PRIME MINISTER'S TRIBUTE

This was an expression of grief, natural enough at the time. Did it go further? Is this really the present mood of the East Coast? To the visitors it appeared to be partly so. The gloom that still lies over Ngati-Porou, two years after Apirana's death, appeared as a very painful and powerful unspoken tribute to his memory.

The Prime Minister noticed this feeling, too, when he commented on the saying that ‘this was to be the last great hui’, and declared: ‘These gatherings are the Parliament of the Maori people. It would be a great pity if they did not continue. Sir Apirana would wish them to continue. Gatherings like this should continue to be held from time to time, to discuss the affairs of the Maori people.’ He continued: ‘We think of the example Sir Apirana gave of adventurous leadership, and must hope that those who take up his work will not fail in inspiration. We know that his work will live, and we believe that his example will not be forgotten by the young men who must come forward and dedicate themselves—as he did in his youth—to the service of their people.’

After the speeches the official party and some of the prominent people present climbed the little knoll known as Te Patoiti, where the beautifully carved St. Mary's Church stands. It

is a memorial to the men who fought in the First World War, and was opened in 1926. The planner, naturally, was Apirana Ngata. The front of this church is turned away from the Waiapu River, probably because the steepness of the hill makes access to the side facing the river more difficult. Yet the finest view over the whole of the historic valley is from that lower side of the church. The memorial to Sir Apirana has been built on this side, overlooking the river and directly facing his native Waiomatatini. It has a strategic position that was also recognised in bygone ages. The Hauhaus were entrenched on this spot, and were defeated here by Apirana's ancestor, Major Ropata.

The memorial is a simple stone obelisk, on which words are engraved which have the following meaning in English:

This stone was erected by the people in memory of SIR APIRANA NOHOPARI TURUPA NGATA, born on the third of July, 1874, deceased on the 14th of July, 1950. It testifies to the love that was felt for the vine that bound the churches and the tribes of the Maori people together, the pillar on whom Maoridom rested, the guiding star of the people.

‘PUANGA HAS LEFT AN EMPTY PLACE IN THE SKY’

Elder, Farewell.
Father of the Maori Battalions of the two wars,
Go to your ancestors who rest in the world of darkness,
Leave pain and gloom behind you.

A torch of wisdom is chiselled on the stone, and forms the main decoration. Apirana became a leader through his wisdom and learning. He was looked up to for his knowledge, in both Maori and Pakeha fields. So, from its strategic position, this torch of wisdom now overlooks the Waiapu Valley.

Only a chosen few could climb the knoll, Te Patoiti, and have a close view of the dedication service of the memorial. The others stood below, across the road, on the paddock in front of the marae entrance. They watched the splendid robes, the solemn chanting and praying, the delivering of the speeches, the singing of the hymns. They were fascinated by the moving ceremony on the hill, which they could partly follow.

Bishop Panapa conducted the service, and made a short speech, mainly about those possessions in New Zealand which belong to the Maori race, and the Maori race alone. He spoke especially of the Maori language. Then the Very Rev. J. G. Laughton read a lesson from the new Maori Bible.

Sir Apirana had led the committee that made this translation; it had been his last great work of scholarship. This dedication ceremony was the first service at which the new Maori Bible was read.

At the end of the service the group by the church sang the hymn that used to be Sir Apirana's favourite:

‘E te Atua, kua ruia nei o purapura pai.’
‘O God thou hast sown thy good seed’

The sound floated down to the spectators below. The Prime Minister removed the precious cloaks from the obelisk. The party near

the memorial then dispersed. Some stayed by the obelisk, sobbing.

During this meeting at Tikitiki there was little time for the discussion of current problems. These remained in the background, although a few questions, not of fundamental importance, were brought forward.

One request made to the government was for a Maori contingent to go to the Coronation next year. The Prime Minister appeared favourably disposed to this.

Another request was for the sale of Hereheretau station by the Crown to Maori trustees, to administer it for veterans of the First World War. There was some talk during the hui of using the proceeds from the farm, not for direct distribution to the many veterans, but for an ‘Apirana Scholarship Fund,’ to enable Maori students to follow university and post-graduate courses, and also to study overseas. No decision was reached, but the government seemed prepared to consider selling Hereheretau.

After the meal at Tikitiki a long procession of buses, cars and trucks started on the dusty, winding road to Waiomatatini.

This remote place used to be Apirana's home and retreat. Here is the famous ‘Bungalow’ where Apirana, in his richly carved and decorated study, so often—with many friends, in long discussions—thought out his plans and found solution for grave problems. People have a special reverence for the name Waiomatatini. That reverence becomes stronger as they approach the meeting-house Porourangi. Puputa rises directly behind it, a steep hill richly covered in untouched bush. Puputa is just as it was some generations ago; it belongs to the Maori world of old. Apirana is buried here. Porourangi impresses by its power, and by its beauty delights those who come closer.

At Waiomatatini little happened that can be adequately described in a magazine. Some 1500 people arrived from all over the island, including all the special friends and the closer associates of the leader. The ceremony was simple and quiet. The Very Rev. J. G. Laughton gave a long address, in Maori, describing Apirana's life. This address will long be remembered. Hymns were sung by the people, led by a group of clerics, standing in front of the meeting-house. The gravestone was dedicated. In small groups the people slowly climbed to Puputa's top, and paid their respects at the graveside. Groups continued to go up and down until darkness fell, and a meal was served with charming hospitality.

Many of the Parliamentary party stayed at Waiomatatini until late in the evening, among them Mr Corbett and Mr Nash. Those of the people who did not have necessary business to attend to stayed all through the night, listening to many excellent speeches in Apirana's memory.

