[2133]
TE
TOA TAKITINI
Registered
at the GPO as a Newspaper.
Number
108
Hastings
1st
September, 1930
THE JOURNEY OF THE
BISHOP OF AOTEAROA TO RAROTONGA
At the beginning
of last month the Minister of Maori Affairs thought to invite the Bishop of
Aotearoa to go to Rarotonga for a holiday following his serious illness and his
long stay in Rotorua Hospital. He was operated on by expert doctors who removed
the ‘roots’ of the the growth that had appeared in his body. It was a major
operation and he came out of it by the skill of the doctors. It is right that
he has a spell from his important work and cuts back his speaking and his
involvement in administering the Maori Church. It is hoped that there will be
rapid growth in the things the Maori Church has been given, in the new things
that have been begun.
He was in two
minds as to whether to take the holiday or to decline it because it would take
place when our friend Dr Maui Pomare had fallen ill. He became ill in
California on the West Coast of America. It was realised that the Bishop needed
rest. Some people thought that he should remain on these marae with his Maori
People. The [obscure] and the heart were free to go, as he had said, and
all the arrangements had been made, therefore he decided to go. But his mind
was still uncertain, as was his reluctant heart. And soon he would go to see
[Dr Pomare] whether alive or dead.
[2134]
Such was the state
of his heart.
Then the news
came. ‘Alas, the Bishop’s ship, the ‘Tahiti,’ has overturned.’ Some said
spitefully, ‘Your Bishop has died!’ The situation suited barbarians but it was
tragic for the Christian heart.
Many thoughts
welled up inside, but the hope was that those people would be fortunate, and
especially that the Maori Bishop would return safely to his role as leader of
the people. After all, wise people with a Maori heart had worked hard to
establish this post in the Missionary Church [Church of England].
When he returns
home will be the time for the shedding of tears and the heartfelt expression of
relief at this narrow escape.
The Bishop arrived
home last Friday. On that day and on the Sunday the remnant of Heretaunga
assembled. When the situation became known to the churches, individuals called
each other to gather at Kohupatiki to shed their tears of affection, to express
their joy, to give heartfelt praise to the Almighty for his grace shown to this
one of our guides in the way of faith, and to thank the Father for what he has
done for the Maori People. We gathered to welcome our father and friend – your
servant, you many marae of our country. We made speeches of welcome and shed
tears of love on behalf of each one of you who had suffered anxiety wherever
you were.
Have we perhaps
managed to soothe our hearts?
It is for this
purpose that your paper tells you about this great day of thanksgiving for the
Bishop of Aotearoa. His main concern in his speech was to praise the Heavenly
One for his blessings.
The following is
his description of what befell him.
Many people had
told him not to go lest, like Pomare, he should return as ashes.
[2135]
When he was saying
goodbye on the wharf at Wellington, his younger brother said to him, ‘Do you
know that this is the last journey of the ‘Tahiti’ before she sinks?
When the ship
sailed they became aware that it was shuddering badly. When he went to the
ship’s rail he looked down and saw that the sides were shaking, and he became
anxious.
THE SINKING OF
THE ‘TAHITI’
When we sailed
from Wellington we did not imagine that our ship would have problems. But some
of us were scared because she was shuddering so much. I asked one of the
officers, ‘Why is this ship shuddering so much?’ He answered, ‘It is because it
is not carrying a heavy cargo.’
We sailed on a
Tuesday. The next day was Wednesday, 13th August. The following day
was also Wednesday, 13th. That was because we were in the other half
of the world [having crossed the International Date Line]. But when we returned
we lost a day, going from Wednesday to Friday. There was no Thursday because we
were back on this side of the world.
On the Friday
morning at 1.30 we heard the steel shaft, which drove the propellor on the
right side of the stern, break. The ship began to shudder like an earthquake on
land. Soon after, all the ship’s lights went out and the stewards came to wake
the passengers and tell them to get dressed, put on their life jackets, and go
to the upper deck. At that time the officers and crew were no longer taking
things easy but running about their work. With the shattering of the steel
shaft driving the propellor it was not long before the ship’s engine stopped.
As the shaft attached to the engine waved about it pierced the bottom of the
stern. Soon there was eleven feet of water in the engine room. It was very
difficult to shut the doors to prevent the water getting into the whole ship.
Only by diving into the water could that be done. By now the dynamos were
soaked and there was no electricity for the lights, nor was there any for the
wireless. At this stage the crew were trying to bail out the water from two
cargo holds, Number 3 and Number 4 behind the stern. They attached a cask to a
windlass, lowered it into the hold, hauled it up and emptied it out.
[2136]
There were two
casks, each holding fifty gallons. They kept going every minute, day and night,
from the time of the breakage until we abandoned the ship. Our ship stayed
afloat longer because of the bailing-out of the water. But despite their
efforts the level of water increased rapidly. The main problem at this time was
not having electricity to run the wireless. We were unable to advise others of
our plight. But there was a small radio on lifeboat Number 1. The experts got
this working. Using that small thing a message reached a Norwegian cargo ship.
