Te Rauparaha’s migration

Last week, we ran an interview with Ross Calman, a descendant of the Ngāti Toa chief Te Rauparaha, who’s best known today as the author of the famous Ka Mate haka.

Ross has edited and translated a 50,000-word account in te reo Māori of Te Rauparaha’s life, written by Te Rauparaha’s son Tamihana between 1866 and 1869. The book, He Pukapuka Tātaku i Ngā Mahi a Te Rauparaha Nui, will be released this week.

This extract (in both English and te reo Māori) describes the migration of Te Rauparaha and his Ngāti Toa tribe, from their homeland in Kāwhia, in the Waikato, to Kāpiti Island — a move that changed the tribal landscape of a large part of the country. 

 

Te Rauparaha is decided

Well, the thoughts that had been obsessing Te Rauparaha day and night now coalesced into a definite plan. Finally, Te Rauparaha shared his thoughts with his people, with Ngāti Toa, saying “Let us migrate to take over Wairarapa and Te Waipounamu.”

When his people, Ngāti Toa, heard this, they agreed with Te Rauparaha’s proposal to migrate south.

The people of one sub-tribe were not happy, they did not agree with Te Rauparaha’s proposal to migrate, the sub-tribe who made up one section of Ngāti Toa, Ngāti Koata. Te Wharepuhi and Tāiko were the leaders of that sub-tribe, it was they who said to Te Rauparaha, “We won’t join in your migration. If the napes of our necks are to be bowed, let them be bowed at Kāwhia, on the soil of our ancestors.” [Meaning, when we die, we would rather die here.] 

Te Rauparaha replied, “You two are entitled to your own thoughts.” And so, Te Rauparaha and his people had now all agreed on a plan.

Farewell journey, Summer 1820–1821

Te Rauparaha’s journey to say farewell

Now Te Rauparaha went to say his farewells to the great Pōmare [the Ngāti Manu chief of the Bay of Islands], travelling by way of Kaipara. When he arrived at the place where Pōmare lived, Te Rauparaha went and saw Pōmare.

After they had wept together, Te Rauparaha said to Pōmare, “Do you want to come with me to take possession of Wairarapa and make it into our home, Te Waipounamu too?”

Pōmare said, “I will not go, I love the people and my home, Ngāpuhi, and the countless numbers of people who are buried here.” So, Te Rauparaha returned, saying farewell to Pōmare and all the other chiefs. I was not told the name of the place where Te Rauparaha saw the great Pōmare.

So, now Te Rauparaha headed for Hauraki, to remind those relations of his of their longstanding ties. His route passed through Tāmaki and continued on from there to Hauraki, to the home of Tokoahu and a number of other chiefs. When Ngāti Maru saw that Te Rauparaha’s travelling party was approaching, the call went out from Ngāti Maru, “Welcome, e Koro, welcome.”

They sat down and wept together. When the weeping ended, the leaders of Ngāti Maru delivered their speeches. Te Rauparaha then stood to reply to the speeches of those chiefs who had stood to speak.

Well, when night fell the fire was lit within the great wharepuni [communal sleeping house]. There were 1600 Ngāti Maru who came to see Te Rauparaha. That tribe carried on like it was a wedding feast, there were haka, singing, the playing of tī [a game involving chanting and hand movements], poi and other things. Much fun was had by all as pūkana were exchanged back and forth.

On the day of Te Rauparaha’s departure, he finally disclosed the reason that he had travelled to Hauraki, to visit the chiefs of Ngāti Maru. So, after spending time with these relations of his, Te Rauparaha spoke to Tokoahu, and to the other chiefs of Ngāti Maru, although it was mainly to Tokoahu that Te Rauparaha addressed his invitation, asking whether he would join with him in taking this (the southern) part of the island.

However, Tokoahu declined the invitation. His reply to Te Rauparaha was, “I love the people and the soil of Hauraki.”

So, Te Rauparaha headed away from Hauraki, travelling by way of Rotorua. When he got to Rotorua, he travelled on to Tauranga, to the great Te Waru [a famous Ngāi Te Rangi chief].

Upon arriving at Te Waru’s home, he went straight up to him and they wept together. When the weeping finished, Te Rauparaha said to Te Waru, “Let us go together to Wairarapa and to Te Waipounamu, to take those places for ourselves.”

Then Te Waru replied, “I will not go, I am watched over by the islands standing over there, Tūhua [Mayor Island] and Mōtītī.”

