[2113]
TE
TOA TAKITINI
Registered
at the GPO as a Newspaper.
Number
107
1st
August, 1930.
A CLOSE FRIEND IN
THE TIME OF DANGER
R[eweti] T
K[ohere]
Since Germany was
preparing for war for many years, at the beginning of the Great War in 1914 the
assault by its army was like a sudden blast. Its idea was to cast its weapon
into the heart of France, into its capital city, Paris, because France had no
allies to stir themselves and to help her. England then had 25,000 soldiers.
This army crossed over to France with General French at the head. The assault
by this army was ridiculed by the Germans who called them ‘The Contemptibles’ –
the despised. The English encountered the Germans in Belgium but
they were unable to stand up against the superior numbers of the Germans and they
began to retreat. It was not a defeat because they continued to fight as they
retreated. General French’s plan was to distract the Germans so that France’s
forces could be free to be deployed to save Paris. Such was the fierceness
of the defence on the part of the few
English against the hordes of Germans that they got no sleep or rest. They were
weary and waited for the Germans to overwhelm them and obliterate them, but
the Germans halted their pursuit. The English were amazed at their survival.
The Host of
Heaven
Afterwards,
we learne the reason why the German army stopped. It was because, as they were
preparing to charge, they saw the area behind the English completely filled
with men, a fresh army, re-inforcements, [a backbone] for them. The English knew
well that there was no army behind them.
Published by the Rev P Hakiwai and P H Tomoana and printed at
Cliff Press, Queen Street, Hastings, HB.
[2114]
Te Toa Takitini
Registered at the GPO as a Newspaper.
The price of the paper is 10/- a
year.
Address letters to ‘Te Toa
Takitini,’ Box 300, Hastings.
1st August, 1930.
This was important
news in the days of war. Myriads of angels from heaven were seen coming to
save the English as they faced death. Men without faith said it happened
because of the heat, or tiredness, or a disordering of the brain or vision.
That might have been the case had it been the weary and sick English who saw
the hosts, but it was the Germans who saw them.
The Fourth Man
One of the
greatest Englishmen is Shackleton, famed for his courage and his struggle to
get to the South Pole. He made four journeys and on the fourth he died and was
buried in the snowy lands of the south. His body was taken to South America
before being returned to the land where he wanted to be. On his third visit his
vessel was trapped by the ice and crushed. When it was smashed they went in boats
to a small island. Here they left some of the crew and Shackleton took some of
the others in a small boat to sail 800 miles to fetch a ship to save them. The
rough seas made them take to the land and they went on by foot, climbing and
descending snow-clad mountains. They had little food and, having suffered
various sicknesses for a long time, they were very weak. Shackleton wrote in
his book he saw that while they were walking he saw that there were four of
them. He asked one of his companions if he had seen the fourth person, and he
replied, ‘Yes, I have seen him.’ Many times they saw the fourth man.
This story
appeared in the School Journal. It is very wonderful. Sceptics say that their
minds were so disturbed that they were seeing double. Shackleton maintained
that it was Christ coming to strengthen them in their afflictions.
The story of Shackleton
and his companions finds confirmation in the Bible. When Nebuchadnezzar had Shadrach, Meshach and
Abednego thrown into the fiery furnace the king was amazed. ‘Was it not three
men we threw into the fire? Look! I see four men there without bonds and
walking about in the fire and they are not hurt, and the fourth has the
appearance of the Son of God.’ (Daniel 3.24)
My Closest
Friend.
As many people
have flown from England to Australia, nearly 12,000 miles and halfway round the
world, a young woman decided to make a name for herself. Her goal was to beat
Hinckler who flew the distance alone in fifteen days in his very small plane – a
Moth. The name of the young woman was Amy Johnson and her plane, like that of
Hinckler, was a Moth. She flew without fuss from her homeland but when she
made stops on the way the who world wondered at her. ‘A young woman is flying
solo and heading for Australia!’
The path this
courageous girl took – her road through the sky – was from England, over
Europe, to Asia and across sandy deserts to Persia, across to India from where
she hugged the shore to Singapore, from there via the islands to Timor, then
across the sea to Australia, and over the land to Port Jackson [Sydney].
Powerful sand storms forced her to land in deserts. She flew into terrible
storms which prevented her from seeing the sun so that she almost crashed into
the sea, it was so dark. She came to very high mountains and, as it was almost
night, she had to land among black people. She got wet and had rain pouring
from her but she kept going. When she saw Australia on the horizon she stood
and shouted. At Brisbane her plane overheated but she was safe.
Some 70,000 people
gave Amy Johnson an enthusiastic welcome when she arrived in Sydney,
recognising her perseverance and courage. Had she not had a mechanical problem
at Rangoon and the storm she would have broken Hinckler’s record time, but she
is still a hero!
What was behind
this girl’s bravery? She was not afraid and she was driven to fulfil her dream
by her faith in God. In her speech she said that God had protected her. He was
always her closest friend. She knew that God was always at her side.
These are good
stories to ignite our faith. Perhaps our faith if weak, or the faith of our
friends. We may think that this is the case for everyone and that God is a
story people have made up. But God reveals himself to people who sincerely call
upon him in times of trouble.