The radio had a range of 125 miles. The Norwegian ship was 120 miles away. That
ship received our call for help. It changed direction and in eleven hours it
arrived on the Saturday night having travelled at six knots an hour. We were
overjoyed at its arrival. At last we could sleep. We were able to remain
because the officers had told us to be alert and to wait for the command to
enter the lifeboats. At this time the bulkheads holding back the water were bulging
from the pressure of the water and were about to break. If they gave way the
ship would sink quickly.
At 9 a.m. on the
Sunday the passengers were told to get into the lifeboats. The boats were still
attached to the ship and, on command, each boat was lowered into the water.
None of the boats
overturned or gave any problems. Our boats floated on the Great Ocean of Kiwa
as we waited for the large ship, the ‘Ventura.’
We were floating
for an hour before we saw the ship coming towards us. The ship had sailed 750
miles to save us. At that time we saw sharks swimming beside the ‘Tahiti,’ as
if those fish knew that there was the possibility of them getting some food.
We were fortunate
that the sea was calm and the breeze light. We alone enjoyed such calm. The
‘Ventura’ had been tossed about in a storm. The ‘Tofua’ came another way but
the huge waves and the wind meant that she took longer. She travelled six
hundred miles before the ‘Ventura’ radioed them that she was close to us and
‘Tofua’ turned back.
[2137]
We climbed up the
‘Ventura’s’ rope ladders. Some climbing up had to have a rope tied around their
chests.
When we arrived on
the ‘Ventura’ some of us burst into tears and people were heard wailing. Women
were cuddling the children. We did not pray much on that day when people were
suffering. However, we arranged for Monday to be our Sunday. On Monday at half-past
ten we gathered with the passengers and some of the crew and the officers in
the large room on the ‘Ventura.’ The room was full of people, some sitting on
the companionways.
There are three
remarkable things. (1) The place where the ‘Tahiti’ broke up was on the route
taken by our ancestors’ canoes. (2) Just before the service was to begin, a
telegram of greetings arrived for us from the father of the Maori People, Sir
Apirana Ngata. It was read out first in Maori and then translated into English.
(3) The Service of Thanksgiving for all who had survived the sinking of the
‘Tahiti’ was led by the Bishop of the Maori People. Part of my sermon dwelt on
these things. But the important part was our heartfelt gratitude to the
Heavenly Father for his great love towards us. Not one of us was hurt in this
disaster.
Our service was
wonderful. I doubt that any of us will ever forget it. Sir Hugh Allen played
the hymns for us on the piano. He is a Churchman of deep faith. Our love went
out, along with the longings of our hearts, to you people of our country. The
service was what we use as Maori, as people are used to joining in. People, the
mana of the Maori People is enhanced by this wonderful service.
That’s
enough for now. To the Heavenly Father be praise and thanksgiving for his great
blessings to us who have all safely survived this disaster. David says in Psalm
107.8:
‘Let them give thanks to the Lord
for his mercy,
and the wonders he does for his
children.’
[2138]
USING OUR MONEY ON
PLEASURES
[The introduction
to the Bishop’s sermon has the phrase rere-a-wai in the heading and
text. My guess is that it means
something like ‘who benefits from our money?’ – Barry Olsen]
The Bishop of
Waiapu preached in St Paul’s Cathedral, Wellington, on 7th August.
The Bishop preached on how we use our money on pleasures, while we don’t give
to the spreading of the Gospel throughout the world. People’s appetite is for
what is entertaining and not for God.
‘Before the end of
this week,’ according to the Bishop, ‘almost £50,000 will have been spent on
going to see the English rugby team playing. This is just the amount taken at
the gates. Taking into account the cost of seats, the tram journeys, the cars – these expenses, on a conservative estimate,
add up to five times more than the gate takings, and if they are added to the
gate takings they make a total of a quarter of a million pounds.
But this is just
one instance. How much is expended on golf, tennis, horse-racing, tobacco, and
going to the pictures, besides what is used on ordinary living expenses? We
know that one and a half million pounds are spent on tobacco each year, four
million pounds on going to the pictures, four million on driving cars, and two
and a half million on petrol. Let us say that half of the cars are used for
work; it leaves us using twelve and a half million pounds a year on our
pleasures and on fruitless rushing about.
Of the New Zealand
population, 50 in 100 belong to the Church of England, therefore we are using
on the above idle pursuits five million a year. Now, as true disciples of
Christ we ar supposed to be denying ourselves, taking up our cross, and
following him. We should be making efforts to control our own desires.
Suppose that you
spend one hundred shillings on one of the ravenous entertainments set out above
and one shilling remains for the things of God. That means that we would raise
fifty thousand pounds a year to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
The Board of
Missions has collected £18,000. It received an extra £12,000 from the New Zealand Church so that
it can maintain the work it has begun in many parts of the world. It was
possible to raise the £30,000 in the past but now it is having difficulties in
reaching the £18,000 mentioned above.
We are wronging
God. The above ‘pleasures’ show that we think that our wealth is for our own
use, whereas it is a firm law of God, ‘Give, and it shall be given unto you.’
(Luke 6.38)
Let us sort
ourselves out in this matter of our giving for the work of God. The principle
is, ‘Others come first, we come after.’
