[13],
TE
TOA TAKITINI
Ehara
taku toa i te toa takitahi engari he toa takitini taku toa.
Tuhoto
Ariki
My
strength is not that of single warrior but that of many.
Registered
at the GPO as a Newspaper.
Number
2
Hastings
1st
August, 1931
THE EARTHQUAKE
The earthquake
terrified people and animals. Although the aftershocks were visible for a long
time, people’s thoughts were distracted. Every earthquake agitates the land
thrusting it up and down, moving it from side to side, dashing people down, and
a new thing comes into being.
The coastline from
Te Matau-a-Maui [The Fishhook of Maui] to Mohaka was raised up ten feet. The
bay was covered with mud from the sea which transformed it into mainland
covering more than 2000 acres. The small rivers disappeared. The springs dried
up. One had to go down ten feet to reach water. The lay of the land had
changed. New lakes were formed. This was what Hawkes Bay was like after the
savage earthquake had shaken it. And all this besides the killing of people and
the destruction of houses and other man-made things.
People are eager
to learn answers to their questions. What was it that shook so much? What
caused the earthquake? Where did the
earthquake originate? And there were other questions such as, ‘Is it possible
to measure an earthquake?’ From the beginning people have sought answers to
these questions and are still seeking them. There has been much talk abut these
matters, people have published books about them, but we seem to be talking to
ourselves. It seems to us that people are seeking something that is hidden from
their understanding. People have been able to build a device which will measure
the strength of an earthquake but nothing has been made which will indicate
when or where an earthquake will happen. So believers will say that it is only
the strong hand of the Almighty that has the measure of this thing – the
earthquake. When the earth was completed, so was the earthquake.
*******************************************************************************Published
by Rev P Hakiwai and P H Tomoana and printed by Lovell & Painter, Queen
Street, Hastings, HB.
[14]
People know that
there are earthquakes, [?but when they were completed they were as high as the
heavens]. When earthquakes struck people accused God of being evil, whereas it
was rather the sinfulness of humanity in that place that brought ab0ut the earthquake. Where is
there a place that is above sin? (Luke 3.4-5)
Earthquakes
according to Scripture. An earthquake is God making known his
displeasure. (Palm 18.7). Ifr God wants to make known his power to people he
shows it by earthquakes, thunder, gales, lightning, and fire. (1 Kings 19.11)
This is to frighten people into realising their smallness. Believers are also
frightened. (Revelation 11.13) The lay of the land is altered. (Zechariah 14.5)
They are signs of the times. (Amos 1.1). Th most important purpose of an
earthquake is to stir up faith in people. It was the earthquake that brought the
Centurion and his companions to Jesus. ‘Truly this man is the Son of God.’ (Matthew
27.54)
Earthquakes
according to people. The
cause of earthquakes is a blocking of the channels by which steam escapes from
under the earth. The steam seeks a way
out and in doing so causes an earthquake. Other say that it is caused by the
sun’s rays. While the earth is turning the sun’s rays slacken and the
earth is moved towards another of the planets, causing an earthquake. And some believe that it is God punishing the
people of that place for their sins.
Signs of a
coming earthquake. All the
birds sing at the same time. Or there is
a seasonal change in the year, or a very dry year. ?Witchcraft. There are other
suggestions.
To the childish,
earthquakes are the work of God. The wise do not agree.
What does an
earthquake achieve?
Besides the destruction and the changes in the lie of the land, many good
things result from an earthquake Perhaps the most important is that the loss of
possessions puts everyone on the same level. There are no longer the great and
the humble. All are equal. All are to be loved.
It is the case
that what Hawkes Bay has suffered is not fully appreciated in other parts of
the country. Besides the widespread shaking of the earth, Hawkes Bay has also
suffered because of the drought which destroyed the crops this summer – this
along with the damage caused by the earthquake. How do we alleviate the
suffering? But the country and the Government have shown compassion to us in
the form of a very generous compensation.