The Prayer of
Te Kooti Tipoki
Te
Kooti Tipoki was the ferryman at the very dangerous Waiapu River. Once, when Te
Kooti was crossing at Waiau his paddle broke. The water was flowing rapidly and
the incoming tidal waves were high. The current was driving Te Kooti’s canoe
seawards. He was hearing the waves and he thought he was going to die.
Thinking that he was about to die he said,
‘Ho-o-o-e! E Ia tenei
ra!’
‘Ho-o-o-e! This is God’s day!’
Swiftly the waves
rose up and carried Te Kooti’s canoe to the shore.
[2116]
IDEAS ABOUT
SETTLING LAND.
Sir A T Ngata hazs
bewen in the Ngapuhi territory recently to look at lands there that have been
offered to him by those tribes for promoting settlement by y0ung people who are
eager to learn occupations such as dairy-farming or forestry (as at Taupo where
the Pakeha are planting trees.
He visited Kaeo,
Kaitaia and Whangaroa, and there was a large hui at Matangirau. He explained
that there are straightforward ways in which he could help people who wish to
start working with cows, or growing crops, or purchasing livestock, or begin
doing the things he had observed. He may well send one of the officers from his
Department to look at what was needed for such work. What he really wanted to
see was idle land being worked. He saluted the determination of the Ngapuhi
young people and the increasing number of children. But we need to look
carefujlly at this, because as the Maori population grows there will be less
land for them.
As for providing
money to help, he thinks that it is better that it comes from the Department
rather than from outside sources.
The Auckland
Association is thinking of coming together to grow trees in the Kaeo area of
Whangarei and on land at Rangitoto-Tuhua, Waikato. Some of the land where they
are thinking of growing trees is sand dune country. Maori are good at planting
trees, particularly native tobacco trees. And by working at this they will have
found a suitable occupation. They are also running a committee to give Maori
names to the roads being made to Orakei (Auckland) to help the Government.
They are also
looking for Maori women to speak at the major Women’s Conference.
The Heretaunga
Group are also helping with all the matters mentioned above, but are waiting
until the Minister is free to accept an invitation to visit Heretaunga.
[2117]
KING GEORGE V
When the
Governor-General, Lord Bledisloe, was welcomed by Te Arawa many Maori
activities were exhibited before him. He
was formally welcomed in speeches from Mita Taupopoki and Te Naera. They spoke
of the loyalty and the gratitude of the Maori People to the King an expressed
their hopes that he would make a full recovery frm his illness. They were
extremely grateful that an expert in farming had been chosen to be
Governor-General for New Zealand to guide and advise the Government and to
encourage the farming among the Maori People that has begun.
The Governor-General thanked them for their beautiful words of welcome and the informative words spoken to him and his wife.
As to the precious
gifts given to them, he was grateful. He had seen nothing to compare with such
handiwork. But he and his wife want to make up for these treasures by what they
do before they have to return to their home.
He also explained
that he brings with him the King’s love; he has abiding memories of his Maori
People. The King remembers always the time he visited this country before he
ascended the throne. And he is also very happy that the Maori population is
increasing. He is also grateful for the welcome given to the Prince of Wales in
1920 and to the Duke and Duchess of York in 1927. He had also been instructed
by the King to express his gratitude to his Maori People for their loyalty to
him, and his prayer is that they may be well-treated. The King hopes that Maori
will keep their language, their beautiful crafts, their songs, and their
carvings, to pass on to their children.
He was very
grateful for the precious gifts of land given by the Te Arawa elders to the
Crown. The land given by Te Arawa as a site for the Rotorua High School was not
just
[2118]
a precious gift but an important farm for the
cultivation of young lives. They shared the high estimation and appreciation,
expressed by his predecessor who has recently returned home, Sir Charles and
Lady Fergusson, of the strength and bravery shown when the Pakeha fought the
Maori in former days. But, under the blessing and guidance of God, these two
peoples live well together in peace.
Maori are a
peaceful and tranquil people who love what is good, and both peoples help with
projects to help the Empire.
He said, ‘Make
every effort to ensure your children, growing up in this beautiful country, are
aware of their ancestry and retain their loyalty to the English Crown. May they
behave as nobly as their forebears did. A noble people will grow here in Aotearoa,
enhancing the great mana of the peoples under the umbrella of the Empire and
the English legal system.
THE NAME ‘AOTEAROA.’
I shall try to
explain my understanding of this name. My friends, let us not ridicule one
another, saying that the others are ignorant. They have their stories pssed
onto them by their elders. I think it is good that we talk together peacefully.
I’d be grateful if you would send me your genealogies [?stories].
My friend, Wi
Repa, if your story is that of Turi’s canoe, Aotea, it leaves out Tainui, Te
Arawa, and Matatua. Friend, this canoe, Aotea, I have to say, is not my canoe.
It is clear that my story is in conflict with yours.
Turi lived in the
days of Kupe. I know that Toroa and Hoturoa were descended from Kupe and Turi.
By the time of Hoturoa, Turi was long dead. If you searched for his bones you
would find that they had turned to dust. The right thing for you to do is to
send me the genealogy [?story] of Turi who canoe was Aotea.