NGA MIHI A TE OPE

Ka paenga te wahanga ki a Ngatiporou me nga iwi ka tutu mai ko nga kaikorero o te ope o Te Pirimia. Tuatahi tonu ko Tirikatene ka mihi ki nga iwi ka tangi ki tona kaumatua he tangi mana ake, a na tona iwi noa Ngaitahu. I muri iho ko Te Kaiarahi o Te Apitihana ko Te Rt. Hon. Walter Nash. I roto i ana mihi ka puta i a ia te korero a Pihopa Peneti ‘Tangohia ou hu motemea ko te wahi e tu na koe he wahi tapu’. I ki ai a Te Nahi i tenei korero motemea e mohio ana ia i tipu atu i te marae o Rongomaianiwaniwa etahi o nga whakaaro nunui o Apirana mo te iwi Maori na reira he wahi tapu tera ki roto i ona whakaaro. Ka whakapu aroha te whakaminenga he hokinga no nga whakaaro ki nga koha nuinui noa atu a Apirana.

Ka tu ko Te Minita ko Te Kopata a ko tana korero. ‘He mea pai ano me hoki whakamuri o tatou whakaaro ki te hunga i tuku i o ratou tinana, i o ratou hinengaro i o ratou kaha mo o ratou na iwi Pakeha, Maori. Ka kite tatou ko Apirana Ngata te tangata tino rongonui o roto i te iwi Maori, e kore tatou e kite ano i tetahi tangata penei’. Ko te whakaaro nui ra tera o te whakaminenga me te korero hoki ko te hui whakamutunga tera e huihui ai nga mangai o nga iwi o te Motu ki era marae.

TE MIHI A TE PIRIMIA

Ka mutu katoa a ona hoa ka tu ko te Pirimia ko Te Horana ki te whakautu i nga mihi ki tona tinana a ki te whakapuaki hoki i ana tangi a i nga tangi a te Kawanatanga ki to ratou hoa o roto i nga tau ki a Ta Apirana Ngata. Ko tana whakahoki ki te nguha a nga iwi ko to ratou whakaaro koia ra te hui nui whakamutunga o te Motu i penei na, ‘Ko nga hui penei te Paremata o te iwi Maori’. Ko te whakahoki a Te Pirimia ki te tono a Pahau Milner me whakaaro te Kawanatanga ki te tuku i tetahi ope Maori ki te karaunatanga o Te Kuini pera ano i te haerenga ra ki te Karaunatanga i tona tipuna i a Eruera VII ka mea ia, he korero tinihanga ra, e mataku ana ia ki te whakaae ki taua tono kei haere taua ope ka hakaina ko ‘Purari Paka’ ka mau ki te herehere ka tau te whakama ki te Kawanatanga. Ahakoa ra kaore ia i te wareware ki te iwi Maori kaore e pera rawa te tokomaha o te ope me tera i haere ra ki te karaunatanga o te tipuna engari ka haere he Maori i roto i te ope o Niu Tireni.

Ka mutu nga manaaki ka piki te Pirimia ratou ko tona ope ki te puke o Patoiti e tu mai ra te Whare Karakia whakairo whakamaharatanga a Ngatiporou ki ona tamariki i hinga atu ki te Pakanga nui, 1914–18, ko ia nei tetahi o nga whare a Apirana. Ko muri o taua whare kei te anga ki Waiapu a kei reira te Pohatu whakamaumaharatanga a Ngatiporou ki to ratou matua ki a Ta Apirana Ngata. Ka mutu te tunnga pai, marakerake ana tana titiro ki te ngutuawa o Waiapu ki nga parae o te riu o Waiapu, ki Te Awanui, ki Waiomatatini nga wahi i arohatia ai e tona ngakau. Kei raro iho tona pohatu i Pukemaire te pa i hinga ai i tona tipuna i a Nehe Ropata Wahawaha te Hauhau.

Ko Te Pohatu a Ngatiporou ina noa ake a ko nga kupu Maori kei runga e mau ana anei na:

VITAL TEAM-WORK

The committee was a representative one, and much is owed to all its members. Sir Apirana himself was the first to admit that team-work and the pooling of experiences were of vital importance in such an undertaking. Subsequently, Mr Pei Te Hurinui Jones was co-opted as a member of the committee. A Maori linguist, and an authority on Maori lore and history, he represented the Tainui dialect, in which the Old Testament of the Maori Bible was written by men like Dr Maunsell.

Arising out of the same conference, two further resolutions should be noted here and quoted in full. These should dispel all the criticism and misunderstanding which arose from different quarters during the course of our work. The first resolution was moved by the Right Rev. the Bishop of Aotearoa, seconded by the Rev. Eru Te Tuhi, and agreed to:

‘That this committee is of the opinion that the Very Rev. J. G. Laughton, Superintendent of the Maori Missions of the Presbyterian Church, should be sent to London to see the revision of the Maori Bible through the press, and further, that, if the British and Foreign Bible Society approve of this proposal, the authorities of the Presbyterian Church be asked to release him from his present duties for the necessary time.’

In the second resolution it was laid down that:

‘This committee, convened in the Frederic Wallis House, Lower Hutt, in connection with the revision and re-publication of the Maori Bible, puts on record its conception of the task to which the committee, as being the production of the most perfect edition of the Maori Bible within the capacity of its members, by the removal of all typographical errors, by the clearing up of obscure passages in the text, and by casting the same in characteristic Maori idiom where desirable, the English Authorised Version of the Bible and the Maori translation thereof, being the basis from which the committee works. For clearing up difficulties in the text, the committee recommends to its members the use of the English Revised Version, and also to have recourse to the original Hebrew and Greek, Dr Moffatt's translation being used as a guide if thought desirable.’

Thus authorised and armed for its great assignment, the committee settled down at once to its own methods of procedure in carrying out this great work. From the outset three great principles were laid down for the general guidance of the committee:

1.	Every decision made to amend, alter, or add to the text in the process of improving or clearing up, as laid down in our charter, must be the decision of the whole committee.
2.	The original dialect or dialects in which the Maori Bible was first written must not be tampered with, but remain paramount.
3.	The actual sittings of the committee in its revision work to be of one week's duration, and to be held in open forum, in all important Maori centres, in rotation.