[2139]
If we can adopt
this, then we will be able to control the many desires of the heart, so that we
are not enticed by false hearts to say, ‘Nothing for you; nothing for God.’
NGATI-POROU PART IV
R[eweti] T
K[ohere]
The Faith of
Ngati-Porou.
In Keesing’s
lectures at the university he said that the religion of Ngati-Porou was unique
to that tribe. He was right. Ngati-Porou belonged to the Missionary Church [the
Church of England]; there were no Catholics, no Wesleyans. The Mormons came
later, in our time, as did the Ringatu.
It was the unity
of the tribe, the sharing of the same thinking, that made for their strength.
The Pakeha have a saying: ‘United we stand, divided we fall.’ The saying is
true. That Ngati-Porou shared their religion was a reason for the strength of
their tribe. It is true that the faith of the tribe and the nature of their God
determines the character of the tribe. A tribe’s religious loyalty will lift up
or cast down the tribe.
The character of
the Ngati-Porou Church and the preachers of that Church raised up the thinking,
the hopes, and the ambitions of Ngati-Porou. Although they were a poor tribe,
an [?pae-ra-uta - ?isolated] tribe, a fierce tribe, their faith brought
them to loftier things – to education, to enlightenment, and to the new world.
Their religion was a leaven which brought about the rise of Ngati-Porou.
The devastating
Nga-Puhi war parties took prisoner a Ngati-Porou man called Piripi
Taumata-a-kura. He was taught the faith by the [Bay of Islands] missionaries.
In 1833 a ship anchored at Waiapu. Maori went on board to barter. In the
evening most paddled back to shore but some chiefs stayed on board. They were
Rukuata, Rangikatea, Rangiwhakatamatama, and Te Whakamara. During the night the
wind came up and the ship had to sail for the Bay of Islands with the four on
board. They would have been taken captive by Nga-Puhi had it not been for the
missionaries, Williams Four-eyes [Henry Williams] and Williams the Brother
[William Williams]. When the missionaries learned that the four were chiefs
they decided to return them to Waiapu. When Williams the Brother and his party
came they brought with them Taumata-a-kura. That was in 1834. Beyond
Whai-a-Pawa, Williams the Brother’s ship, the ‘Active,’ encountered strong
winds and had to turn back to the Bay of Islands. Many months later
[2140]
he returned and
landed at Kawakawa, now Te Araroa. They went by foot from Te Kawakawa to
Rangitukia, the pa of Kakatarau. There were so many people at Mr Williams’
service there that he said, ‘This was the largest congregation I have had since
I began preaching to the Maori People.’ The party moved on from Rangitukia to
Whakawhitira where there were thousands of Ngati-Porou. Ngati-Porou had
gathered at Rangitukia and Whakawhitira because they feared Te Whanau-a-Apanui.
When Ngati-Porou was defeated at Wharekura in 1829, Pakura was killed. He was
the father of Kakatarau and his younger brother, Mokena Kohere. Te
Whanau-a-Apanui had pursued Ngati-Porou so as to defeat them on their own land.
People were scared of Te Whanau-a-Apanui. It is said that Ngati-Porou stayed at
Whakawhitira because they were afraid of Te Whanau-a-Apanui. Their faeces
contaminated the drinking water. Only by using calabashes could they exclude
human waste. In that year, 1834, Te Whanau-a-Apanui attacked Rangitukia.
Kakatarau was defeated, However, they did not attack Whakawhitira. So it was
left to Te Hapi Haerewa to contend for those hapu clinging to Whakawhitira. He
said, ‘I saved you who were having to eat your own excrement.’
Williams the
Brother arrived at Whakawhitira. He saw the state of the land and the people,
and he said, ‘This is fertile land, and this tribe deserves to have a
missionary sent to them.’ I have said before that Ngati-Porou land was
despised. It took Pakeha eyes to see that it is good land. That’s how the eyes
of Williams the Brother saw it in 1834. Now, in the year 1930, the Tai-Rawhiti
is full of the descendants of ‘Four-eyes’ and his younger sibling, ‘Brother.’
The Williams tribe are experts in judging land and raising sheep.
The Ngati-Porou
chiefs and Taumata-a-kura approached Williams the Brother when he was about to
take the latter back to the Bay of Islands and Ngapuhi. Taumata-a-kura was
wanting to teach Ngati-Porou about the Good News of Jesus Christ. Ngati-Porou
were astounded. Whatever Taumata-a-kura said, the hearers recognised it all as
the truth. However, all they knew was the ‘Amine’ [Amen], but, there
being so many of them, when they said it, it was like the waves roaring on the
shore. When Taumata-a-kura said, ‘I came from Paihia.’ Ngati-Porou responded,
‘Amine.’ ‘I came from Kerikeri.’ ‘Amine.’ ‘I saw Williams Four-eyes.’ At which
they dragged out the ‘A-a-a-mi-ne,’ out of respect for those four eyes.
Taumata-a-kura is
the apostle to Ngati-Porou, the man who turned this tribe to the faith. It was
appropriate that Ngati-Porou erected a memorial to their apostle in their
church at Tikitiki.
[2141]
Toka-a-Kuku.