Well, now Te Rauparaha returned once more to Rotorua. Upon his arrival in Rotorua after returning from Tauranga, news reached him there that a Ngāpuhi war party 1600-strong was at Hauraki, laying siege to Te Tōtara pā.

This was the main pā of Ngāti Maru, inland from Kauaeranga, beside the Waihou River. There were 1200 men of Ngāti Maru inside that pā, and a further 1800 women and children. When Ngāpuhi attacked the pā, it did not fall at first.

Then Ngāpuhi tricked them, saying to the leaders of Ngāti Maru, “All is well, let us end the fighting, let us make peace.” The leaders of Ngāti Maru consented to this, saying “Very well.”

Upon Ngāpuhi entering that pā, they attacked, Ngāti Maru were defeated and Te Tōtara pā fell. Such was the disaster that befell Ngāti Maru.

The leaders of that Ngāpuhi war party were Pōmare, Te Pae-o-te-rangi, Te Waero and a number of others [including Hongi Hika]. Well, after Ngāti Maru were defeated at Te Tōtara, the war party set off for Rotorua.

Te Rauparaha heard from messengers from Hauraki, “Te Tōtara has fallen, Ngāti Maru have been defeated, and your and Tokoahu’s grandchildren have died. They were deceived by Ngāpuhi and so Te Tōtara fell and they were murdered.” Te Rauparaha was distressed at this, and wondered, “How can the death of my and Tokoahu’s grandchildren be avenged?”

As Te Rauparaha contemplated this, the Ngāpuhi war party was gradually approaching along the trail. When they arrived in the vicinity of Rotorua, Te Rauparaha went to see the great Pōmare, who was visiting some villages around Rotorua. Te Rauparaha went into the house where Pōmare was and said to Pōmare, “I am upset about our young people who died at Te Tōtara. The killing was unjustified, it was murder on the part of Ngāpuhi.” To which Pōmare replied, “Then kill Ngāpuhi.”

So it was that Te Rauparaha returned to his pā, to Motutawa [this is where Te Rauparaha’s wife Te Ākau was from], to await that Ngāpuhi war party. Te Rauparaha also spoke with Tūhourangi about attacking Ngāpuhi when they reached Motutawa.

When a section of that war party arrived at Motutawa and entered that pā of Tūhourangi, they were attacked and Te Pae-o-te-rangi and Te Waero were killed. These were the principal chiefs of the Ngāpuhi war party who were murdered by Tūhourangi at Motutawa, at Te Rauparaha’s instigation [this incident led to Hongi Hika’s attack on Mokoia Island in 1823].

So, the killing of Ngāti Maru at Te Tōtara, murdered by Ngāpuhi, was avenged. Well, Te Rauparaha’s heart lifted now that the defeat of Ngāti Maru at Te Tōtara had been avenged.

So, Te Rauparaha returned to Kāwhia, going by way of Maungatautari and then taking the route through the lands of Ngāti Maniapoto — Uruwhero was the name of that track — until he reached Kāwhia.

Soon after he returned he went to bid farewell to Pēhikōrehu [a famous Ngāti Maniapoto fighting chief], saying: “I am leaving our home, Kāwhia.” Pēhikōrehu was related to Te Rauparaha through two separate lines, one senior and one junior. Mangatoatoa [5 km west of Te Awamutu] was the home of Pēhikōrehu that Te Rauparaha went to.

Well, when Te Rauparaha had finished his farewells to Pēhikōrehu concerning Kāwhia, saying that he, that is, Pēhi, should take particular care of it, he returned once more to Kāwhia.

Te Rauparaha had barely had time to rest his backside on the ground at his pā, Te Arawī [a Ngāti Toa pā on a headland just south of Kāwhia Harbour], when Aperahama Te Kawe arrived to deliver a message: “Waikato are on their way, I have just come from there, the Waikato party numbers in the thousands, they are coming to attack your pā, Te Arawī.” Te Rauparaha had no doubt that what Te Kawe said was indeed true.

Ngāti Toa leave Kāwhia, September 1821

Te Rauparaha’s migration

The very same day that Aperahama Te Kawe spoke to him, Te Rauparaha announced: “In the morning we shall go, migrate; the pā is about to fall.” At this, Ngāti Toa’s spirits were lifted, the 140 who were inside their pā, Te Arawī.