There was quite a flutter in Northland and other sections of the Maori community about the new revision. Some made the rather worn objection that what was good enough for our fathers was good enough for us. However, there was a real concern that the original dialect would be changed, and the literary merits of the old Bible would be replaced by a conglomeration of all the dialects represented by the members on the committee. Canon Wiremu Keretene wrote a touching letter from the Bay of Islands to a member of the committee, saying: ‘I have just concluded my lament over the passing of the dialect of our fathers: so let it be, you and I can at least give it a decent burial.’ The decision not to tamper with the original dialect or dialects, however, was very satisfying to our people in the north.

MET IN PUBLIC

The idea of holding sittings in meeting-houses, or places accessible to the public, proved to be an excellent one. It gave our people the opportunity of listening in, and of making some contribution to the work of revision. Further-

more, it gave the new edition of the Maori Bible the necessary publicity, to the extent that it was being discussed through the whole Island. Critics who voiced their opinions from afar, and were not interested enough to attend in person one of the many sessions held all over the country, were condemned out of their own mouths. Our experience was that anyone with a real contribution to make did come, and was entirely satisfied, whether his suggestion was adopted or not. Looking back on this self-imposed procedure, I know it certainly entailed more work, and took up much more time. But I feel strongly that none of us on the committee would have had it otherwise. It gave complete satisfaction to ourselves and the Maori people as a whole.

The work proceeded apace, according to schedule. By the year ended November 30, 1947, the society was able to report as follows:

‘The revision committee has gone on steadily with the task, and the typescript of the revised New Testament is now in London, and proofs have been promised within the next six months. Work on the Old Testament revision is well forward, and the members of the committee have given a great deal of their time ….’

The committee members were all given an individual share in the task of revision. As a beginning, each member was allocated one book each of the New Testament, and told to carry on his revision verse by verse, in accordance with a few simple rules. Special forms were printed at Bible House, Wellington, according to instructions from the committee. Notes and comments were made on these forms by each reviser. Here is an example of the actual notes of Sir Apirana on the revision of St. Matthew's Gospel:

Notes on Maori text

In.	Insert
Del.	Delete
Re.	Recast as in revision
Ref.	Refer to
Sub.	Substitute
Trn.	Transliteration
A.V.	Authorised Ver. (E)
R.V.	Revised Ver. (E)
87	Maori 1887
H.W.	Maori 1925
W.D5	Williams Dict. 5 Edit.
Ngi	Ngapuhi

matiu

Chap.	Ver.	L.	Note
1	1	1	In Ko at beginning of verse.
	3	2	Del., after Tamara
	5	2	Del., after Rahapa Bishop Panapa meeting the people of Ruatoki (November, 1951).
	5	3	Del., after Rutu
	6	2	Alter cap W to w
	6	3	Del., after Uria
	8	3	Sub. Ohiaha for Utia. Ohiaha in 87 A.V. Ozias. Better transliteration.

These notes were sent to our typists, who retyped the entire Maori Bible according to the instructions given. Eight copies were taken, so that the proposals made by the revising member could be put before all committee members separately. I shall quote some verses from Matthew I. as they came from the typists' hands.

ko te rongopai ki te ritenga a
matiu
Upoko 1

• Ko te pukapuka o te whakapaparanga o Ihu Karaiti, tama a Rawiri, tama a Aperahama.

• 2 Whanau ake ta Aperahama ko Ihaka; whanau ake ta Ihaka ko Hakopa; whanau ake ta Hakopa ko Hura ratou ko ona tuakana, ko ona teina;

• 8 Whanau ake ta Aha ko Iehohapata; whanau ake ta Iehohapata ko Iorama; whanau ake ta Iorama ko Ohiaha;

• 16 Whanau ake ta Hakopa ko Hohepa, ko te tahu a Meri; whanau ake te Meri ko Ihu, e kiia nei ko te Karaiti.

Upon receiving his copy of the typescript, each member would study the new revision, and make notes for submission to the next session of the full committee. So it may be of interest to readers to know that the final revision of those four verses above after the session of the committee was as follows:

• Ko te pukapuka o te whakapapa o Ihu Karaiti, tama a Rawiri, tama a Aperahama.

• 2 Na Aperahama ko Ihaka; na Ihaka ko Hakopa; na Hakopa ko Hura ratou ko ona tuakana, ko ona teina;

• 8 Na Aha ko Iehohapata; na Iehohapata ko Iorama; na Iorama ko Ohiaha;

• 16 Na Hakopa ko Hohepa, ko te tahu a Meri; whanau ake ta Meri ko Ihu, e kiia nei ko te Karaiti.

My own suggestions on these verses, finally adopted by the full committee, reads: ‘It is worth while going back to the original, as in the 1844 edition, it is more Maori, simpler, and reads better, while still retaining the implication of “begat”. Actually, the only place where “whanau ake ta” applies is in verse 16, where it can be said that “whanau ake ta Meri ko Ihu”….’

THEY TYPED TO THE FINISH

With our modus operandi clearly set out, this seems a fitting place to pay a tribute to our typists, who did a wonderful job of work right through. We started off with three—Miss Frances Mitchell, of Ohinemutu, Miss Moe Poata and Mrs Tom Kaua, both of Gisborne, who carried on to the finish. Mr Bird always spoke at our meetings of the good work of the girls, and moved a vote of thanks in appreciation of their labours. But on more than one occasion there was a smile on Sir Apirana's face, when his own typing measured up (as he put it) to that of the girls. He did the major part of the typing himself in the beginning, and all through he saw to it that enough typescripts were available to carry on. Members will not easily forget our session in ‘The Bungalow’ at Waiomatatini, when the soft clatter of the typewriter was heard up to two o'clock in the morning. Sir Apirana was seeing to it that we had enough script to last out the session there. But that does not in the least detract from the fine performance put up by these good ladies.

