Through the 1870s, Ngāti Maru suffered devastating land loss. Much of the remaining Ngāti Maru land was then put through the Native Land Court. Ngāti Maru had no alternative but to use the Native Land Court if they wanted a title that could be legally recognised and protected from claims from other Māori. A legal title was also necessary if Ngāti Maru wished to lease or sell land. However, the individualisation of customary title made the land more susceptible to alienation, and further damaged tribal cohesion. Ultimately, Ngāti Maru did not retain any of the land awarded to them by the Native Land Court. In the early 1890s, some Ngāti Maru were virtually landless and appealed to the Crown for help. The Crown's response was slow and ineffective. Legislation was not enacted until 1907, and the land ultimately provided to Ngāti Maru was poor and of limited size. In many other ways, the Crown failed to protect the interests of Ngāti Maru in the context of accelerating settler migration.