In the morning when the sun was high, near midday, they migrated, they left their pā. They did not allow themselves to weep, they left Kāwhia behind, following the paths along the coast. The men and women who did not have the strength to travel were left lying on the trail and some perished from starvation.

They carried on throughout that day until nightfall. When they reached Marokopa my mother was left there, heavy with child — for indeed I was inside her womb about to be born — along with some other chiefly women of Ngāti Toa who were also left at Marokopa. The travelling party with the fighting men carried on, including Te Rauparaha. My mother was not abandoned there, another relative, Pukeroa, stayed with her to look after her, along with some others of Ngāti Toa.

The Ngāti Toa travelling party carried on. When they got to the top of Moeātoa [30 km south of Kāwhia], the hill, they looked back down at Kāwhia lying below. Now the love for their home, for Kāwhia, welled up. Then the people of Ngāti Toa and their elder, Te Rauparaha, wept, their grief was like the sighing sea. How could he not be overcome with love for the homeland that he was leaving behind, the land of his birth where his placenta was buried?

To clarify, there were 140 men bearing arms, that is carrying weapons; and a total of 200 elderly, women and children, in addition to those 140, in Te Rauparaha’s migrating party.

When the weeping stopped, Te Rauparaha called out to Ngāti Toa, “You all go on to Te Āti Awa and wait for me there. I am going back to fetch my wife, I am yearning for her, for Te Ākau.”

This is the name of my mother. This woman was from Rotorua. A tall woman, quite attractive to look at. She was married to Hape originally. When Hape died, Te Rauparaha made the journey from Kāwhia to Rotorua, that is, to Rotokākahi [Green Lake] and to Motutawa. These were the pā where my mother lived, these pā belonged to her brothers and her parents.

When Te Rauparaha arrived at Motutawa, he took her as his wife. Hape’s younger brothers were furious with Te Rauparaha regarding their bereaved sister-in-law. He was not concerned about the anger of these nobodies. The woman, Te Ākau, went with him.

So it was that Te Rauparaha went back from Moeātoa. The main group were allowed to carry on, but he went back. His companions who went back with him were his own son Te Rangihoungariri (Marore was the name of the mother [Te Rauparaha’s first wife, killed by Waikato in late 1820]; this was the foremost warrior among Te Rauparaha’s children, who it is said would have succeeded his father if he had lived), and Tāngahoe, his stepson, was his other companion.

Then Te Rauparaha and his children retraced their steps. They proceeded until they reached Marokopa, where they came upon the group of women who were staying there, including Te Ākau and Tiaia, the wife of Pēhi (“Pēhi Kupa” [Te Pēhi Kupe] was the name he was known by the Pākehā). Tiaia was the mother of Te Hiko.

Then they travelled south together. In the party were six male family members, seven counting Te Rauparaha (the other five [this should read “the other four”] were also young family members of his who had been left at Marokopa with Te Ākau and the other women). There were also seven women, including Te Ākau. All told there were 14 of them.

Te Rauparaha’s stratagems at Mōkau River, late 1821

They continued their journey following the paths along the coast. They crossed the Awakino River and then continued along the beach. When they drew near the Mōkau River he and his whānau stopped to make a raft while it was still light, to use to cross the Mōkau River.

As he and his whānau were making their raft, a war party of the Ngāti Tūmarouri [Ngāti Tūmarouru] sub-tribe of Ngāti Maniapoto was approaching from the mouth of the Mōkau River. There were two hundred in that war party, by the time Te Rauparaha and his whānau saw them, the war party was almost upon them.

Then Te Rauparaha set about preparing his company, Te Ākau and the others, that is, the women. Kahu waero [a cloak with tassels made from dog-tail hair] were put on Te Ākau and Tiaia. Hukeumu was the name of one of those kahu waero and Te Rarawa the name of the other.

Te Ākau and Tiaia acted as if they were men. The contingent of women took up an elevated position. There was one man and seven women, making a group of eight in all. Some of the women wore ihupuni [a dog-skin cloak covered with white strips of dog hair with a border of black strips]. The eight of them pretended they were a group of men, holding themselves and acting like men, and feigning high-spirited warrior talk.

Te Rauparaha and the six male family members got to their feet, positioning themselves in front of the contingent of women. As Te Rauparaha stood he made a speech to Te Rangihoungariri and Tāngahoe, and to some of his other children: “Be brave and exact a heavy price for us, give no thought to the consequences.” The words of their father made a deep impression on Te Rangihoungariri and Tāngahoe.