You refer to Percy
Smith’s story of Kupe. Kupe returned and his canoe entered Hokianga. Kupe made
a farewell speech: ‘Goodbye, Te Waimarama. I shall not return.’ Hence the name
‘Hokianga.’
When Kupe returned
home he told Turi about this country. Turi came here, following Kupe’s
directions. My friend, Wi Repa, if you look at your genealogies you will see
that what you say is right.
The canoes that
came after Turi were Ngatokimatawhaorua and Mamari. The captain of Mamari was
Ruanui. The captain of Ngatokimatawhaorua was Kupe. But it was his grandchild,
Nukutawhiti, who seized it. Now it lies at Hokianga.
[2119]
These are the
sacred canoes of Ngapuhi. By and by I will explain all about these canoes.
Editors, I ask you
to print again the names of my ancestors, including those left out by the
contributor in Te Toa 103. The names left out were those between Wawai and
Tukitenganahau.
(The genealogy
below has been corrected. – The Editors)
Noa [Noah]
Hema
[Shem]
Tawhaki
Wahieroa
Ratanui
Tawhakawararo
Whakataupotiki
Ngaremoana
Rakataura
Rarotimu
Rarutake
Poutu
Pouhaere
Powhakataka
Maheeaatu
Takahuriwhenua
Murirangawhenua
Taranga - Kauarowahine
_____________________|_________________________
| | | |
Maui-mua Maui-Roto Maui Tikitiki Maui
Potiki
Whetatea Wharuakura
Tokotuatea Uhenga
Maramaate Poutama & Motuarika
Toto Whitirangimomoa
Rongowhenua
_________| | |
|
Kupe Kuramarotini Rongorongo – Turi Kupe Turi
Hina
Uenuku
Hinemataea Kauaekarangaranga
Hinenuitepo Mahaae Hinenuitepo
Hinakaitanga ta Hinekaitangata
Tamanuiotera
Tiki
Pipii Wawenga
Wawai Hakumanu
Haereorowaru Taiwawe
Ngaruerue-i-te-whenua Tuputu
Tuputupuwhenua Papa
Tukaika Ruanui II
Tuk(?)enganaahau Tararaua
Maninikura Tauatereanga
Rangitekura Tuterangiora
Tokaakuku Teina
Honeterangi Waiho
Ruanui I Rangi
? Hapaira
? Mata Maihi Te Huhu
Wairama Matiu Te Huhu (The Writer)
[2120]
NGATI-POROU
IN BYGONE DAYS
Part
III
R[eweti] T K[ohere]
It is true that
Ngati-Porou retained most of their land. It was not bought by the Pakeha. Nor
were their areas accessed by the hard roads ot the Pakeha. The Pakeha still
gazed from their ships at sea on the steep cliffs of Whetumatarau, of
Whakarara-nui, of Te Kautuku, and of Tawhiti, and they saw nothing to attract
them so that the bows of their ships remained steadily on course for the
wharves at Waitermata, at Kororareka, at Ahuriri, at Whanganui-a-Tara, and at
Akaroa, leaving behind the terrible Ngati-Porou coast standing neglected. The
elders sold the land in the interior but kept the land on the fringe. But when
we arrived at the present time, Apirana Ngata seized upon this gift of our
ancestors, keeping the border-lands as good land for Maori. Some of the land
leased to the Pakeha he bought to return to the Maori.
Pre-eminent among
the voices who called for the retention of the land there comes to mind the
name of Te Mokena Kohere who was like an unfailing spring bubbling up which
cannot be plugged. Why should it be plugged if what is being said is right? These matters were widely discussed in private
homes and in the Land Courts. Te Mokena did not stand up in the Land Courts. He
did not approve of selling land. He did not like the surveyor and the Court –
the means of selling. According to Te Harawira Huriwai at the Hui at
Wharekahika, Colonel Poata and Rapata Wahawaha asked for land to be sold. Te Mokena said to Wi Wanoa and Te Mataura
that they must hold on to the land ‘as a playground for yourselves and for your
descendants after you.’ (NCL Book 39, p.15) As a result Ngati-Porou are playing
and farming today. When the first Court House was built in the Ngati-Porou area
at Wai-o-Matatini, Te Mokena said that it should be burnt down. His purpose was
to keep all the Ngati-Porou lands – the lands he had saved from confiscation by
the Government. Paratene Ngata said that, by stretching that embargo to the
Waiapu River, Te Mokena placed an embargo on the north. The last Pakeha land
was marked by a surveyor’s peg at Puke-kiore. This was pulled up by the
grandson of Te Mokena, Te Kahaki, and others on the instructions of their elder.
For this illegal act they were put in gaol. This was the saving of Ngati-Porou
– an embargo on the land. The trial was long and for a long time there were
sales and leases to the Pakeha.