When Pakura was
being killed at Whare-kura, he called out. Te Horua and Kakatarau, the son of
Pakura, heard him. Te Horua said, ‘I am moved by the voice of our father
calling out. Let us go and die with him. Kakatarau restrained Te Horua and
said, ‘Let us live to avenge his death.’ This was the burden placed on the
shoulders of Kakatarau and he committed himself to bearing it. When Te
Whanau-a-Apanui was defeated at Rangitukia he had the conviction that the time
had come for him to go to Te Kaha-nui-a-Tiki to fulfil his oath the avenge his
father’s death. He sent messengers to all the tribes from Wharekahika to the
Wairarapa to gird themselves, take up their weapons, and, according to the
stories, Kakatarau went to Nukutaurua to organise his army. Not one of the
Tai-Rawhiti chiefs was absent. All went to Toka-a-Kuku in 1836. The pa was
besieged for six months. When the army withdrew it was for lack of food.
Although Toka-a-Kuku did not fall, many of Te Whanau-a-Apanui were killed in
engagements outside the pa. The dead bodies were hung up on the stages outside.
The withdrawal
from Toka-a-Kuku marked the end of the fighting between Ngati-Porou and Te
Whanau-a-Apanui. [Toka-a-Kuku] was also Ngati-Porou’s first battle in which the
teachings of the faith were involved. Taumata-a-kura had given instructions to
the army: ‘Put away the native gods; let us have only one God. If a person is
killed in the charge or the fighting he is not to be cooked and eaten, nor is
he to be carried off – let them carry away their own dead. Any disobedience
will be cursed by God.’ It was said that those who died, did so because they
had disobeyed the instructions of Taumata-a-kura. Fear fell upon the army, and
the local people called out: [? Te wharau, e, whenua i waiho, ka ngaro te
tangata i te waewae, i te Atua o Kakatarau.]
In 1861, St
Stephen’s Church was consecrated at Te Kawakawa. At the consecration of St
Stephen’s, an initial contribution of £257 was made towards the fund to support
the Bishop. This is one reason, together with the faith of Ngati-Porou, for the
Bishop being called ‘the Bishop of Waiapu.’ At the hui at Turanga in 1836, £332
was given for the Bishop’s Fund. Williams the Brother was the first Bishop of
Waiapu.
The faith and the
Missionary Church are the gifts of the elders and chiefs of Ngati-Porou.
[2142]
From the time
Kissling settled at Te Kawakawa up until the arrival of Rota Waitoa, Iharaira
Houkamau did not like the faith. However the persistence of Rota turned him to
the faith and, as a sign of his repentance, he became the cleaner and
bell-ringer at St Stephen’s. In the time of his son, Te Hatiwira, the Mormons
appeared in Te Kawakawa; they were tied up by Te Hati. When news came that Te
Wereta was going to hold a Ringatu hui in the Te Kawakawa area, Te Houkamau
gave orders that they should be tied up and that his tribe should take up arms.
In his days Te Mokena Kohere was the pillar of the Church. Bishop Williams
wrote in his book [Christianity Among the New Zealanders] on page 353: ‘I was
travelling … with the Rev Rota Waitoa and Mokena, the leading chief of
Ngati-Porou…. At Maketu, Mokena spoke to [Te Arawa] about the want of a
church.’ The lay representatives of the Church used to be the chiefs. Paratene
Ngata quarrelled with Tutekohi’s party of Ringatu about their holding a hui
within Waiapu and dissuaded him. The elders saw that Ngati-Porou were united in
their faith when blood was shed on the defection of a large group of the tribe
to the Hauhau. They see the Church as a dying gift of their forebears and so
the emergence of a new teaching criticising the Church of their fathers pains
them. The problem of the world today is the huge number of Churches, while God
is One.
{To be
continued.)
(The writer wishes
to ensure that these articles are accurate, so if you think that something is
incorrect please point it out, and if something is right let it stand. - RTK)
OUR PAPER
To subscribers to
our paper: Friends, the ‘powers that be’ at the Diocesan Offiee have asked us
to pass on to you the following matters.
(1)
The
Office thanks subscribers to the paper for continuing to appreciate this
national treasure.
(2)
The
Office thanks those who send articles which our paper makes available to our
many areas.
(3)
The
Office hopes to increase the number of subscribers so that we can cover our
costs.
(4)
The
Office would point out that there are still many people who do not remember to
pay for their paper. The hope is that we will be prompt in sending in our
subscriptions.
(5)
The
Office is of the opinion that if someone is £2 in debt to the paper it should
no longer be sent to them.
-
The
Editors
[2143]
THE BURIAL OF SIR
MAUI POMARE.
On 25th
August, Lady Pomare arrived in Wellington with the ashes of her husband, Sir
Maui Pomare. The Bishop of Wellington conducted a service over the remains [in
St Paul’s Pro-Cathedral].
On Thursday, 28th,
a special train carried the remains to Taranaki. All the oimportant people of
Wellington, the Members of Parliament and the Govrnment Officials, were in the
travelling party. They arrived at Waitara on Friday morning and went to the
marae at Manukorihi. Taranaki grieved for their man. The traditional Maori
rites were performed over Pomare. There were countless people present. It is
thought that more than 3000 came to show their love.