Te Rauparaha’s weapon was a pouwhenua [a long wooden weapon with an axe-shaped blade at one end and a sharpened point at the other], his son had a taiaha and Tāngahoe had a paiaka [a club-like weapon made from a tree root]. Well, now the war party was very close and they could see that there were only a few people.

So the champions of the war party rushed forward, including Tūtākaro, who was the leader of that war party, along with Kārewa. Then Tūtākaro attacked Tūtahi and Hurihanga. They avoided the blows. The weapons of Tūtākaro and Kārewa did not strike their intended victims.

Then Te Rauparaha, his son and the son-in-law, Tāngahoe, entered into the fray. Te Rangihoungariri leapt into battle and claimed the first victim, Tūtākaro. The old man, Te Rauparaha, leapt into battle and claimed the second victim, Kārewa. Tāngahoe leapt into battle and claimed the last victim.

Then the contingent of women made themselves known, with Te Ākau out in front of that contingent of women. When this happened and the two hundred of Ngāti Tūmarouri saw the female war party running towards them, with the men in front, Te Rauparaha and his children, who had already claimed several victims, also making to move towards them, the war party broke ranks and fled.

Then they were killed by the six men [this should read “by the seven men”], mainly by Te Rauparaha and his son, and by Tāngahoe. Ten were left lying dead by Te Rauparaha and his whānau: Te Rangihoungariri accounted for five, Te Rauparaha three and Tāngahoe two. The rest were allowed to escape.

 

(See below for the reo Māori version.)

This extract is from He Pukapuka Tātaku i Ngā Mahi a Te Rauparaha Nui, written by Tamihana Te Rauparaha, edited and translated by Ross Calman, and published by Auckland University Press. 

Tamihana Te Rauparaha (1822–1876) was the son of Ngāti Toa leader Te Rauparaha and Te Ākau of Tūhourangi. Known as Katu in early life, he received a chiefly education and accompanied his father on many of his campaigns. He later became a key figure in the early Anglican Church in New Zealand, and one of a new generation of chiefs to adopt literacy. He was friendly with many of the Pākehā elite, adopted the manners of an English gentleman, and became a successful sheep farmer in the Ōtaki district.

Ross Calman (Ngāti Toa, Ngāti Raukawa-ki-te-tonga, Ngāi Tahu) is a descendant of Te Rauparaha, one of the offspring of a peace marriage forged between Ngāti Toa and Ngāi Tahu in the 1840s. He has authored and edited important works on Māori language and history including Te Tiriti o Waitangi/The Treaty of Waitangi (with Mark Derby and Toby Morris), The Essential Māori Dictionary (with Margaret Sinclair), The New Zealand Wars and The Reed Book of Māori Mythology (with A. W. Reed). He is also a licensed translator. He lives in Wellington with his wife Ariana and they have two adult children. The Ngāti Toa Whakapapa Committee have given their blessing to the publication of this book.

Tūmaunga o ngā whakaaro o Te Rauparaha

Na, ka tūmau rawa, ka rite tonu ngā whakaaro o Te Rauparaha ki āna e whakaaroaro nei, i te ao, i te pō. Kātahi anō a Te Rauparaha ka whakapuaki nui i ōna whakaaro ake ki tōna iwi, ki a Ngāti Toa, “Me heke tātou ki te tango i Wairarapa, i Te Waipounamu hoki.” Nō te rongonga mai o tōna iwi o Ngāti Toa, kātahi ka whakaaetia mai te kōrero heke mai a Te Rauparaha ki runga nei.

Kotahi te hapū kīhai i pai, kīhai [i] whakaae mai ki te kōrero heke mai a Te Rauparaha, ko te hapū ki tētehi pito o Ngāti Toa, ki a Ngāti Koata. Ko Te Wharepuhi rāua ko Tāiko ngā rangatira o taua hapū, nā rāua hoki ngā kī mai nei ki a Te Rauparaha, “E kore māua e haere atu i tō heke. Kia oia rā anō te poro [o] ō māua kakī, oia iho ki Kāwhia, ki te oneone [o] ō tātou tūpuna.” 

Ka kī atu a Te Rauparaha, “Kei a kōrua anō rā tā kōrua whakaaro.” Heoi anō, ka takoto rite te whakaaro o Te Rauparaha rātou ko tōna iwi.