Was the revision of the Maori Bible fully justified? If so in what way? Busy men like Sir Apirana, John Laughton, Bishop Bennett, Eru Te Tuhi, and so on, giving over three years to such a task, should be sufficient answer to the question. In varying degrees we were all busy men. One can only give some of the more salient points which made the work of revision very satisfying. There were, of course, verses throughout the older version which seem to miss the point altogether. To take a very simple example there is the oft-quoted phrase, more used than any other at a Maori tangi. ‘Ta koutou i tenei ao he matemate, otira kia maia, kua taea hoki e ahau te ao.’ Translate that back to English you get: ‘Your lot in this world is (simply) to die, but be of good cheer, etc.’ That seems far removed from the English version, ‘In the world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer, etc.’ We made the slightest alteration here by changing the word mate-mate into mamate (misfortune) but what a difference! It now reads: ‘Ko te koutou i tenei ao he mamate (misfortune) etc.’, which any Maori scholar will appreciate to the full.

PART FOR A PARTICLE

One thing which afforded the committee much pleasure was the restoration to the Maori Bible of the use of the specific particle ‘ko’. Right from the beginning, Mr Bird insisted that ‘ko’ should be restored to its rightful place, not only from the grammatical standpoint, but because it is the correct Maori. And so we started off with the title, ‘Ko te Paipera Tapu,’ and inside the title page, ‘Ko te Paipera Tapu ara ko te Kawenata Tawhito me Kawenata Hou.’ Anyone looking at that quite dispassionately would agree with us that it meant more than the mere restoration of a particle, but the restoration of the old dignity of the Maori Bible. And so the work went on, adding ‘ko’ to the title of all the books of the Old and New Testaments, and the text of the Bible itself. One recollects the innumerable ‘ko's' added in one morning's sitting of the committee which brought forth the remark that it must have been dropped as a measure of economy in the printing! Unworthy thought! But when the particle was dropped, and why, are two questions to which we have not been able to give an answer.

But we found that our main quarrel with the former version was in the lack of emphasis, or, in countless instances, misplaced emphasis. I suppose that is a besetting sin in any work of translation. In the process of transferring the thought from one tongue to the other, invariably the emphasis is lost or misplaced. That was the case with our Maori Bible. The corrected version more often than not consisted simply of the same words arranged in a different order.

Let us look in for a moment at a full meeting of the revision committee. The tables are covered with books—all the authorities, dictionaries, concordance and so forth. Each member has a typed carbon copy of the particular portion under review. One member is reading aloud from his script, and enjoying it because it is all in his dialect. Eru Te Tuhi has the 1925 edition before him, and notes any departure

therefrom, however slight. Dan Kaa revels in his Hebrew text, and usually starts an argument somehow, but has to be reminded that it is the Maori Bible that is under revision. Manu (Mr Bird) has his beloved Authorised Version in hand, with its beautiful English. The Bishop keeps a close check on everything, with his eyes on the 1887 edition. The chairman, who holds the master copy, concentrates on his script for any correction or change, but at the same time keeps the Revised Version ever before him, in order that he may appreciate the new revision that is being read out aloud. Sir Apirana's alert mind hovers over all. If he is not taking the reading, he may be humming an old Maori waiata, seeking for the one word required in a certain context.

THE FINAL TEST

Were there any serious arguments? Plenty. On two occasions we had recourse to Professor Knight for his opinion, which he gave willingly, much to the appreciation of the committee. Perhaps it is too much to expect seven ordinary men to be otherwise. But there was not a single thing that we did not all agree to in the end, and our fellowship together was something we shall never forget.

The practice of reading aloud was a very important factor in our work. It was the final test we imposed on the work of revision: how did it sound in our Maori ears? After we had had a full discussion as to meaning, emphasis, grammar, punctuation, it was read aloud. That was the final test. Maoris have great ears for understanding the spoken word, great ears for the music and subtleties of unwritten language. This is one of the things ingrained into their very being for centuries, through sitting on the marae, and hearing real oratory spoken by their elders. It must be realised that the Maori language was, and still is a language for speech-making. It is essentially a speaking language. And one of the chief aims of the committee was to try and put back into the Maori Bible something of the sweet musical tone and cadence, rhythm and poetry of the Maori language.

FULFILMENT

On March 20, 1950, after the rangiatea centennial celebrations at Otaki, we held our last meeting at Bible House, Wellington. Our work of revision had been completed a week before Christmas, 1949, at a final meeting at Ohope, Whakatane. But at last, the headquarters of the society, in London, was ready for Mr and Mrs Laughton to come over and start on the work of publication. Other than the business of passing and adopting the balance sheet, we had come together to farewell them both before they went overseas. Our hearts and prayers went out to them, as we realised only too well the very exacting work to which they were committed, the many weary days and nights of mere proofreading, with all its monotony and eye-strain. At last in June, 1952, the first copies of the new Bible arrived in New Zealand. Before this article is printed the general edition will be on sale in this country.

In conclusion, one cannot do better than again quote from the Chairman's report:

No edition of the Maori Bible since the first has been looked forward to with such eagerness as that at present being prepared. Maori minds and money and devotion are being given to it. In a new sense it will be the Maori Bible. Some of the funds subscribed have come from groups of Sunday School and public school children. These are tokens which hearten the members of the committee in their labours, which often call for long and concentrated research regarding the meaning of a single word, or the right turn of a single phrase. It is for the generation which these children represent that the members gladly apply themselves to their heavy assignment, that the word of God may come to them and to the generations after them, clear as crystal, and sweet as the water of life, through the medium of their mother tongue.