Te Kapinga and his
fellow-chiefs formally welcomed the party that brought Pomare. After saluting
the ashes and Lady Pomare, they greeted the Governor’s Representative, Lieut. T
L Elsworthy. Also present were the Hon O Nelson and his daughters. Nelson presented
on the marae his tokens of grief from his home in Samoa.
The Funeral
Service began at 2.30 p.m. The casket of ashes was carried to the concrete
vault. Most of the service was in the hands of the Missionary Church [the
Church of England] though ministers of other Churches did take part. The
ministers were Canon K Karaka, Archdeacon G L Gavin, Rev R T Haddon, Archdeacon
Wright, Canon Williams, and Rev K Harawira. The Wanganui Choir led the singing
of the hymns. It was said that this was a burial service which will not soon be
forgotten. There was the huge number of people but what was particularly
strange to the Pakeha was the wailing during the committal prayers.
Samoa’s great
affection for Sir Maui arose from his arguments with his own Government and the
Pakeha people generally during debates about the government of Samoa during the
Governments of Massey and, later, Coates. ‘The country of Samoa for the people
of Samoa.’
During the
uprisings over sovereignty in Samoa, one of the leading chiefs, the Hon O
Nelson was banished to a different place for a time. On the day of Maui’s
burial he and his daughters came bringing the tears of all Samoa to the hapu
and tribes of this man who had such love for Samoa.
Kia ora, Nelson,
and the love of your New Zealand people.
The
Editors.
[2144]
THE MEMBER FOR THE
TAIHAUAURU
There has been a
great deal going on about the selecting of a member for the Taihauauru
following the death of Sir Maui.
The first thing we
heard was that Maui’s eldest son was seeking to stand as member. He is said to
have told people: ‘If you approve of what my father has done you should approve
of my taking the post from now until the sitting ends. But don’t quarrel over
it. When the term ends it will be over to you!’ That’s a clear statement from
this young man.
During the Maori
Rugby Team’s English tour, Taite Te Tomo said: ‘Mr Coates has named me. Maui’s
dying words were that I should succeed him as member.’
Kingi Topia has
also spoken: ‘The remnant* has given thought to who should succeed but we have
waited for the position to be available. Now, as it has become available, each
group is expressing their opinion as to who should be member.’
Te Amokeiha Mete
has put forward his name and, likewise, Henare Maiho. They all have the idea
that they will be returned with the support of the remnant. So the news is that
they have all arrived at the pa to canvass for votes.
We have heard that
P Jones is also being put forward for the Governing Party.
This is a very
important post for the work to be done and the issues of concern to be
addressed – the confiscated lands, the authority to care for the Taihauauru,
and important issues involving the Treaty of Waitangi and powers under that
Treaty. It is very right that the Taihauauru should put in place a wise and
mature man who will have Maui’s strength to address these matters. Pakeha
authority and law have spread widely over us. The hand and the thinking of
Pakeha have given us a mix of outcomes, both good and bad, light and dark.
Therefore we thought to make these observations from a sorrowful heart and to
focus our thinking on our being a family and on what we share. We must also pay
attention to the prophetic words of Te Whiti, Tohu, Rikirangi and Te Wherowhero,
and see if there is any clear flowering of those revelations and stances in
these days and any fulfilment of their words and visions. You are the immediate
grandchildren; it is for you to bend the knees and think of the legacy of your
ancestors, now enthroned beside the Almighty.
Seek and ye shall
find. Knock and it will be opened to you. Ask and it will be given you.
Go my Many
Warriors. Be strong. Be Brave. Be Bold.
‘Only one will
receive the prize.’
*The Ratana Church
[2145]
LETTERS RECEIVED
To the Editors.
Greetings to the
two of you.
Yes, I am not
ashamed or twitching because I have not sent in my thoughts to be published by
Te Toa. No, but if a thought bubbles up I send it. I am sending my affectionate
remembrances to my fellow pupils at St Stephen’s (1906-08), those who have
passed on and all who are alive. I was one of your friends in those days. I was
famous throughout the country for the pole-vault at that time – 11 feet ¼ inch.
This [? maunga-a-ringa - ?activity] was valued by the Pakeha and by
Queen Victoria at that time. It is still esteemed, friends, if it is associated
with education.
I was born in 1876.
I had a different name then. In 1902 I met my father and he met me. My father
and I really got to know each other when I married my first wife, Marae Smith
of Whakatane. If our descendants are married now they are recorded as being ‘a
child seeking a father.’ Ah, perhaps I was wrong to set down this story.
Perhaps the child sought in vain for a father when he was baptised in the Name
of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. However, the child will go through
life as being ‘without a father’ since he does not have one.
In 1840 the Treaty
of Waitangi brought peace to the Maori world. During that time there was the
Missionary Church, the Catholics, and other English Churches. Maori women did
not know about marriage laws or the jurisdiction of the courts. This ignorance
lasted until the Hauhau uprising and that of Te Kooti. Therefore the mother of
the infant was unaware that the law could compel her to reveal the name of her child’s
father. Besides this, an illegitimate child would seek advice from another
woman. This was the result of misunderstanding and ignorance.
