statement from Henere Te Herekau, for many years native teacher, lately ordained a deacon of the Church of England, being a statement of the case of the three hapus of Ngatiraukawa occupying the inland portion of the Manawatu-Rangitikei block.

"After Horowhenua, Ngatipikiahu returned to Taupo, to bring down their friends to occupy Rangitikei, they had a claim there, according to old custom, by right of conquest. In the year 1841, two hapus, Ngatipikiahu and Ngati Tuwharetoa, settled at Otara; it was Tuwharetoa's doing that they settled there. They occupied from Otara to Rangitaua; but Ngatiupokoiri were jealous, and quarrelled with them. When Ngatiraukawa heard that those people were quarrelling there, they assembled at Poutoa—part of Manawatu—to the number of 500. The Upokoiri were there. Ngatiraukawa decided to send for Ngatipikiahu and Ngati Tuwharetoa, and move them lower down to Te Reureu. Mohi Kahira was sent to fetch them. They then came down and settled at Te Reureu. They, the three hapus, settled there under the authority of the chiefs of Ngatiraukawa, in the year 1846. Ngatipikiahu, from Manawatu, joined them; Ngatimaniapoto went there also, making three hapus who settled there; because there was no other tribe or hapu of any page clviii tribe occupying that country, only Ngatiraukawa, which made it quite right their settling Ngatipikiahu and their friends at Te Reureu. In the year 1849, Nepia Taratoa, with other chiefs of Ngatiraukawa, went up and fixed the boundaries of the land for the three hapus (here follows a description of the boundaries.) There are 20,000 acres in that block of land. Paranihi and his friends granted leases over that land; they, the Ngatiraukawa, alone received the money; no other tribe or hapu received any; none was paid to Ngatiapa or Rangitane. These hapus occupied that land peaceably under the mana of the chiefs of the Ngatiraukawa, who placed them there. No tribe nor hapu went near them to disturb their occupation of that block of land up to the time when Dr. Featherston purchased Rangitikei; then they lost. If Dr. Feathers ton had not purchased that country, these three hapus would be still in possession. These hapus number 250; the acreage of this land is 20,000; the portion of land returned to these hapus by the Government is 3000 acres. These hapus did not join in the sale of Rangitikei; they did not sign their names to the Commissioner's deed of purchase; nor did they take any money. There were no grounds for taking away the land from these hapus.