Perhaps it is
right to say that it was the hard work of people that retained the Ngati-Porou
lands. Although there was much fertile land, had the people who owned the land
been disinterested –
[2121]
if they had been
lazy, ignorant, dull, wanting possessions, and had not worked, the land would
have been lost; it would have been taken by the Pakeha. The stand made by
Ngati-Porou was clever and defiant. Ngati-Porou are not people who ‘blow their
own trumpet.’ The tribe grow up formed by the rugged character of the land;
they and their families bestir themselves to get food and clothing. The saying
is very tru of Ngati-Porou: ‘By the descent of the sweat of his brow a man gets
food.’ The land of the Scots is not very productive and so the people are used
to hard work, and they are good at preserving what they have. Now Ngati-Porou
have kept their briskness and their watchfulness, and some of their young
people, by their eagerness and their willingness to work hard, have also kept
their wariness. When war was declared many Ngati-Porou joined the army,
including Lieutenant Henare Kohere, grandson of Te Mokena Kohere, and his
nephew, Captain Pekama Kaa. Ngati-Porou are a loyal tribe, but if the
Government wants to plunder our land this tribe is like Taranaki and Waikato.
There is another
reason for their success and strength. Ngati-Porou is committed to the
important Pakeha gift of education. All the great nations of the world, the
strong nations, are well-educated. It is no good having a strong body if your
brain is confused.
In the years I was
at Te Aute College many young people attended the College even though it was in
far Hawkes Bay. In those days of bad and difficult roads it was a hard slog for
young Ngati-Porou lads to get to Te Aute. They had to travel by horse from
Waiapu to Gisborne, then by boat to Napier. Or they could go by sailing ship to
Gisborne. Apirana Ngata said that in his day it took them nearly two weeks to
get to Te Aute. In these days young Ngati-Porou people are at the university,
or at the agricultural colleges at Hawkesbury in Australia or at Lincoln. Its
young people have qualified as lawyers, doctors, school teachers, dentists,
JPs, county counsellors, retail company managers, secretaries, and reporters on
Pakeha newspapers, while many are interpreters. Three of their ministers have
reached the fourth stage. There are nurses. Many work in offices. There are
engineers, dairy inspectors, and managers of sheep stations. And there are
shopkeepers, blacksmiths, tailors and carpenters. Some of the young people who
have been to the technical colleges in Australia have gained the qualifications
of HAD and HDD in areas of agriculture. Others have an LL.B degree – a legal
qualification, Apirana Ngata and Waipaina Te Awarau both have MA degree. Soon,
perhaps, Apirana will have a Litt.D degree
[2122]
so that he will be
referred to as ‘Doctor,’ that is, ‘an outstanding scholar.’
Ngati-Porou is
committed to this valued treasure – education. Every man and woman wants their
child to go to college. They look back to the years when Ngati-Porou had many elders
and chiefs, the years when people stuck together and Maori and Pakeha jostled
one another; to the century of the y0ung people as Tamahau Nohopuku described
it. They have passed to the afterlife but the fulfilment of their desires is
emerging today.
There are schools
everywhere in the Ngati-Porou area. There are three large buildings in
Ngati-Porou villages – a meeting house, a church, and a school. At
Wai-o-Matatini a hall has been added. Perhaps in the future it will be an
example for other marae. As it is, in the narrow area that is Ngati-Porou, that
is, from the Waiapu Valley to the river mouth at Pauaoruku, there are three
secondary schools – Rangitukia, Tikitiki, and Wai-o-Matatini. There is not
three miles between these schools – Rangitukia, Tikitiki and Wai-o-Matatini.
The Government has built a college between Tikitiki and Rangitukia. Noho Kopuka
gave the 20 acres of land. There are 130 pupils at Rangitukia, 160 at Tikitiki,
and 80 at Wai-o-Matatini.
The first
Ngati-Porou school was at Te Hatepe but the pupils were unruly, the master fearful,
and the school closed. Rapata Wahawaha collected the teacher an took him to
Wai-o-Matatini. The Court House served as the first school. Te Watarawi Paipa and
Te Wariki Puka came from that school. These men were chosen to teach at Te Aute
but both of them died at Te Aute. Perhaps I can say that Te Watarawi and Te
Warihi were the mātāika – the first person killed in a battle – from Ngati-Porou at Te Aute.
Wai-o-Matatini was the school that [? pōnō] Apirana Ngata and many
others. Apirana went as a small child to Te Aute in the days of Te Watarawi
Paipa. And perhaps it is not presumptuous of me to say that the writer spent
six months at Wai-o-Matatini learning his ABC; he was grasping for the first
time the learning of the Pakeha.
The benefit of
being educated at school is not just that a person learns Pakeha ways such as
how to use money, but it sets one free, it feeds one’s mind, it broadens one’s
thinking. A college person is one who is born again as are those who have been
to school. The school is like yeast that grows the people.
(To be continued,)
(I want to ensure
that what I write down is correct, therefore, if something is wrong please tell
me or write to Te Toa. There are still surviving elders of Ngati-Porou who read
these articles. - RTK.)
[2123]
LETTERS RECEIVED
(Be aware that Te
Toa Takitini has no space for abusive statements in letters sent to us. –
Editors)
To Te Toa,
greetings.
