Subjectively him, and that is why I am gathering he is (was) doing it, and I cannot blame him. These are not your "normal" titles, ownership of land is passed down through generations with little record as to the direct ownership of land.
As much as I would like to protect native islanders and their lineage, I don't think it's in anyone's best interest to allow land to idle half in a strange state of title limbo. There are many countries in the Western Hemisphere (and even cities in the US) that are suffering for having poor property ownership recording or the claiming of ownership through inheritance. Haiti comes to mind, along with abandoned buildings in Detroit and Baltimore.
Settling land ownership disputes early and clearly is in the common interest.