The Government has
given £3,000,000 towards the rebuilding of the main towns of Wairoa, Napier and
Hastings, and also smaller ones, and also towards the expenses incurred by
everyone. Through the intercession of the Maori Minister this includes the
rebuilding of Maori houses [?ka taki oti]. This is fortunate.
It is not possible
to express our thanks adequately for your help and for the help given by the
country, but we thank everyone collectively, Pakeha and Maori.
[15]
Thank you for your
generous donations fo food and clothes and money.
And thanks to the
Maori Minister for taking care of this part of y0ur Maori People. We are now
able to breathe. - The Editors.
MAORI AND FARMING
‘I believe that it
is the right time to place Maori on farms,’ says an Auckland Pakeha elder. The
Auckland Herald published his words which we reprint below. That elder wrote in
Maori and is very [? waitaunga - ?cognisant] of Maori ways.
“I said that the
time is right. I am not envious when I hear about Maori farming. No. As I see
it, Maori have not yet attained to the full measure of their great gift – the
loving heart. Maori have their own love, very great and abundant. If there is a
hard job to be done, Maori will finish it faster than the Pakeha. But solitary
work on the farm he finds boring. Eating the produce with his family is the way
to make the work less burdensome. What really distresses Maori is seeing no end
to his giving, giving, giving, as if he is always wielding a defensive spear.
So settle six
Maori on their farms. One should buy a plough and a bag of flour, or he should
perhaps shut off one of his paddocks to grow hay. It will not be long before
his friends come to him. It is the Maori way. If someone does not have a
plough he does not buy one but borrows one from someone who has one. He just
asks for the plough. In the same way he may put horses in the paddock that has
been set aside. That’s the Maori way.
A person will
quickly be given what he needs and no-one will deny his friend what he asks
for. If he did, his wife would be ashamed of him. His children would also be embarrassed,
and they would be ashamed to play with his friend’s children because their
father had slighted the Maori way. So, give, even if you are quietly begrudging.
Consequently, Maori cultivations of potato and kumara are small. A deliberat
decision has been made to limit the size of the garden. I have often heard
Maori say, ‘Why should I work hard in the garden to feed others?’
‘Aroha-Maori’ –
‘Maori Love’ is said to be a Maori custom from when Maori lived close
together. It was a good thing in those days
when there was a chief to urge all the people to shar the work. In these days
there is no chief and the Maori are not keen to work. He will work for a short
time and only of there is someone to urge him on will he work longer. He will
not work for the pleasure of working.
No. He knows that the more he works the more his relations and his wife
and children will descend on him. He will not be constrained by it being a
Maori custom [to share]. If he does not
[16]
distribute the fruits of his work to his
relations he will be ashamed, and his ancestors and how many generations who
have passed on will also be ashamed.
The policy of
‘Settlement’ which is being implemented now will encourage the Maori People to
work. Maori are remarkable people who are quick to jump at and grasp something
new. But he does not look into things that have not yet graced his thinking,
things he might hope for. Therefore, his efforts at farming get side-tracked. What
needs to be said is that what he has is to be shared. This should undergird the
work that provides him with a living.
Our view is that
it is good to be eager to give but the Maori is equally eager to be [?okooko
- ? defensive]. How is his farming to progress rightly? He will not commit himself
permanently to farming. No leader, whether Maori or Pakeha, who knows the Maori
People will disagree with this. There may be some, but very few.”
N.B. We do not
agree with everything this elderly Pakeha wrote in his article, but it is here
for all of us who are engaged in farming to look at. The Pakeha farms to fill
his money-bags, the Maori to get his daily bread. - The
Editors.
A LARGE CHURCH
From the Anglican
[Episcopal] Church in America.
It is thought that
this will be the largest church in the world. It is named for Saints Paul and
Peter. It is certainly the largest church in America. The church is being built
in America’s capital city, Washington.
General Washington
had the idea of building this church. After many years at last his hope is
being realised. The plan was completed
in 1891. Building began in 1907. To date, the building is a quarter complete.
The cost so far is £8,000,000.