Please send out
these few words for some to read. (1) I salute Paraire Tomoana for his courage
in standing to speak to the thousands at Ratana Pa. Yes, he had real issue with
the spokesman of the people’s ‘god.’ Congratulations friend Tomoana on the
truth of your statements and your strong support for those who did not sign the
petition. (2) I wish to answer the questions asked by Kapua Rangataua about my
article in Te Toa, Number 102, p.1998. I raised three issues. (a) Te
Ika-roa-a-Maui [the Long Fish of Maui], (b) Tokarau, and (c) Awatearoa [the
Long Dawn]. I was told these names by my own forebears, Wi Kaipo and Hepuruna
Kaipo. These people I met with together. What I write comes from them. Even so
Rangataua says that it is a tendentious article. Below is the partial
genealogy.
More-te-Korohunga -
Te Awa
Kohine
- Te Ikanui - Tihe
Awarua -
Mai Tupuni - Kura
| |
Mohutu -
Kaipo
|
W
and H Kaipo
Presently,
perhaps, as regards Te Kapua, I would say that it is a mixed-up genealogy, or
he has not heard it correctly. And so, I have to say, his story is a strange
one and a mixed-up one. My friend, Kapua, [this can be seen] in the genealogies
of the Kaipo as set out in my articles in Te Toa. Pilate said, ‘What I have
written I have written.’ [John 19.22]
For another thing,
in the accounts of the elders they say that the Fish of Maui has two eyes – a
salt water eye at Wellington and a fresh water eye at the Wairarapa. If I am
mistaken in writing this, that’s alright.
I often make mistakes in relating the elders’ stories. The two of them
told them personally to me. They had not been to school. But I have to say that
were our discussions heard in court my case would stand.
Kapu,
kia ora. You asked the question and as a result there has been much discussion.
You say that I have not seen a waiata or a proverb or a Maori prayer that uses
the name ‘Awatearoa.’ At last I hear what you say – that a proverb or a waiata
validate all that people say. There is no proverb or waiata for the Treaty of
Waitangi. It was validated by being signed. Therefore I grant Turi his thought
– I keep mine – Awatearoa. But perhaps the ‘roa’ [long] only will not be
acknowledged, only the ‘Awatea’ [dawn]. Turn to Genesis 1.5, 14, 16-18. Maori
words; begin with these words:
‘The sleep of the old lady at night
was disturbed.
Night, night, you almost got into
trouble!
One holds one’s breath during the
day.
[2124]
The waves pound the cliffs at Te
Reinga.’
It is dawn. It is dawn. It is day!’
According to what
we have heard, the old lady is disturbed by what she has to do on yet another
day, that is, the day cannot come soon enough. It was the same with Turi’s
heart; he was troubled, he was waiting, he hoped soon to arrive at the Risen
Land – Awatearoa. This is the second name of this country. Enough!
All the country’s
tribes know that there was a canoe called Aotea, not Aotearoa. Your
explanations show that people liked Aotea. It became Aotearoa because people
liked it, down the generations to the present day. Such is the distorted
explanation.
Look at what
Paraire Tomoana wrote in Te Toa, Number 100, pp 1935-1944. What is he talking
about? The people’s liking for Aotearoa. To my mind it is a liking that is bad,
foolish and mistaken.
In Taranaki there
is a pa called Patoka. The Taupo tribes came with ropes to tie up prisoners and
with calabashes. You should know that this all happens during the time of the
Faith. The war party arrived and surrounded the pa. The occupants were praying
together. Matakatea was leading the worship. He was told that the pa was being
attacked. Matakatea said, ‘That’s alright! The last battle is the Lord’s.’ He
said that he and his people should go outside. [?The attackers] were far away
but were brought back by Matakatea and his people. [? E korerotia ana tata kore
te morehu o tena taua. ? It was said that that war party was almost reduced
to a remnant.] Was that tribe right in seeing this as a [? ngakau aotea]?
I don’t think so. What they did was bad. We, my friend Kapu, know that this is
a country that devours people. Since the missionaries arrived we have at last
got as far as saying [ngakau aotea]. That is, it will be right to say, ‘Soon
the name of the country will be Aotea Waka [Aotea Canoe].’ That doesn’t come
from the ancestors.
In Te Toa, Number
96, p.1037, you say that from the arrival of the canoes in this country it was
given the name ‘Aotearoa’ by the elders. On another occasion you say that
Kuramarotini gave this place the name of his canoe ‘Aotearoa’ while in Hawaiki.
Where does one find back-up for this statement? Who named Aotearoa in this
country?
All the canoes
were named in Hawaiki. Not a single one was named in this country. Therefore I
don’t see any good case for calling the country after Aotea Waka [Aotea Canoe].
I belong to Aotea
canoe. In the genealogy of Wairama Maihi Te Huhu which has been published in Te
Toa, Tuwhenuaroa is the younger sibling of Tarauaua. I am descended from
Tuwhenuaroa. Kia ora.
H
W Kaipo
Te Kao
[2125]
To the Editors.
My friends, kia
ora. I must convey my respects to the country’s dead and my sympathy to the
bereaved. I also send my best wishes to the Bishop of Aotearoa fighting his
illness. And I hope that our Bishop will be fully restored to health. My the
Lord bless his going out and his coming in. Amen.
Wi-Repa, greetings.
What you say is good, even though we don’t agree. I stop there.
However, even
though what I say is right you will not agree. But I have not finished my case.