Now, friends, we
still have this misunderstanding today. I have heard that there are very many
half-caste Chinese children. Indeed we have some here engaged in planting trees.
What Church do these girls belong to in this country?
I address the
Ringatu Church of Ruatoki and elsewhere. This is the Church that is ignorant of
good and bad. Then there are our many Pakeha Churches. There have appeared, in
great numbers, all manner of people. The parents have not maintained the
sacredness of marriage. They have failed to teach their descendants not to give
themselves over to the ‘rapacious.’
[2146]
I salute Sir
Apirana Ngata for his efforts to seek the well-being of the Maori People. He is
urging Maori to come together and to turn to farming. I also want to have my
own farm.
I congratulate you
Toa for spreading accounts of the country, and for carrying words of greeting
to family members an friends. Kia ora, Tuhitaare and Rangiaho, the surviving
elders of Matatua. I saw the [?ko-teihana] and the genealogies of this
canoe of ours. Why do Puhaorangi, Tamatekapua and Ngatoroirangi not appear on
that side of ours? Greetings also to Wairama Te Huhu and your family. It is you
who make us realise that we Maori are the leading people of the world. Kia ora,
Bishop of Aotearoa.
Now I am happy
that my daughter will not be taken as a slave by the Chinese.
Hori
W Hemukini
Ngongotaha, 5/8/30
(Keep sharing
these ideas which will be a blessing or our daughters. Yes, it will be sent to
the appropriate marae. This shows concern for the Maori blood which is being
mixed up with others. - The Editors.)
To the Editors.
Greetings to the
two of you. In Edition 100 of Te Toa Takitini on page 1964 it said, ‘Archdeacon
Brown was born in London on 23rd October, 1840.’ All educated people
noticed that slip. The one who didn’t was the one who sent the article. He, no
doubt, thought that he would leave it unchanged for, as the Preacher says: ‘The
day of death is better than the day of birth.’ [Ecclesiastes 7.1] The one who
sent the article did not think the day of Brown’s birth important enough to
send in a correction. On the strong urging of H W Kaipo, I am doing so. The
year in which Brown was born was 1804.*
It
is obvious to those who know, that the figures have been accidently swapped
around in the type-setting, just as our Maori letters are sometimes swapped
around in some printing. The important matter in the story of Brown was the
Maori accusation that Brown had misappropriated land in Tauranga. There was
persistent talk on the part of Maori that Brown had taken land. These
accusations were made before the judges who found that the Maori were wrong.
Brown’s side was clearly right.
MENE God
has numbered your days.
TEKEL You have been weighed and found wanting.
PARSIN Your rule is at an end and the kingdom
is divided between the Medes and the Persians.
Daniel
2.24-27
E.M.E.T.T.
*Brown was born on
23rd October, 1803, at Colchester.
[2147]
FROM TE TOA
The Present
Difficulty
We have not heeded
the words of caution addressed to us. Be careful! Get a grip! There’s a time of
leanness coming! We’ve been receiving this warning for more than eighteen
months. A few have listened; most are indifferent. Even if it is on the tip of
one’s nose we bury it it of sight. We toss about, but what is to be done? It has
happened anyway. The Pakeha lament; the Maori are frightened.
As a result of the
destruction of the world’s goods during the Great War, the cost of everything
has gone up. From the time of the War unti recent times the price of goods,
whether buying or selling, has been reasonable. People were [paka mahi]
and optimistic. They were perhaps not taking care. They believed wrongly that
things were fine.
The mantle of
Massey was passed on to Coates. His Government was made up of the rich and
powerful. The purses of the wealthy were opened and there was plenty of money
for all. The price of everything was reasonable. People were also ‘on fire’ for
money with which to purchase things, wisely or unwisely.
There was a group
of Pakeha, wise people, who took the measure of the times. They built machines
so that one man could do the work of six. Large barns were filled, filled to
overflowing, with wool and butter and other goods. What was said now was, ‘I’ve
filled my barns and by and by I will determine the price. It won’t be what you
want.’ From this point the process of commodities fell, and the people too were
reduced to doing the jobs that had been taken by the machines.
The there was Ward
and his seventy million. The country was disturbed on hearing about the money.
The people wanted the country to continue to be prosperous [?ngahuru]
and they put Ward and his friends into Government. Coates and his wealthy
associates were dropped. The purses were now empty, then they were cut away.
Money circulated with difficulty. Ward’s millions decreased to ten million
within a year. Now it is five million. But that money was being put to use to
create jobs. This was tax money. Hope died within those who had known the
prosperity of recent times. They did not think about making money; they were
rather uneasy about how to make things right.
The money had gone.
Most of it had been poured outside the Dominion. They were
[2148]
still paying war
debts. They were paying back borrowed money. They owed three million a year to
the Americans for cars and radio equipment. Those with money were sitting on it
to pay the many taxes and to preserve their remaining possessions. The value of
wool and cream had slumped to pre-war prices. If these went down it was only to
be expected that everything else would; after all this was the back-bone of the
country. But it was not like that. The price of a loaf of bread remained at 7d
and would perhaps go up to 9d in days to come. Was this a sign that this would
only painful for a sh0rt time? [?Kaore hoki ….] of selling or buying.