Its construction
is not the same as we use now; rather it harks back to past centuries. No iron
or steel is used as re-inforcement. The experts say that iron and steel may
only last for fifty years. The building and all its [? karapi - ? supports] are of stone only. Fifty thousand tons
of stone will be used [? whakarapaa]. It is in the shape of a cross. Its
length is 534 feet. Its height is 135 feet. There are three towers; two are 196
feet high, the middle one is 292 feet high.
President
Roosevelt laid the foundation stone in 1907 . All subsequent Presidents will be
laid to rest in this building. In the
completed part, three small chapels have been finished. A service was held in
one of the, the Bethlehem Chapel, in 1912.
[17]
Leading Americans
are buried in some of the others – President Woodrow Wilson, Admiral Dewey, and
other famous Americans.
TEMUKA CHURCH
To Te Toa
Takitini, Greetings.
On Thursday, 4th
June, I arrived in Temuka. I took some time off to help with the fund-raising effort
for the church there. On the day of the sale Pakeha and Maori gathered to help.
I thought the occasion was remarkable. What was good to me was how smoothly
Maori and Pakeha worked together. The Christian spirit was evident amongst them
all. Their pleasure and enjoyment was obvious. I was happy that I had come to this event. The
most precious thing to me was that the work was done with a single aim inspired
by the Christian Faith.
The sale and
previous events have now raised £700. Work on the building will start soon.
Congratulations to the Maori of Temuka and their Pakeha friends for their
efforts in this difficult time to build themselves a church. And many
congratulations also to their minister, Mr Watkins, for his wise leadership of
his flock, Maori and Pakeha.
S
M Lee (Mrs Lee)
Otaki, 24/7/31
[18]
OTHER ITEMS
Since the
earthquake in February there have been 176 after-shocks.
The new church for
Napier, the new St John’s, is nearly finished. It is a small temporary
building. £5000 has been spent on it.
We have heard
rumours that Forbes and Coates will form a coalition of their parties to form a
government. That being so, there will be no election this November. No money is
being wasted in these times of austerity.
WHITE AND BLACK
Dr Charles Hill
Tout of Vancouver, an expert authority on anthropology, has said: ‘A law should
be passed permitting the marriages of whites and blacks. By so doing the
antagonism between these groups will be wiped out. It would provide a means of
healing this irksome situation.
I believe we
should make a start on this in America first and the world would follow, and
then we would not have reached the tenth generation before a new people had
emerged, of good stature and presence. If this is achieved there would be an
end to the mistaken belief of white people that they are superior to all
others. This alone would avoid the great war that people think will take place between
whites and blacks.’
TOKA-A-KUKU
I will not write
at length about the battle at Toka-a-kuku. Some of the articles about that
battle have contained errors. Let me begin with the article By RTK in Number
108. According to W-Repa it was at Hawai that the hapu gathered for the battle
against Toka-a-kuku. According to Mohi Turei and S Percy Smith it was at
Whakatane. But Whakatohea and Ngati-Awa were close. You can ask them. The
elders here have not said that those other tribes participated in the battle.
This is widely spoken of here. No-one from that pa died – not one. Nor was the
pa approached by that awesome war party. Had a party emerged from that pa they
would have been defeated and the pa would have fallen.
[19]
According to Te
Whanau-a-Apanui, Te Wera was commander of that war party. That is also
maintained here. No elder has said otherwise, even the Pakeha judges
When people began
to receive the Old Age Pension in this area, the Inspecgtors would ask the same
question of the elders: ‘Were you alive when Te Weera’s party attacked
Toka-a-kuku?’ If they replied, ‘Yes,’ or ‘I was little at that time,’ they
swere granted a pension.
No-one mentions
the names of Kakatarau or Pareihe. It is as if I were the descendant of a chief
who sent to assemble a large army for himself from many tribes to fight against
a very small tribe. I would not boast that my ancestor was a great warrior lest
I be criticised by the country’s many tribes. Nor should the warrior go to [? aukoko
- ? recruit] many tribes, their chiefs and warriors, to fight for him
against the very small tribe. What is said here is that the whole of Te Kaha
was swamped the the huge number of people. It was not possible to see the
ground. But the ground could have been covered if the war party had been
assembled from Wharekahika to the Wairarapa. Only in this way would the ground
be hidden by the people.