As for your
article about Te Rangihiroa; what about him? This is how I see him: that he
wanted to gather knowledge about other peoples. For that I criticize him. What
about my grandchild? Enough.
What articles come
from the elders and which ones are not from them? Your articles, the ones you get,
are sourced from Pakeha writings. Mine are testaments planted in the hearts of
ancestors and forebears and they have come down to us today. So we know that
Aotea was the first canoe to arrive in this country. Tainui was the second. The
rest came after. I can explain everything. So Aotea was the canoe of
Kuramarotini who named this country. It was derived from Te Ika-roa-a-Maui, and
so it is Aotearoa. It was named by the captain of the canoe, the daughter of Toto.
It was not named by anyone else. Enough.
I gave a full
explanation in thxe February edition this year: at the time of the arrival of
Kupe and his wife in this country, Kuramarotini gave this country its name. The
canoes came after. Be very clear about this, Wi-Repa; it is not just a story.
It is better to remain silent. For another thing, it is best that someone who
asks questions should know his own lore. Yet another thing, your genealogies
are all wrong. Enough.
Tuhitaare Heemi,
greetings. I have criticized your article about the giving of this name, but
you still dispute this. Don’t keep referring to the direct descendants of Maui
lest you declare that your own genealogy is wrong. I have looked at your
genealogy. I see that it derives from the Scriptures. Lamech, Noah and Shem are
from the Scriptures in the time before the Flood. Tawhiki came from Shem after
the Flood. Your Hema [Shem] is later. That means that all your genealogy is
wrong. There is only one person of whom it is rightly said that he descends
from Rangi and Whaitiri-matakataka. His partner is wrong, the one who is said
to have given birth to Hema. Bur I have this from Paora Rangiaho.
[2126]
Only a small part
of the genealogy is right. My friends, there is no way of knowing the truth
given that all the canoes lying here are lost.
Kapua
Rangataua Kepa
Purangi.
To the Editors of
Te Toa Takitini.
My friends,
greetings to the two of you who make available articles to be read by the small
and the great on these three islands of Aotearoa, Te Waipounamu and Wharekauri.
I have seen the
words written by my friend, RTK, where he told of his distress, which you
lamented in Te Toa Takitini, 1st May, 1930. Therefore I ask you
publisn my answer to RTK’s words so that he can know my response to his words.
FIRST: ‘My friend,
RTK, I thank you for your words sent by you to Te Toa for the country to read.
But in the first part you say that the Treaty of Waitangi is still alive, and
that the Petitions being circulated in the country are a waste of paper, ink
and time. My friend, if you were an outsider I would agree with your saying
that the Treaty is still alive, but since you are Maori I have to say that what
you say is mad and foolish, and you also are foolish. I say that the Treaty of
Waitangi is dead. My friend, if the Treaty is still alive, why have I been
summonsed over my rock-oysters, my pigeons, my fish and the gravel from the
rivers. Did I give away my power over my own food under the Treaty of Waitangi,
and why am I being summonsed over my own food?
SECOND: You say
that the Maori People will only thrive by farming. Thank you for saying this.
My friend, I invite you to come here and teach me to farm. Presently, my
friend, you may talk but you have not yet grasped working the land. Therefore,
friend, if you are going to talk about cows, I have not yet learned that work I
am ignorant. And this conversation is idle chatter.
THIRD: You say
that Ratana’s aim is to make himself King of the Country. Friend, this is
indeed a foolish and incorrect assertion. Yes, my friend, should I be made King
of the Country, I would put all annoying people like you in gaol and not let
you out until you had paid the last farthing. Send it to Ratana Pa, Ratana
Station, Ratana Farm, Ratana Post Office, Ratana Money Order Office and Wiremu
Ratana.
FOURTH: You say that
people’s money has been used up in travelling here [to the hui], and it has
also been used up in my travelling the World, and to America, and in my travels
around the country.
[2127]
RTK, if I have
used my money or another person’s money, bring me the receipts for that money
for me to see. But I tell you, I don’t have other people’s money to spend on
myself or on my travels. Therefore, I am convinced that you are the person
described in the statement: “He is unhinged, mistaken, mad and Very Foolish.”’
T
W Ratana
Whare
Marama
Ratana
Pa
5th
June, 1930
THE RATANA HUI AT
TE HAROTO
W H Nikera
[I have had
difficulty translating parts of this article. I have mentioned before that I
have not found the meaning of the word ‘piriwiritua,’ used frequently by
Paraire Tomoana in previous articles. Here it is said to be the name of a chief,
and the new Guest House is named Piri Wiri Tua. The meal seems to have been a
protest against the laws enacted to protect wild-life. Several words are not in
my dictionaries. – Barry Olsen]
On 22nd
June, 1930, the Ratana remnant met at Te Haroto for two purposes: (1) The
Dedication of a Guest House. (2) The Unveiling of a Memorial.
The tribes that
gathered were from Te Wairoa, Mohaka, and Te Arawa. The Special Guest was T W
Ratana and his party from Te Taihauauru.
The marae gave a
great welcome to the visitors.
When the time
arrived for the opening of the building the people of the marae welcomed them
with these words.
‘The Spokesman,
greetings! greetings! greetings! Greetings to the vine that covers these three
things – Hope, Faith and Love. The greatest of these three is Love.