Pakeha experts say
that this is how the world works. Every ten years prices rise, then they plunge
down. Then they climb up.
Because the value
of our products and money has gone down, so has the standard of living. Perhaps
we Maori will not be hit so hard by this. We live largely on Maori foods such as
eels, water-cress, and potatoes. The Pakeha is very [?tarauutanga]. The Pakeha
works his land for his living. If there is no money there is no work. Many are
living on soup in the cities.
The remedy for
this problem is saving and being careful. Don’t give in to all the temptations
the Bishop of Waiapu spoke of in his sermon.
‘Aotearoa’
How are we to
settle the disputes about this name ‘Aotearoa’? Although the various canoes
have given us their versions of this matter, one does not agree with another.
In the course of it, the known explanations have been covered, though Te
Wairama still has a little bit to add to his version. Te Toa thinks that it
should be possible to call together those who have written on this matter where
they could discuss the matter thoroughly and perhaps come to some agreement.
There should be judge chosen and his assessors – a committee to discuss and
challenge what was said and to question the contributors. But the important
thing is to conclude the matter in a way that is satisfactory to the whole
country. In this way a final answer can be printed in the books. It will
provide a single story for the many generations to come.
A good gathering
at which to do this would be the Tennis Tournament to be held in Auckland next
March. The educated young people from all over the country will be at that hui.
It is cheap to travel there by train. If the remaining elderly
[2149]
orators on this
subject are able to be present that would be lovely. The youngsters can go
about their various activities while the elders can meet to deal with this
issue. Then there could be discussion with the Maori Minister and his party.
They could contribute and make the decision.
Sports.
Maori love their
sports, and they are good at them. Whatever the sport, Maori want to play it.
And if they play it they may even bend the rules. And they will boast about how
good they are at each activity.
Since it is not
long since the end of cannibalism, the best sport is one where one gets mixed
up with red dust – that’s good. If their elders are present to encourage the
players, the contestants come out and play with equal enthusiasm..
Although Maori are
skilled they lack staying-power. Indeed, they can be as rough as the Pakeha
when playing. Maori take part whatever the sport. They will throw themselves
into it, get better at it, then lose interest in it, get bored, and give it up.
A few of us Maori
are committed to the sport that pleases us and get to the top. Hori Nepia is
one of the best full-backs in the world. Tareha became a New Zealand Champion
golfer. Rapana became Wrestling Champion for New Zealand and Sydney. Hiroa was
the first New Zealand Fern for playing football. In Athletics Hemi Kapa was a
New Zealand Champion pole-vaulter and Te Rangihiroa was a champion in the
long-jump. Perhaps we no longer take pleasure in being called to a sporting
life.
Football is the
sport that Maori like most. When it was played under the old rules, which
limited physical contact, Maori liked it. But when the new rules werw brought
in involving tackling and running, Maori were hesitant. This perhaps was the
time when Maori adopted the current style of play.
Tennis? Yes. Many
of us became involved with this sport. It was the good sport in its time. The
attraction of the game drew us into the high achieving world of the Pakeha.
Hockey is a new
sport for us. The popularity of the game has grown rapidly. Perhaps its growth
now is because it is played by both young men and young women. Or perhaps it is
because of the prestige of the Union that manages the sport for Maori. Maori
have taken upon themselves
[2150]
the running of
their own hockey tournaments with their own officials. This pleases Maori.
On the Tai Rawhiti
there are two important trophies that hockey teams contend for. There is the
Lady Arihia Ngata Cup and the Taranaki Te Ua Seal. The first Open Tournament
for these trophies will be held in Heretaunga during the coming winter. The
intention is that teams from all over the country will compete. It is very good
that our sports bring us together as a nation. In the past our people
throughout the country met infrequently but now we meet up three times a year
for rugby, tennis and hockey. And so we have got to know the people of the
country; our Maori world has shrunk.
One good thing
that we have seen coming from the sport of hockey is the young people taking up
Maori traditions. Each Maori team is learning their Maori challenge as a weapon
for the tournament. It is a beautiful thing seeing today’s generation
preserving our Maori heritage – the haka, the poi, Maori waiata, and other
dances, Maori and Pakeha. Turi Kara has also presented a cup in memory of Timi
Kara and Taraipine. Important discussions about various matters of importance
to the country will take place on that occasion. This is a great time.
THE HUI AT PUTAHI
(WAIROA)
On 16th
August people began to arrive at Putahi at the invitation of the people – of Te
Hata Tipoki, Te Rito and Turi Kara, and the young people of those parts. The
event which brought them together was a hockey tournament sponsored by
Ngati-Porou, Rongowhakaata and Heretaunga. The trophies being played for were
those of Timi Kara, Taraipine, Hokimate and Irimana. Amongst those was the Timi
Wreathe awarded for the best performance at a concert on 20th August
in a category of their own choice. The hui was also a reunion of the remaining
young men who served in the recent Great War. And there was the wider
presentation of the plans for district hospitals for the Maori People under the
proposals outlined in Te Wairoa by the Te Wairoa Kahungunu Group, together with
the Parliamentary and other statements.