WAIRANGI
he tipuna no ngati-raukawa

Ko tenei tangata ko Wairangi no Ngati Raukawa. Ko tona kainga ko Rurunui i te takiwa o Wharepuhunga. Nga wahine a Wairangi tokorua ko Parewhete, ko Puroku. I a Wairangi e ngaro ana i Kawhia, ka tae mai tetehi tangata rangatira o Ngati Maru, ko Tupeteka te ingoa, he whanaunga ki a Parewhete. Ka noho manuhiri te tangata nei i Rurunui. E rua nga po e noho ana i te kainga, i te ata ka titiro atu a Puroku a piri ana to kakowai i te paparinga o Tupeteka, no Parewhete. Kua mohio a Puroku kua taea te wahine ra e Tupeteka. Ka hoki a Tupeteka ki tona kainga ki Te Aea. I muri tonu i a ia ka tae mai a Wairangi. Ka korerotia e Puroku, ‘Ko to wahine kua hara ki tetehi tangata, ko Tupeteka te ingoa. I kitea e au ki te kokowai o Parewhete e piri ana i te paparinga o Tupeteka.’ Katahi ka riri a Wairangi ka patua e ia a Parewhete. I te po ka oma a Parewhete; haria ana e ia etehi kokowai; ka haere tonu i te huarahi o Tupeteka; ka tae ki tetehi mania, ka pania te kokowai ki te awa o Waikato, ka pukaia iho tetehi o nga kakahu, ka haria etehi. Ka whiti ki tera taha o Waikato, haere tonu. Ka tuhia tetechi kokowai ke te pari ki Parikarangaranga, kei te takiwa o Turangamoana. Ka whiti i Waihou ka tae ki Te Aea. Ka moe i tana tane i a Tupeteka. Ka kimi te iwi nei a Ngati Raukawa i a Parewhete, na ka haere etehi i te ara o Parewhete, ka haere noa atu etehi. Ka kitea te manuka i pania ki te kokowai—Te Manukatutahi. Haere tonu Ka tae ki Aniwaniwa ka kitea nga kakahu. Ka mohiotia kua riro ki Te Aea ki te takiwa o Te Aroha. Ka hoki era ki Rurunui, ka korerotia atu ki te iwi, ki a Wairangi hoki, ‘Kua riro a Parewhete ki Te Aea, i kitea e matou ki te kokowai, ki nga kakahu.’

Huihui tonu iho a Ngati Raukawa, ka rupeke. Ko nga tangata kei roto i te iwi ko Tamatehura, muri iho ko Wairangi muri iho ko Upokoiti a muri rawa ko Pipito. Ko te nui o te iwi nei, hokowhitu. Ko te rakau a te iwi ra, he patu paraoa he meremere, he patu kowhatu, me a ratou patu roroa, he tewhatewha,

 

WAIRANGI
an ancestor of ngati raukawa

Collected and Translated by Te Rangihiroa, m.b., ch.b., m.p., from Hitiri te Paerata and others

Now this man, Wairangi, belonged to Ngati Raukawa. His home was at Rurunui, in the district of Wharepuhunga.^* Wairangi had two wives, Parewhete and Puroku. Whilst Wairangi was absent at Kawhia there arrived a certain man of rank of the Ngati Maru tribe, Tupeteka by name, and he was kin to Parewhete. This man remained as a guest at Rurunui. Having stayed two nights at the village, in the morning, when Puroku glanced at him, she noticed adhering to the cheek of Tupeteka some red ochre which came from (the face of) Parewhete. Then Puroku knew that that woman had yielded to Tupeteka. Tupeteka returned to his home at Te Aea. Immediately after his departure Wairangi arrived. Puroku told him, ‘Your wife has committed sin with a man named Tupeteka. I knew it by Parewhete's red ochre adhering to the cheek of Tupeteka.’ Then Wairangi became angry and he beat Parewhete.

In the night Parewhete fled, taking with her some red ochre. She fled along the path taken by Tupeteka. When she came to a plain she painted some of the ochre upon a manuka, hence the name Manukatutahi. On she went until she came to Aniwaniwa, ^† on the Waikato River, where she left one of her cloaks, taking the others with her. She crossed to the other side of the Waikato and went on. She painted some more red ochre upon a clift at Pari-karangaranga, in the district of Turangamoana ^‡; she crossed the river Waihou and reached Te Aea. There she married Tupeteka.

The Ngati Raukawa people searched for Parewhete, and some followed the path taken

 

 

he taiaha, he pouwhenua, he koikoi me era atu rakau. Katahi ka haere ki Te Aea.

Kua mohio te iwi o Te Aea tera a Ngati Raukawa e haere atu. Ka taka te whakaaro i a Tupeteka kia hanga he whare hei kohuru. Te teanga atu o Ngati Raukawa kua oti te whare, he wharau; i hanga ki te tahatika o Waihou i raro iho o te pa nei o Te Aea. Ka whaona te wharau nei e te hokowhitu ra. Ko Wairangi te tangata whakamutunga ki te tomo i te whare. Ka titiro a Wairangi, ko nga poupou o te whare he kohurihuri kahikatea. Katahi ka rere a Wairangi ki te tute i te whare, kore rawa i ngaoko. Katahi ia ka whai kupu, ‘He whare kohuru tenei!’ Ko te tohu tuatahi tenei i mohio ai a Wairangi, he kohuru te mahi a te iwi ra.