I agree with what
Wi-Repa wrote in Te Toa 106. He said that it was the case with Te
Whanau-a-Apanui at Omaio, Maraenui, and Hawai; not a single person fell to that
war party. The population of these villages I have named was very small but,
even though they were few, they were not afraid of that awesome war party. They
ventured out an fought on They died in battle. To me this is bravery. They went
out to help their relations who were besieged in the pa.
It
is ten miles from Omaio to Hawai. The fighting spoken of took place within
those ten miles. From Wharekahika to the Wairarapa is perhaps nearly four
hundred miles. The words of the Te Whakatohea derisive song say:
[? No rau o iwi nga toa ka waiho hei
tito ma paurehe ra.
?
The warriors of hundreds of tribes were left to be derided by Paurehe.]
Paratene Ngata was
right in speaking of the figures carved on posts beside the road from Waiorore
to Pariokara. I saw them when I was a child. There were two posts; one by
Rangiputuriri, the other by Ngahutorua. Those chiefs were from Te
Whanau-a-Apanui.
My friend, RTK,
look again at some true stories which will elucidate the entry of some tribes
into this battle. But I would say that
you should delete that part of the article lest those reading it should be
misled.
For more than
thirty years Te Whanau-a-Apanui from Hawai, Maraenui and Omaio, have been going
to Te Kaha to Te Whauatehutu. The purpose is to cultivate food at the place
where the men were killed at Toka-a-kuku.
[20]
The shrine is
called Karawa. Many of the elders were living at that time. There was much talk
of it on the marae and in the homes. I have not heard of anyone from a
different tribe being buried in that burial ground. Perhaps you know?
Now, we have seen
that two people have written up these stories, and the two accounts are all [?haua
- ?defective]. Such is Smith’s story that Te Whanau-a-Apanui was defeated
at Wharekura. This is a [?haua] assertion. But people who only have a
distant acquaintance with these things say the same. Some climb up, some fall.
Mohi’s account is also [? haua - ?imperfect]
because, at the time, he was ill and confined to bed and in pain. People who
are ill are not always able to recall things accurately. What is remembered is
affected by the illness. I cannot speak of the cause of that battle, whether it
was about Pakura or Poro-o-te-rangi, or whoever. But Ngati-Porou went to fight
against Te Whanau-a-Apanui at Wharekura. I have never heard about or learned
the cause of this battle. Nor have I heard about Te Whanau-a-Apanui attacking
Rangitukia where they were defeated by Kakatarau. If the battle took place, why
did it not serve to avenge the death of Parekura? If Kakatarau won the battle
why did he not go on and assemble and army to attack Toka-a-kuku soon
afterwards? You say that it was in celebration that Te Whanau-a-Apanui went and
were defeated by Kakatarau at Rangitukia. You are talking of violence.
My account of the
dispute I heard from the elders. Te Ngarara was murdered on board a Pakeha ship
off Whakatane. Two Maori were seen on board that ship, one from Ngati-Porou and
the other from Whakatohea. Te Ngarara was a chief from Te Whanau-a-Apanui and
Ngati-Awa. His descendants live at Whare-o-Toroa and are called Ngati Hokopu.
Te Whanau-a-Apanui and Ngati-Awa satisfied their need for revenge by fighting
Ngati-Porou and the Pakeha at Omuruiti, a pa at Wharekahika. Ngati-Porou and
the Pakeha were defeated.
A Correction of
Wi-Repa’s account of the encounter at Te Muhunga.