Welcome in the
love of the Remnant, bound up with you in the shelter of the Ratana Church and
by the words, “I am the Alpha and the Omega; the beginning and the end.”
[Revelation 1.8]
But you have
circumscribed and condensed the spiritual law and set up the Temple of the
Remnant. We are grateful and we thank you. The Remnant praises you for this
enlightenment.
As for human laws,
it is said that the Treaty of Waitangi has rotted away over these past days. Now,
during the days of Piri Wiri Tua, this will be realised and the deaf will hear
and the blind will see. He [?it] is restored to health.
Greetings to you
and to Mother, your family, as well as to the Remnant.
[2128]
Greetings to you
who bring the breath of the Almighty, the understanding which shines to the
four corners of the earth. Welcome, in these three names, on behalf of the
Remnant.
You have the words
of the Spokesman and the voice of Piri Wiri Tua as a float [for a net] to allow
the Remnant to take a spell on this day.
Welcome! Welcome!
Welcome!’
Soon after, the
house was opened by T W Ratana. There was prayer and there were hymns, the
first led by the Ratana Choir, the second by the Moteo Choir. The singing was
beautiful. The name given to the Guest House was ‘Piri Wiri Tua.’ People were
honoured to have this name given to their building, because Ngati Hineuru say
that the man who bore this name was famous, and they were grateful for this
honour.
After this came
the unveiling of the memorial which was given by Ratana in memory of the
Apostles Taketake Tipene and Pera Hohepa.
THE NEXT TASK IS
THE FEAST
The feast –
covered with the leaves of the kawakawa and leaves of the tawhiri [pittosporum],
the treasures ,
of Tane’s Great
Forest.
Kawakawa leaves carefully put
aside,
Tawhiri leaves within which I have
woven
Manuka leaves, with some misgivings,
Ake leaves which cause me to weep within.
Tutu leaves which cling to the two of us,
Covered
by me with [?aka tauroa].
Ngati Hineuru
spread out the food in the sunshine.
There were the
hidden fruits of the bush – game, birds, edible fern root, snails, \as well as
the [?papa - ?cake, ?kimoa] by Tama-nui-te-ra [th Sun].
There was fish,
seafoods, shark [?taniwha-o-Tangitu], piled up on the shore. ? It is indeed
hung up in the valley.
Although they were
forbidden under the prohibitions of the laws of men, on this occasion it was as
if this was a resurrection of the ancestors, your forebears, from the dead, and
on people’s lips was the gift left to them by the Treaty of Waitangi, what was
put under a ban, what had been carefully set apart for them under the authority
of the chiefs – the [?tahere], the [?parumoana], that is, the
preserved game and the seafoods spoken of in the proverb of your ancestor,
Tataramoa,
[2129]
In
response to a question from Tw Whatuiapiti about food for his wife.
Ko Maungahaururu ki uta; ko
Tangitu ki te moana.
You can get it from Maungahaururu on
land, and from Tangitu at sea.
Small and great
ate. It was as if it were food gathered by the old men and women for
Rangi-a-ku; as if it had been gathered in their days and stored in sacred
store-houses against the arrival of distinguished guests from afar, Rikirangi
and others, who speak to us in the dreadful voices of the night. ‘The day is
coming when a distinguished visitor from afar will stand before you.’ On this
day, Ngati Hineuru, there has come onto
your marae the person, the spirit and the word spoken of: ‘I am the Alpha and
the Omega, the beginning and the end.’
After all this had
been completed, Ratana explained that the issues raised by the petition about
the Treaty of Waitangi were to be raised in this sitting of Parliament.
The question was
asked, ‘If they are not agreed to, what happens then?’ Ratana asked, ‘Friend
Mohi (Te Akonga), why do you ask?’ Te Akonga replied in English, ‘Geneva!’ (Hear, hear, boy!) GThs question was asked
again by someone else, ‘If they do not agree, what happens then?’ Ratana
replied, ‘That’s up to us.’
One of the special
things at the hui were the haka which were ngeri [challenging].
(WHN) Ratana, gather your people under you.
Ready. Slap!
Alas, farewell.
The
People Return again.
(WHN) Alas, farewell.
The
People Return again.
(WHN) The subject is the Treaty.
The
People Stand here!
(WHN) Stand here! Stand here!
The People Stand for the issue laid before the world.
Alas!
We finish here
this account of this one of our people’s hui.
Although, Te Toa
Takitini, this article by Te Marohirohi contains the essentials, please present
it to the many marae ant the people, for better or worse, for I respect the
voice that calls out to us every month, ‘My many warriors, be men, be strong!’
[2130]
PEOPLE, SWIM TO
THE SHORE
Reweti P Kingi
I heard what
follows from the Apostle, Erika Akuhata. All these regulations were laid down
for the Remnant by the Ratana Committee.
1.
The
Remnant’s ‘bread’ is not to be given to outsiders. This is what is meant by ‘bread’:
If an outsider wants the Remnant Nurse to help them regain their health, or
that of a husband, mother or family member from outside, such help is not to be
given.
2.