However, because
the day came late into the calendars [?ki roto i nga ra whanau] of those
treasures, the Dairymen, both Ngati-Porou and Rongowhakaata were absent.
[2151]
These were the
results of the games.
Te
Manurere Shield - Ladies
Wairoa v. Tamatea 3 – 2
Timi
Kara and Erimana Cup
Matariki (Heretaunga) & Taihoa
(Wairoa) 11 - 11
The
Honour of the Carroll Wreath
Matariki (Heretaunga) & Taihoa
(Wairoa)
Taraipine
and Hokimate Cup - Ladies
Kahuranaki & YMP
(Heretaunga) 11 - 11
Visitors
v. Local People - Men
Tamatea 7 -
Wairoa 3
Haka
Cup
Te Huia (Omahu) 90 -
Tamaterangi (Wairoa) 82
No-Matter Cup, We
Belong Together (Wairoa)
We are grateful to
the marae and all its soldiers, great and small!
In response to
this question, ‘What did your hui achieve?,’ we shall leave it to the country’s
scholars to tell us the fruits of such pleasurable activities. So, friends,
what is the fruit?
From
the Editors.
TOKA-A-KUKU
I don’t want to
write at length about this subject, therefore I shan’t follow the expansive
articles of T Wi-Repa, even though he has written at great length. There is no
reason to draw out the story of Toka-a-Kuku because the main ‘supporting post’
of the story was set up by Mohi Turei. He has written that there is nothing to
be disputed, rather we must put behind us the suffering and the loss of life at
that time.
T
Wi-Repa’s account differs from that of Mohi Turei. T Wi-Repa says that the hapu
who came up against Toka-a-Kuku assembled around Hawai; according to Mohi and
Smith they arrived at Whakatane. In his account, T Wi-Repa says that no-one
from the pa was killed; Mohi says that a party ventured out of the pa and was
defeated. Te Whanau-a-Apanui says that Te Wera was the leader of the
expedition. This is wrong. Kakatarau made Te Wera his soldier. Ngati-Porou
knows who was the hed of the army. It says in the waiata:
Caught up they were in
the band, that was raised
By you, Pape. [Nga Moteatea, Part I, No 23, pp 87-89]
Apirana Ngata has
explained that Kakatarau was Pape, and that the expedition to Toka-a-Kuku was
to avenge the death of
[2152]
Pakura,
Kakatarau’s father. The waiata does not say.
Caught up were they in
the band that was raised
By you, Pape, by Te
Kani, by Te Wera, e!
According to Nepia
Pohuhu, an orator from the Wairarapa, the journey to Toka-a-Kuku was ‘to avenge
the death of Pakura who was a Ngati-Porou chief.’ If the avenging of the
killing of Pakura was the reason for the journey to Toka-a-Kuku then it is
obvious that Kakatarau, Pakura’s son, was the leader of the war party.
Ngati-Porou ha congregated in two pa out of fear of Te Whanau-a-Apanui –
Rangitukia and Whakawhitira. It is said that so great was the anxiety of the
people of Whakawhitira that the drinking water was contaminated by their
excrement and only by the use of calabashes could they clear the water.
Kakatarau defeated Te Whanau-a-Apanui at Rangitukia. They did not get to
Whakawhitira. [?I moumou tikotiko wai noa] the hapu within Waiapu. The
battle at Rangitukia took place in 1834. The expedition to Toka-a-Kuku was in
1836. Obviously it was decided that Kakatarau was the only right ‘general’; he
was a warrior and the relative of the one who had been killed. However, Te Wera
was given a part by being appointed a ‘general.’ He was also an outsider from
Ngapuhi.
I don’t want to
write out a genealogy showing Kakatarau’s lineage. I shall shorten it. Tuwhakairiora’s
descendant was Tuterangiwhiu who had two daughters, Te Moahiraia and Te
Hukarere, the younger. Kakatarau and his younger brother, Mokena Kohere, are descendants
of Te Moahiraia. The wider group of Te Kani-a-Takirau, Te Potae-aute and Te
Houkamau descend from Te Hukarere – despite the [?tuhou-tanga] of the
lines of descent. Now it is clear that it was right that Kakatarau was
‘general.’ The names of Te Kani-a-Takirau and Te Houkamau are not on the Treaty
of Waitangi while those of Te Potae-aute and Kakatarau are.
In my article in
Number 103 I asked, ‘Who was Mokohoihoi?’ Kakatarau said tht he fetched
Mokohoihoi from Ngati-Kahungunu. The name is not known in Te Wairoa. Hori Jury
says that he was a nephew of Te Whatahoro; he thinks it was the name given to
Nuku and that he was one of the Wairarapa chiefs who came to Toka-a-Kuku. Nuku’s
names were Nuku-tewhatewha and Nuku-moko-ta-hau. Perhaps it was his tattoo that
led Ngati-Porou to call him Te Moko-hoihoi.
As I see it, there
is little to be added to the story of Toka-a-Kuku as told by Smith and Mohi Turei
to inform generations to come.
Greetings to the
readers and the disputants as well as the Editors.
R[eweti]
T K[ohere]