He haerenga poporoaki, Raumati 1820–1821

Haerenga o Te Rauparaha ki te poroporoaki

Ka haere tēnei a Te Rauparaha ki te poroporoaki iho ki a Pōmare nui, i tika atu mā Kaipara. Tōna taenga atu ki te kāinga i noho ai a Pōmare, ka kite a Te Rauparaha i a Pōmare.

Ka mutu te tangi, kātahi a Te Rauparaha ka kī atu ki a Pōmare, “E kore rānei koe e pai kia haere tāua ki te tango i Wairarapa hei kāinga mō tāua, i Te Waipounamu hoki?”

Ka kī mai a Pōmare, “E kore au e tae atu, e aroha ana au ki te iwi, ki taku kāinga hoki, ki Ngāpuhi, ki ngā mano e takoto nei.” Heoi, ka hoki mai a Te Rauparaha, ka poroporoaki iho ki a Pōmare, ki a ia rangatira, ki a ia rangatira. Kāore i kōrerotia te ingoa o te kāinga i kite rā a Te Rauparaha i a Pōmare nui.

Heoi, ka ahu atu tēnei te haere a Te Rauparaha ki Hauraki, ki te whakauki atu anō ki ērā whanaunga ōna. I ahu atu tana huarahi i Tāmaki, haere tonu atu, tae noa ki Hauraki, ki te kāinga o Tokoahu, o wai rangatira, o wai rangatira. Ka kitea e Ngāti Maru e haere atu ana te teretere a Te Rauparaha, ka pā te karanga a Ngāti Maru, “Haere mai rā, e Koro, haere mai.”

Ka noho ki raro, kātahi ka tangi. Ka mutu te tangi, ka whaikōrero ngā rangatira o Ngāti Maru. Ka tū atu hoki a Te Rauparaha ki te whakahoki atu i ngā whaikōrero a ērā rangatira i tū mai rā.

Heoi anō, kua ahiahi, kua tahuna te ahi ki roto ki te wharepuni nui. Kia waru rau o Ngāti Maru i kite nei i a Te Rauparaha. Tangohanga mai te mahi a te iwi rā, he haka, he waiata, he tī, he poi, he aha, he aha. He ngahau noa iho, pūkana atu, pūkana mai.

Nō te rā i hoki mai ai a Te Rauparaha, kātahi anō ia ka whakapuaki i ngā whakaaro i haere atu ai ia ki Hauraki, kia kite ia i ngā rangatira o Ngāti Maru. Heoi, kua kite nei ia i ēnei whanaunga ōna, kātahi a Te Rauparaha ka kī atu ki a Tokoahu, ki a wai rangatira, ki a wai rangatira o Ngāti Maru, otirā, ko Tokoahu te mea i kī[ia] atu e Te Rauparaha, hei hoa mōna ki te tango i tēnei pito o te motu nei.

Heoi, kīhai hoki a Tokoahu i whakaae mai. Ko te kupu mai tēnei ki a Te Rauparaha, “Kei te aroha au ki te iwi, ki te oneone hoki ki Hauraki.”

Heoi, ka [a]hu mai a Te Rauparaha i Hauraki, ka tika mai mā Rotorua. Ka tae mai ki Rotorua, ka ahu atu ki Tauranga, ki a Te Waru nui.

Nō te taenga atu ki a Te Waru, tika atu, tangi tonu. Ka mutu te tangi, ka kī atu a Te Rauparaha ki a Te Waru, “Tāua ka haere ki Wairarapa, ki Te Waipounamu hoki, ki te tango i tērā kāinga mō tāua.”

Kātahi ka kīia mai e Te Waru, “E kore au e haere atu, kei te kainga au e ngā motu e tū mai rā, e Tūhua rāua ko Mōtītī.”

Heoi anō, ka hoki mai anō a Te Rauparaha ki Rotorua nei. Nō tana taenga mai i tana hokinga mai i Tauranga rā, ki Rotorua, ka tae mai hoki te rongo ki a ia, kei Hauraki te ope a Ngāpuhi e waru rau, kei te whakapae i Te Tōtara.

Ko te pā nui tēnei o Ngāti Maru, kei roto atu o Kauaeranga, i te taha o te awa o Waihou. Kia ono rau o Ngāti Maru ki roto i taua pā, mā te wahine, mā te tamariki, ka iwa ai rau tōpū. Tau noa a Ngāpuhi, kīhai hoki i horo taua pā.