If a
girl or young man from the Remnant wants to marry an outsider, they are to be
married by the Remnant. If an outsider does not agree and they are married by a
different Church the marriage is not valid. If the man or woman will not listen
and they go to another Church to be married, the member of the Remnant will be
banished by the Ratana Committee.
3.
The
Remnant are not to work together with outsiders.
4.
If
they attend a hui and the worship is allocated by an outsider to the Remnant,
the ‘bread’ is not to be given to outsiders, that is, the Remnant are to use
this prayer: ‘Father, Son, Holy Spirit, the faithful Angels and the Spokesman –
to you be glory and praise, now, and for ver. Amen.’ In this prayer the ‘bread’
is not scattered to the outsiders.
The Apostle said
that these are the days when the Bible is to be done away with. What the
Remnant is required to do is to keep the outsider short of food in all forms –
physical and spiritual. By starving them the outsiders will know that the
Remnant has the authority and power of Jehovah. The outsider is to be left
there in his errors. Very soon, blessing will descend upon the Remnant.
So be it, People
of the Remnant. I who am making these things known am a true Apostle from the
past. As I now see it and as I know it, Ratana is a liar, a deceiver, a
beguiler, a trouble-maker. I have dissociated my self from the work of Ratana.
Therefore, People of the Remnant, I ask all of you to come out. I have great
love for you. Swim for the shore.
Have you not yet
realised the falsity of the teachings? It is as wrong as the work of Maori tohunga.
It is terribly wrong in that it does away with the Bible. The Bible is
demolished, as is God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Holy Scriptures are given
by the Breath of God. [2 Timothy 3.16]
Outsider, pray
earnestly for your family members if they are caught up in these false teachings,
that God will bring them out. Such have fallen from the faith.
[2131]
Such is the work
of Ratana. Money is the goal of his work. When I was a member of Ratana some
£40,000 were moved, spent and lost. It is not known where it went. The land
bought by the Remnant Association was all transferred to Ratana, not to the
people. At the pa of the Remnant with its large houses for the people, the land
is owned by Ratana. The Regulations say that Ratana may take the possessions of
people who take issue with his deceitful works. Remnant, swim for the shore.
Were Ratana a wise
man he would have delegated all these things to the Ratana Association to be
used for the benefit of those who collected the money. As it is, this has not
happened. This is why I say that money is behind Ratana’s work. People, swim
for the shore.
Look, people! You
ar being carried into the middle of the ocean. You are being given over to
being swallowed alive by the whirlpool that is the Mouth of Parata. So People of the Remnant, consider all these
things. Swim for the shore!
NGAURE
To the Editors.
My friends, this
is an explanatory article concerning Te Kainui. I am grateful to Wi-Repa for
his account of the death of Ngaure. The story of thedse two pa, Te Huia an
Taumata-Kahawai, is in the June paper. I know these stories.
Many people and
chiefs came from Ngapuhi at that time. I shall give some information about
them.
This man, Ngaure,
was a warrior and a very fast runner. He was short but had a sturdy body. This
warrior wrestled with Kainui. Both were warriors. For a long time they
challenged each other then they wrestled. First one was on top then the other.
It was a long fight. Eventually, one of Te Kainui’s people leapt from behind
and thrust his spear at Ngaure so that it pierced him. At this Ngaure sprang up
and twisted his body to break the spear. The spear was broken and [koe –
you] had the blade. Te Kainui’s weapon was an axe, a hatchet, a Pakeha weapon.
But leet me turn
to my stories of Omaio. A man lived there, a chief called Paora Ngamoki. He
died recently. Two of them belonged to elder and younger lines. The name of the
other one is Renata Komene Paora. This man owns halof of the Maori land at Omaio.
He belongs to my junior line.
Here is the
genealogy.
[2132]
Ngamotu
_________________|______________
|
|
Hauangiangi Ko
te Tahi
| /
Pehiriri Tuti -
Amomai
| /
Wi
Kaire Mahia
- Tiopira
|
|
Hohepa
Ani Mamu
|
|
M H Kaire
Renata K
Paora
Te Tahi was a
warrior. He was here with the war party of Te Wera.
Amomai was a
chiefly woman. She was carried off by those war parties.
Tiopira was a Te
Whanau-a-Apanui chief. During that time he was carried off.
So I agree with
what my forebears told me about the death of Ngaure. For me and for Ngapuhi
there is no warrior who can stand up to him.
Enough!
Kia ora to you. This is my genealogy:
Kaitara
Kohukohu
Ngaure
Kawahe
Ngawati
Takutai
M H Kaire (the writer)
There are many
descendants of this man, Ngaure, throughout the whole country.
Moteatea
H Kaire
Taiamai
2/7/30
BITS AND PIECES
The
Bishop of Aotearoa has left Rotorua Hospital and is back home in Heretaunga recuperating.
Because he is not very strong following his illness the Bishop is not able to
accept the invitation of the Maori Minister to accompany him to the Islands.
We
have heard that the University of New Zealand is to confer the D Litt on Sir
Apirana Ngata. This is an honorary degree recognising his scholarship in writing
down the ancient stories, waiata and proverbs which are sought by Te Toa and
the University.
Mr
Coates’ Reform Party has selected Taite Te Tomo as its member to replace Sir
Maui Pomare.
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