Te Whanau-a-Apanui
did not fight against Te Aitanga-a-Mahaki at Te Mahunga. Te Whakatohea were Te
Whanau-a-Apanui.s opponents. Ngaitai and Te Whakatohea were staying at Te
Muhunga Pa when they came. They had gone into the swamp to strip flax-fibre. Te
Whakatohea spied the face of Te Tutahuarangi. They shouted to him. He was an ancestor of the Ngaitai chief,
Wiremu Kingi. Tutahuarangi [? -a-te-Maunga] told a Te Whanau-a-Apanui chief,
Turiri, to call together a war party to fight against Te Whakatohea. On
receiving this command Te Whanau-a-Apanui came swiftly. The death of Ngarara
was already established among Te Whanau-a-Apanui as a [? rua – ?
justification] for attacking Te Muhunga. The pa was captured. One man was
killed. During the flight he was crossing the river at Waipawa. He was shot by
Tuterangi Nooti and fell in the water.
[21]
Another thing Wi
Repa said: Te Whanau-a-Apanui was not on the western side of the Haparapara
River. They came to Hawai and received permission to enter the pa. This is what
he should have said: Some who were on the western side of the Haparapara River
at Hawai did not enter the pa. Only some went in. Indeed, Rewiri Tawhai was
born in that pa while it was being besieged by that war party. This man was a
xescendant of Rangi Tawhairiri. He was an elder sibling of Timutimu Tawhai. He
died when he was old. His father was from the west side of the Haparapara River.
There are perhaps others.
When the pa was
surrounded the war party spied [? miri] on it to find the right place to
launch an attack on it. They found the side Wi Repa called the ‘Raupa.’ At
night they attacked the pa there. The pa fired on them and four people fell.
They attacked on another night and once again the pa fired on them and three
people were killed. After this the war party tried another approach. These were
wooden ladders by means of which men could break in. This was close to the earthwork
fortifications of the pa. The pa knew what they were doing. At night they
placed posts outside the earthwork defences so that they could attach their
ladders to them. They were raised up and [?open at the bottom for the bullets.
But the pa was not tken by these efforts on the part of the war party. However
the pa was not strong because of its fortifications alone. However good they
were they would not have managed without the guns inside.
As for what Wi
Repa says about the bravery of Hongi Hika, in my opinion that was true when he
alone had guns. I have not heard the name of Hongi since everyone has had
access to those weapons – guns. Is that not so?
Koopu
Erueti
Maraenui
THE McLEAN
SCHOLARSHIP
The Bishop of
Aotearoa
On 24th
July the Trustees of the McLean Scholarship Fund met. The Trustees are Mr F
Williams (Chairman), Mr Dinwiddie, Mr Wood (a Lawyer), Mr Prentice and the
Bishop of Aotearoa.
The Capital Fund
whifh provides the McLean Scholarships stands at £4,549/10/2. Some years it
provides three scholarships and in others, two.
Looking to the
coming year the Trustees discussed the possibility of increasing the amount of
the scholarships each year. The Trustees thin k that the amount for the
children should be increased. At present the scholarship is £35 a year. But the
amount is only sufficient to pay the school fees and nothing is left to buy
clothes for the children. The Bishop moved that the scholarship be increased to
£45 a year
[22]
so that £10 would
be available to pay the child’s expenses, that is, those of the parents. The
Bishop’s motion was carried over to the next meeting of the Trustees.
In a letter, Mr
Bird (Manu) shared his view (and that of his fellow school inspectors) that the
Pakeha National Scholarship Examination should also be the basis for awarding
the McLean Scholarship. They think that the learning achievements of young
Maori now is of such a standard that they should be engaging in learning at
greater depth.
R D D McLean, who
died last year, set up the McLean Scholarships in memory of his father, Sir
Donald McLean.
The value of the
scholarship is £35, and for two years the scholarship has been awarded to the
same child. One is the ‘Senior’ and it is awarded to a Maori child who is not
more that sixteen years of age; the ‘Junior Scholarship’ is for those who are not
that
The scholarships
are available to all Maori children even if they are attending Pakeha schools.
Full-blooded Maori
have preference over those who are half-caste. If someone has more that half
Pakeha blood they are not eligible for the McLean. Secondly, the applicant must
be fluent in the Maori language. If they are ignorant of the Maori language
they cannot receive the scholarship.