Kātahi ka tāwaia e Ngāpuhi, ka kī atu ki ngā rangatira o Ngāti Maru, “He pai, me whakamutu te riri, me whawhau ki te rongo.” Ka whakaaetia mai e ngā rangatira o Ngāti Maru, “E pai ana.”

Nō te tapokoranga o Ngāpuhi ki roto i taua pā, kātahi ka patua, ka mate a Ngāti Maru, ka horo hoki te pā, a Te Tōtara. Ko te rarunga tēnei o Ngāti Maru.

Ko ngā rangatira o taua ope a Ngāpuhi, ko Pōmare, ko Te Pae-o-te-rangi, ko Te Waero, ko wai rangatira, ko wai rangatira. Heoi anō, ka hinga rā a Ngāti Maru i Te Tōtara, kātahi ka rewa ake taua ope ki Rotorua.

Ka rongo hoki a Te Rauparaha ki ngā karere mai o Hauraki, “Kua horo a Te Tōtara, kua mate a Ngāti Maru, kua mate ā kōrua mokopuna ko Tokoahu. I whakawarea e Ngāpuhi, i horo ai a Te Tōtara, i kōhurutia.” Ka pōuri i konei a Te Rauparaha, ka whakaaro, “Me pēwhe[a] rā [e] ea ai te mate o ā māua mokopuna ko Tokoahu?”

Ka whakaaro nei a Te Rauparaha i roto i a ia, tērā anō te ope a Ngāpuhi te āta haere mai rā i te huarahi. Ka tae mai ki ngā wāhi o Rotorua, ka kite a Te Rauparaha i a Pōmare nui, i kite atu ki ētahi kāinga o Rotorua. Ka tomo atu ki roto ki te whare o Pōmare a Te Rauparaha, ka kī atu ki a Pōmare, “E pōuri ana au mō ā tāua tamariki mokopuna i mate i Te Tōtara. Kīhai hoki i tika te matenga, he kōhuru anō tēnei nā Ngāpuhi.” Kātahi ka kī mai a Pōmare, “Patua ia [a] Ngāpuhi.”

Heoi anō, ko te hokinga o Te Rauparaha ki tōna pā, ki Motutawa, whanga mai ai i taua ope a Ngāpuhi. Kua kōrerotia rā hoki e Te Rauparaha ki a Tūhourangi kia patua [a] Ngāpuhi me ka tae atu ki Motutawa.

Nō te taenga atu o tētehi pito o taua ope ki Motutawa, ki roto ki taua pā o Tūhourangi, kātahi ka patua, ka mate i konei a Te Pae-o-te-rangi rāua ko Te Waero. Ko ngā tino rangatira tēnei o te ope a Ngāpuhi ka mate nei te kōhuru ki Motutawa e Tūhourangi, nā Te Rauparaha ngā whakaaro.

Heoi, ka ea te matenga o Ngāti Maru ki Te Tōtara, i kōhurutia rā hoki e Ngāpuhi. Heoi, ka ora te ngākau o Te Rauparaha, ka ea te mate o Ngāti Maru ki Te Tōtara.

Heoi, ka hoki mai a Te Rauparaha ki Kāwhia, ka tika atu mā Maungatautari, ka poka atu i te huarahi i waenganui o Ngāti Maniapoto — ko Uruwhero te ingoa o taua ara — ka tae atu ki Kāwhia.

Kīhai i roa rawa te nohoanga o Te Rauparaha, ka haere atu ia ki te poroporoaki iho ki a Pēhikōrehu: “Hei konei i tō tāua kāinga, i Kāwhia.” He tuakana karangarua mā teina a Pēhikōrehu ki a Te Rauparaha. Ko Mangatoatoa te kāinga o Pēhikōrehu i tae atu rā a Te Rauparaha.

Heoi, ka mutu iho ngā poroporoaki a Te Rauparaha ki a Pēhikōrehu, mō Kāwhia, kia [ā]ta tiakina e ia, arā, e Pēhi, ka hoki mai anō ia ki Kāwhia.

Noho kau iho ai te kumu o Te Rauparaha ki raro ki te whenua, arā, ki tōna pā, ki Te Arawī, ko Aperahama Te Kawe hoki kua tae mai ki te karere mai: “Ko Waikato tēnei waiho ake e au ka rewa mai, he mano te ope a Waikato, hei whakapae i tō pā, i Te Arawī.” Kua mōhio rawa atu a Te Rauparaha he tika pū ngā kōrero mai a Te Kawe.

