Allan Titford was once portrayed as the quintessential Pākehā farmer - number eight wire battler whose claims of intimidation by Te Roroa captured national attention.
When he accused the Northland iwi of burning down his home and terrorising his family, much of the country believed him. His allegations were amplified by sections of the media and by lobby groups opposed to Treaty settlements, taking the story all the way to Parliament.
Fourteen years later, court proceedings revealed a very different picture. Titford was found to have set fire to his own home, exposing one of New Zealand’s most significant cases of misinformation surrounding Māori land claims.
In this first instalment of What Lies Beneath, Te Roroa spokesperson Alex Nathan speaks publicly about the case for the first time in nearly two decades, while reporter Iulia Leilua examines how the allegations took hold and what they meant for the iwi.