Children attending
Pakeha schools should send their applications to the Education Department,
pointing out that they wish to enter the examination for the McLean.
Perhaps this
clarifies the rules relating to this valuable treasure for us Maori People and
our children. It is a great treasure which we should celebrate. All our
well-known Maori in the field of learning have been helped by the McLean
Scholarships to get to Te Aute, and we are aware of the wisdom of each of them.
This treasure, the law states, is for the Maori People only. The high hurdle that
tomorrow may be too difficult for our children to jump is the requirement,
‘they must be fluent in the Maori language.’ Therefore, children, set about
learning the noble language of your forebears.
This year the
‘Senior Scholarship’ has been awarded to John Pike of St Stephen’s. The ‘Open
Junior Scholarship‘ has been awarded to Hirini Rangipuawhe of Te Aute College.
The ‘Reserved Junior Scholarship’ goes to Matarehua Wikiriwhi of Te
Whakarewarewa.
Te Toa Takitini
salutes all you young people and hopes that you will be really helped by
receiving these scholarships. Be strong, be committed to learning, and may our
Heavenly Father help and protect you. Kia ora, all the children of our people.
[23]
WHAREKAURI – THE CHATHAM
ISLANDS
It is a long time
since we published articles about Wharekauri, known to the Pakeha as ‘Chatham
Island.’ There are nearly 600 people living there. Of these, 250 are Maori. Most
of the Maori are from Taranaki, that is, from Ngati Tama, Ngati Mutunga, and Te
Atiawa. The local people, the Moriori, have died out; the sole survivor is Tame
Horomona.
The Moriori
language is similar to the Maori language. The language has almost died out;
only a little of it has been retained by some of the elderly Maori. These are a
few Moriori words from the old books we have seen: ‘ Ka ro kotau ko to ta ngaherehere
ki tapahi i ta rakau, tona ingo i Akepiri, ka hinga i a kotau, ko wawahi kia
okowha ka taha, ka tarei a i te tao.’ Translated into Maori it says: ‘you went
into the forest to cut down a tree, an Akepiri. You felled it and split it into
forty pieces to make spears.’
We have received news
of a tragedy that has come upon the people of Wharekauri. Eleven men went on
their launch (called Te Aroha) from Kaingaroa to Owenga, a distance of 24
miles. They went to play football. The people of Owenga waited for them until
evening. When the group did not arrive and no news was forthcoming, a messenger
was sent to Kaingaroa. The messenger informed them that the party had not
arrived at Owenga. Thereupon the whole island set about looking for them but
did not find them. Later, some of the timbers of the launch were washed ashore.
The people knew that the party had suffered a disaster at sea. Most of them
were Maori. They were B Remi, Joseph Paynter, William Paynter, Edward Thomson,
Michael Thompson, Waihi Thompson, Bishop Ashton, James Whaitiri, H Stone, Ririmu
Wiki, and Taaka Ngaia.
Remnant of
Wharekauri, we greet all of you who are suffering because of this terrible
tragedy. Your relatives on the mainland grieve with you who have this dreadful
cloak spread over you. Our prayer is that the God of Peace will be close to you
to help you and give you light in the dark cloud that is spread over you at
this time. Be stout-hearted, be strong.
[24]
AN EXPLANATION
These are the
decisions we have made about our paper.
1.
We
shall continue to print our paper, Te Toa Takitini.
2.
We
shall begin with all who take our paper.
3.
We are
reducing the annual subscription to 6/-.
4.
We are
reducing the number of pages to 12. When the number of subscribers reaches 500
we hope to increase the number of pages.
5.
If we
receive soon your subscriptions before the third edition of the paper we will
be confident about producing the paper.
6.
Send
news and letters to The Editors, Te Toa Takitini, PO Box 300, Hastings.
7.
Subscriptions
to the paper should be sent to The Secretary, Diocesan Office, PO Box 227,
Napier.
[The
Church Calendar of Psalms and Bible Readings for August, 1931, follows. I have
not translated it. – Barry Olsen.]
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