Te wehenga o Ngāti Toa i Kāwhia, Hepetema 1821

Hekenga mai o Te Rauparaha

Nō taua rā anō i a Aperahama Te Kawe e kōrero mai rā ki a ia, kātahi ka karangatia nuitia e Te Rauparaha: “Mō te ata tāua ka haere, ka heke; ka wāhi te pā.” Koia anō, koa tonu a Ngāti Toa, te hokowhitu tōpū rā ki roto i tō rātou pā, ki Te Arawī.

Nō te ata ka tū te rā, ka poutūmārō, kātahi ka heke, ka puta atu ki waho o tō rātou pā. Kīhai hoki i tahuri iho ki te tangi, ka mahue rā hoki a Kāwhia, haere tonu i te takutai, i ōna huarahi. Ko ngā tāngata kīhai i kaha te haere, me ngā wāhine, waiho tonu ake i te huarahi takoto ai, nā te matekai hoki, tētehi, i kōhuru.

Haere tonu i taua rā, pō noa. Ka tae atu ki Marokopa, ka waiho tōku whaea i reira, he taimaha i a au — i roto anō koa au i te kōpū e tata ana ki te whānau — me [ē]tahi atu wāhine rangatira o Ngāti Toa, ka mahue iho i Marokopa. Ka haere tonu te hokowhitu rā, me Te Rauparaha hoki. Ehara i mahue ai taku whaea ki reira, he whanaunga anō, nā Pukeroa i pupuri iho ki a ia tiaki ai, i reira anō hoki ētahi o Ngāti Toa.

Haere tonu te hokowhitu o Ngāti Toa rā. Ka tae ki runga o Moeātoa, ki te puke, ka titiro mai ki Kāwhia e takoto mai rā. Kātahi anō ka puta mai te aroha o te kāinga, o Kāwhia. Kātahi ka tangi a Ngāti Toa, rātou ko tō rātou kaumātua, ko Te Rauparaha, me te tai e nguru ana. Me aha te aroha ki tōna oneone ka mahue atu rā, ki tōna ewe i whānau ai?

Otirā, hokowhitu anō te tāne hāpai rākau, arā, mau patu; mā te koroheke nei, mā te wahine, mā te tamariki, ka kotahi ai rau tōpū, hokowhitu tōpū te tūmā o te heke o Te Rauparaha e haere nei.

Nō te mutunga o te tangi, kātahi ka karanga atu a Te Rauparaha ki a Ngāti Toa, “Haere koutou ki a Te Āti Awa, whanga mai ai i a au. Ka hoki au ki te tiki i tāku whāereere, e aroha ana au ki a ia, ki a Te Ākau.”

Ko te ingoa tēnei o taku whaea. Nō Rotorua tēnei wahine. He wahine roa, he āhua pai ki te titiro atu. I moe i a Hape i te tuatahi. Ka mate a Hape, ka haere atu anō a Te Rauparaha i Kāwhia nei ki Rotorua, arā, ki Rotokākahi, ki Motutawa hoki. Ko ngā pā tēnei i noho ai taku whaea, nō ōna tungāne hoki ēnei pā, nō ōna mātua.

Nō te taenga mai o Te Rauparaha ki Motutawa, ka moea nei e ia hei wahine māna. Riri noa ngā tēina o Hape ki a Te Rauparaha mō tā rātou pouaru. Hei aha māna ēnā riri a ēnā tūtūā. Haere ana i a ia te wahine, a Te [Ā]kau.

Heoi anō, ka hoki mai a Te Rauparaha i Moeātoa. Ka tukua atu te nuinga kia haere, ka hoki mai ia. Ko ōna hoa i hoki mai ai, ko tāna tamaiti tupu ake ko Te Rangihoungariri (ko Marore te ingoa o te whaea; ko te tamaiti toa tēnei a Te Rauparaha, hei uri tēnei mōna mehemea i ora, e ai ki tā te kōrero); ko Tāngahoe te tokorua, he tama kēkē ki a ia.

Kātahi ka hoki whakamuri nei anō a Te Rauparaha rātou ko āna tamariki. Haere tonu mai, ka tae mai ki Marokopa, rokohanga mai anō te hanga wahine rā e noho ana, a Te Ākau, a Tiaia, wahine a Pēhi (ko “Pēhi Kupa” ki te Pākehā te ingoa). Whaea o Te Hiko, a Tiaia.