Te nohoanga o te hokowhitu nei i roto i te whare, ka tukua e te pa te karere ki roto o Hauraki kia tikina mai kia patua a Ngati Raukawa. Ka whiu te kai a te tangata whenua, ka haere te iwi ra ki te kai. He kotahi te kumara i roto i te rourou ma nga tangata tokorua. Ka pau, ka noho i to ratou whare. Hi ake te ata, ka hoatu ano he kai ma te iwi ra. He kotahi kumara ma te tangata kotahi. Ka pau, ka noho awatea noa, ahiahi noa. I te ata ka rangona te ngawe o te kuri, e ai te whakaaro, ‘El taihoa, ka whiua te kai nei’. Na kua kitea te amoamo o te tuna kaui. Ka

 

 

by her, whilst others wandered aimlessly about. The manuka painted with red ochre, the Manukatutahi, was found. Going on they came to aniwaniwa and saw the cloak. Then they knew she had gone in the direction of Te Aea, in the district of Te Ahora. They returned to Rurunui and told the tribe and Wairangi also, ‘Parewhete has gone to Te Aea. We know by the red ochre and the clothing that we found.’

Ngati Raukawa immediately gathered together and were all assembled. The men (of importance) amongst people were Tamatehura, then Wairangi, then Upokoiti, and youngest (of the brethren), Pipito. The number of the people (selected) was one hundred and forty. The weapons they were armed with were whalebone, greenstone, and ordinary stone clubs, whilst the longer ones were tewhatewhas, taiahas, pouwhenuas, spears, and other weapons. Then they set out for Te Aea.

The people of Te Aea knew that Ngati Raukawa would visit them. The thought occurred to Tupeteka to build a house for murdering (them in). When Ngati Raukawa arrived the house had been completed—a wharau which was built upon the flat land beside the Waihou River and below the pa of Te Aea. The party of one hundred and forty men entered this house. Wairangi was the last man to enter. Wairangi looked and noticed that the side posts supporting the rafters were composed of solid trunks of white pine. Then he threw his weight against the side of the house to shake it, but it never yielded in the slightest. Then he spoke, ‘This is a house for murder.’ This was the first sign by which Wairangi knew that people planned treachery.

When the one hundred and forty men occupied the house, the pa sent a messenger to Hauraki that they should come and kill Ngati Raukawa. The home people prepared food and the visitors went to partake thereof. There was one small round basket containing one kumara, to two men. When their food was eaten they rested in this house. In the morning more food was given to these people. There was one kumara to each man. When it was eaten they sat on through the forenoon until night. Next morning there was heard the howling of dogs, and their thought was, ‘Ah, by and by, a feast will be given’. Then they saw dried eels being carried (on a pole held horizontally over the shoulders of two men). They were seen emerging from one side of the pa, going towards the other side of the pa, and turning behind the houses. Then they were seen again and disappeared again, and the visitors said, ‘There are two carryings of fish’. They appeared several times, though in reality they

 

 

kitea kua puta i tetehi taha o te pa, kua haere whakatetehi taha o te pa ka huri ki tua o nga whare. Na ka puta ano ka huri ano, kua ki te ope ra ‘E rua nga amo ika’. He maha nga putanga; kaore ia ko aua tuna ano, engari he tangata ke nana i amo i tena putanga, i tena putanga. Ko nga kuri he mea patu kia ngawe, kahore i patua kia mate. He mahi nei he pupuri i a Ngati Raukawa kia tae ake te ope patu i a ratou.

Ka haere ka ahiahi kua tae mai te tangata o Hauraki, kua korero, ‘Kiki tonu a Waihou i nga waka o nga iwi o Hauraki. Kei te ata ka eke mai ka patu.’ Heoi ano, ka rongo a Pare-whete i te korero ra, katahi ka puta te aroha o te wahine ra ki a Wairangi me tona iwi. Katahi ka heke iho, ka tae mai ki a Ngati Raukawa. Katahi ka tangi, ka tangi hoki a Wairangi me Ngati Raukawa katoa. Ka mutu te tangitu a te wahine ra katahi ka tapapa atu ki runga i nga turi o Wairangi, ka haehae i nga ringa ki te mata kia heke iho ai te toto ki runga i a Wairangi, kia tapu ai i ana toto, kia kore e kainga. E haehae ana ko ana kupu enei:

He aha koe i haere mai
I te rourou iti a Haere,
Te noho atu ai koe
I te tokanga nui a Noho.

Ka mutu te tangi a te wahine ra, ka hoki. I whakarongo a Wairangi ki nga kupu o te tangi a Parewhete, ko te tohu tuarua tenei i tae mai ki a ia. Ka rapu te iwi ra, kitea iho e ta ratou rapu, he kohuru. Katahi ka tukuna ta ratou taurekareka kia haere i roto i te iwi o Tupeteka e whawhati rautao ana, e kohi kowhatu ana mo te hakari. Haere ana te tangata ra, uru ana a ia ki roto ki te hunga whawhati rautao, a e mahi tahi ana. Kaore i roa e mahi haere ana kua patai ia ki te hoa, ‘Mo awhea ra te whiu kai nei ma Ngati Raukawa?’ Ka kiia atu, ‘E tatari ana kia tae ake te ope, kei te hoe ake i roto o Waihou. Ka tae ake ka patua a Ngati Raukawa. Ma tera ke te kai e mahia nei, ma Ngati Maru.’ ‘Na, hei awhea ra te tae mai ai kia hohoro ai te patu iho i enei, i a Ngati Raukawa?’ Ka ki mai te hoa, ‘Kei te ata po, ka eke, ka patua.’ Katahi ka wehe haere te taurekareka nei ka hoki, kua po hoki. Ka tae ki a Ngati Raukawa ka korerotia, ‘Kei te ata ka huaki. Ko te kai e mahia mai nei ma tera ke ma Ngati Maru.’

I roa te iwi nei e nohopuku ana kaore he hamumu, kaore he aha. Roa rawa kua tu a Tama-te-hura ki runga, ka ki, ‘Me haka’. Ka whakatika mai a Wairangi ka whakaae; muri iho ko Upokoiti, muri iho ko Pipito. Whakaae katoa me haka. Ka tu a Tamatehura, ka whakahua i te haka:

 

 

were the same fish, but different men carried them on each re-appearance. The dogs were beaten to make them howl; they were not killed. This was for the purpose of keeping the Ngati Raukawa until the war-party to kill them arrived.