Ka haere mai rātou. Ko rātou ko ngā tāne tokoono, ko Te Rauparaha ka tokowhitu ai rātou ko tana whānau (nō Marokopa ērā tokorima, he tamariki anō nāna, i mahue atu anō i te whakarerenga atu rā o Te Ākau mā). Tokowhitu hoki ngā wāhine, nā Te Ākau i whakatokowhitu. Huihuia rātou kotahi tekau mā whā.

Ngā tinihanga a Te Rauparaha ki te awa o Mōkau, mutunga o 1821

Kātahi ka haere tonu mai i te takutai, i ōna ara. Ka whiti mai i te awa o Awakino, haere tonu mai i te one. Ka tata mai ki te awa o Mōkau, ka noho rātou ko tana whānau ki te ruru mōkī i te awatea, hei whitinga atu i te awa [o] Mōkau.

Ruru nei rātou ko tana whānau i tō rātou mōkī, tērā te taua a Ngāti Maniapoto, a tēnei hapū ki Ngāti Tūmarouri, te haere mai rā i te kōngutu awa o Mōkau. E rua rau o taua taua, kitea rawa ake e Te Rauparaha rātou ko tana whānau kua tata rawa mai te taua.

Kātahi a Te Rauparaha ka whakatakoto i tōna matua, i a Te Ākau mā, arā, i ngā wāhine rā. Ka whakakākahuria ngā kahu waero ki a Te Ākau tētehi, ki a Tiaia tētehi. Ko Hukeumu te ingoa o tētehi o aua kahu waero, ko Te Rarawa tētehi.

Ka tū a Te Ākau rāua ko Tiaia, me tāne nā anō. E noho ana i runga te matua wahine rā. Kotahi te tāne, tokowhitu ngā wāhine, ka tokowaru ai rātou ki tā rātou matua. He ihupuni ō ētahi wāhine. Ka noho rā te tokowaru rā, me tāne nā anō te tū toa me te mataora, me te kamakama o te waha ki te kōrero o te toa.

Tū ake a Te Rauparaha rātou ko te whānau tokoono, i mua rātou o te matua wahine rā. E tū ana me te whaikōrero atu a Te Rauparaha ki a Te Rangihoungariri rāua ko Tāngahoe, ki ētahi atu hoki o āna tamariki: “Kia māia ki tētehi utu mō tātou, kāore he whakaaronga ake ki te ao mārama.” Waiho tonu i roto i a Te Rangihoungariri rāua ko Tāngahoe ngā kupu katoa a tō rāua matua.

He pouwhenua tā Te Rauparaha rākau, he taiaha tā te tama, he paiaka tā Tāngahoe. Heoi, kua tata rawa te taua rā, kua kite mai rā hoki i te kore tangata.

Kātahi ka rere tonu mai ngā toa o te taua rā, arā, a Tūtākaro, ko te rangatira hoki tēnei o taua taua, ko Kārewa tētehi. Kātahi ka whiua e Tūtākaro, ko Tūtahi rāua ko Hurihanga. He whakaputa anake tā ērā rā. Kīhai i pā te patu a Tūtākaro rāua ko Kārewa ki ngā tūpāpaku.

Kātahi ka tomokia tonutia e Te Rauparaha rāua ko te tamaiti, me te tama hoki, me Tāngahoe. Te pekenga ake o Te Rangihoungariri, kei a ia te ika i te ati, ko Tūtākaro. Pekenga ake o te kaumātua, o Te Rauparaha, ko te tatao, ko Kārewa. Te pekenga ake o Tāngahoe, ko te ika whakaotinga.

Kātahi ka mōhio atu te matua wahine rā, ka haere atu a Te Ākau i mua o te matua wahine rā. Koia kau ko te kitenga mai o ngā rau e rua, arā, o Ngāti Tūmarouri, ki te taua wahine nei e oma atu rā me ngā tāne ki mua, me Te Rauparaha rātou ko āna tamariki, kua hinga rā ērā rā te patu, nāna [a]nō i haere noa, ka whati te taua rā.

Kātahi ka patua e te tokoono rā, otirā e Te Rauparaha rāua ko tāna tamaiti ake, Tāngahoe hoki. Takoto rawa iho te parekura a Te Rauparaha rātou ko te whānau kotahi tekau: tokorima a Te Rangihoungariri, tokotoru a Te Rauparaha, tokorua a Tāngahoe. Tukua atu kia whati.