As it approached evening the man from Hauraki returned and said, ‘The Waihou River is crowded with the canoes of the people of Hauraki. In the morning they will arrive and attack.’ Then it was that Parewhete heard these words, and her love revived for Wai rangi and his people. Then she descended and came to the Ngati Raukawa. She wept, and Wairangi and all Ngati Raukawa wept also. When the woman had finished her crying standing, she came over to Wairangi and leant across his knees, cutting her arms with obsidian flakes so that the blood would trickle down upon Wairangi and render him sacred that he might not be eaten. As she cut her flesh, these were her words:

Oh, why didst thou come
With the small basket of the Traveller,
But rather stay away
With the large basket of Stay-at-home.

When the woman had finished weeping she went back. Wairangi had listened to the words of the lament of Parewhete, and this was the second sign that he received. The people consulted, and as a result of their consultation suspected treachery. Then they sent their slave to go amongst the people of Tupeteka, who were gathering ferns and stones for the hangis (ovens) for the feast. The slave was not working very long before he asked his neighbour, ‘When will the feast be given to Ngati Raukawa?’ He was answered, ‘We are waiting for the party which is paddling up the Waihou River. When they arrive the Ngati Raukawa will be killed. The feast we are preparing is for them, the Ngati Maru.’ ‘Ah, and when will they arrive so that we may speedily destroy these Ngati Raukawa?’ The other replied, ‘In the early morning they will arrive and attack.’ Then the slave gradually worked away and went back, for it had become dark.

When he got back to the Ngati Raukawa he told them, ‘In the morning they attack. This feast that is being prepared is for the others, for Ngati Maru.’

For a considerable time the people remained silent; they never spoke and they never stirred. After some time Tamatehura stood up and cried, ‘Let us (beguile them) with a haka.’ Wairangi stood up and consented, and then Upokoiti and Pipito. All agreed that they should dance hakas. Then arose Tamatehura and repeated a haka:

 

 

Puhi kura, puhi kura, puhi kaka
Ka whakatautapa ki Kawhia
Huakina, huakina.

Ka ki tera, hei tana ka huaki. Ka noho ki raro. Kei runga ko Upokoiti, ka whakahua i tana haka:

Ko Te Aea o ia rangi e
Ko Te Aea o ia rangi hui ake
Ko Te Aea o ia rangi.

Ka ki hei tana ka huaki. Ko Pipito, ka whakahua i tana haka:

Ka whakakopura rua a Rangi-hape,
Teina o Tupeteka, e
Huakina, huakina.

Ka tohe hei tana ka huaki. Katahi ka tu ko Wairangi ka whakahua:

Tahi ka riri, toru ka wha
E matamata hopukia
Homai ra to whiri kaha, toro kaha
Kia wetewetea, wetewetea
A te, a ta, a tau.

Ka whakaaetia e te iwi hei ta Wairangi ka huaki. Ka tukuna e Wairangi tana taurekareka ki a Parewhete kia piki ki runga i te tuanui o tana whare i te ata, kia kore ai e patua. Ko te koha tenei a Wairangi ki tana wahine. Tae ana te taurekareka, hoki mai ana.

Ka akona nga haka e te hokowhitu tae noa ki te hahaetanga o te ata. Katahi ka whakaputaina. Hokowhitu, e whitu ano nga kapa. Ka tika te haka i waho o te whare, ka timata te takahi me te aue noa iho. Te rangonga o te iwi o te pa i te haruru, ka oma iho ki te matakitaki haka. Katahi ka puta a Tamatehura, ka

 

 

Red feather, red feather, feather of kaka.
The battle will rage towards Kawhia.
Attack! Attack!

He said his haka should be the signal to attack. He sat down. Then arose Upokoiti and recited his haka:

It is Te Aea of every-day (fame), ah,
It is Te Aea of every-day fame, we meet together,
At Te Aea of every-day fame.

He said at his haka they should attack. Then Pipito arose and recited his haka:

Defeated (?) will be Rangi-hape,
Younger brother of Tupeteka, O!
Of Tupeteka, O! Of Tupeteka.
Attack! Attack!

He demanded that the attack be made at his haka. Then Wairangi arose and recited:

At the first comes the battle, the third and the fourth,
Oh grasp (their) spear points.
Give us your strong rope, your strong snare
To be unfastened, (to be) torn apart.
A te! A ta! A tau!

The people agreed that Wairangi's haka should be the signal for attack. Wairangi sent his slave to Parewhete to tell her to climb on to the roof of her house in the morning, so that she would not be killed. This was Wairangi's token of regard for his wife. The slave accomplished his object and returned.

The hakas were practised by the one hundred and forty until the breaking of dawn. Then they went outside. The one hundred and forty were drawn up in seven ranks. When the ranks were dressed correctly outside of their house, they began to tramp and to make a noise. When the people of the pa heard the thud of feet they rushed down to view the haka. Then out sprang Tamatehura to the front with loud yells, grimacing at the heavens above and at the earth beneath. Out (of his house) came Tupeteka and sat with Parewhete upon his raised platform of state. He saw Tamatehura with eyeballs protruding upwards and then downwards. He asked Parewhete, ‘Is that your husband?’ the woman replied ‘No’. Tamatehura was the director of all the hakas. When Tamatehura had finished his haka, out sprang Upokoiti and led his haka, ‘It is Te Aea of everyday fame’. Again Tupeteka asked, ‘Is that your husband?’ The answer came, ‘He is not’. Then appeared Pipito. Again Tupeteka asked, ‘Is that your husband?’ Again the woman answered, ‘He has not yet come out.’ When Pipito's haka had ended, then came the appearance of Wairangi. When he emerged from the house his eyes were so large and bright, that, as the star Kopu is in the

 

 

hamama te waha, ka pukana ake ki te rangi, ka pukana iho ki te whenua. Kua puta a Tupeteka noho ana i runga i tana atamira raua tahi ko Parewhete. Ka kite i a Tamatehura e mawhiti ana nga karu i runga i raro. Ka patai ki a Parewhete, ‘Ko to tane tera?’ Ka kiia atu e te wahine, ‘E hara’. Ko Tamatehura te kai whakahau i nga haka katoa. Ka mutu te haka a Tamatehura, ka puta ko Upokoiti, e tataki ana i tana haka, ‘Ko Te Aea o ia Rangi’. Ka patai ano a Tupeteka, ‘Ko to tane tera?’ Ka whakahokia mai, ‘E hara’. Ka puta ko Pipito. Ka patai ano a Tupeteka, ‘Ko to tane tera?’ Ka ki atu ano te wahine, ‘Kahore ano kia puta’. Te mutunga o te haka a Pipito, ko te putanga o Wairangi. Te putanga mai i te whare e mawhiti ana nga karu, ko Kopu ki te rangi, ko Wairangi ki raro ki te whenua. Ka rere ano te patai, ‘Ko to tane tera?’ Ka whakahokia e te wahine, ‘Ae! koia tera’. Katahi ka haere iho a Tupeteka, me tana wawae haere i te tangata, a ka puta ki mua tonu ki e aroaro o te haka. Takoto tiraha ana i reira ki te matakitaki. Ka tahi ka timataria e Wairangi.

‘Tahi ka riri, toru ka wha.’ Ko nga patu poto a te hokowhitu nei i huna ki muri i nga tuara, i titia iho ki roto i nga tatua kotara. Te taenga ki nga kupu whakamutunga o te haka a Wairangi ‘A te’—kua mau nga ringa ki nga patu, ‘a ta’, kua maunu mai—a tau, kua huaki te ope, kua patu i te tangata. Te tangata tuatahi tonu ko Tupeteka, i mate i a Wairangi. Ka patua te iwi o Te Aea, ka hinga tera pa i te ope a Wairangi. Ko etehi i patua ki roto i te wai. Ko nga rauwhare me nga wawa i rukea ki roto i te awa. E toru nga piko e toe ana, ka eke eke ai te iwi o Hauraki. Ka tutaki i te toto, i te rauwhare, i te wawa o te pa, kua mohio kua hinga te pa, ka whati.

Ko Parewhete i piki ki runga ki te tuanui o te whare, ka ora. Ka riro mai i a Wairangi tana wahine, ka hoki ki tona kainga ki Rurunui.

 

heavens, so was Wairangi below on the earth. Again the question flew, ‘Is that your husband?’ Back came the answer from the woman, ‘Yes, that is he.’ Then Tupeteka descended, and thrusting aside the crowds of people, he came quite close to the front of the (ranks of the) haka. Here he lay down upon his back to watch. Then Wairangi began:

‘The first is for battle, the third and the fourth.’ Now the one hundred and forty men held their short clubs concealed behind their backs, stuck in their war belts. When they came to the concluding words of Wairangi's haka—‘a te’—their hands grasped their clubs; ‘a ta’—the clubs were drawn forth; ‘a tau’—the party attacked and began to kill. The first man to be slain was Tupeteka, who was killed by Wairangi. The people of Te Aea were killed and that pa was taken by the force of Wairangi. Some were slain in the water. The thatch and rushes from the houses were thrown into the river. Three bends of the river remained ere the forces from Hauraki would arrive. They met the blood, the thatch, and rushes from the pa (drifting down), and knowing the pa had fallen, they fled.

Parewhete had climbed upon the roof of her house and was saved. Thus Wairangi regained his wife and returned to his home at Rurunui.

From Vol. XIX, No. 4,

Journal of the Polynesian Society.

A custom practised by the Maori people to revive persons apparently drowned was recently found most efficacious.

The Maori custom is to hang the drowned person by the heels with the head down, and just clear of a fire, from which the smoke can circulate freely to the drowned person. It was recently tried on a child in the far south, and was successful.

MARAE IN MODERN DRESS

‘A reasonably equipped marae,’ said Sir Apirana at Raukawa Pa, ‘must necessarily include the assembly place as the central feature, and also provide up-to-date amenities such as dining-place, sanitary conveniences and water supply. There must also be some beautification, as that is an important psychological factor. Sports grounds for the youth of the race must also be provided.’

These ideas are of course not traditional, but modern. They are a proof that the Maori is not content to follow the past but has adapted useful pakeha ideas freely in his own tribal life. The building of dining-halls started late last century, but the first ones were earthen-floored affairs, without any ornamentation, intended just to keep the weather out. The Lady Arihia Ngata Memorial Hall, at Waiomatatini, was the first ornamental dining-hall. It was washed away when the Waiomatatini Creek flooded. Many more were built all over the country; the dining-hall became the social hall for dances and every sort of informal gathering. The meeting-house is now mainly a ceremonial and a sleeping hall. The dining-hall gets over the problem of tapu. In many meeting-houses dances and suchlike functions are still not held for fear of violating tapu.

The dining-hall is now the most indispensable building of a marae. Many smaller communities now tend to build their dining-halls before they have meeting-houses. This is an interesting new development.

The Maori Social and Economic Advancement Act has given a tremendous impetus to the building of dining-halls. Many dozens of such halls have been subsidised and built during the last few years, and Maori community life has been given a great new stimulus in this way.

Turangawaewae marae (Ngaruawahia), was the first properly laid out marae on a big scale, followed shortly after by Poho o Rawiri (Gisborne). On such maraes one finds lawns, shrubbery, sports fields, tennis courts and so on. Sanitary facilities are also essential; these had come to many maraes before this time: it had been one of the functions of the Maori councils to have these installed. Whenever new buildings are put up nowadays, the Health Department requires proper sanitary facilities.

ASSISTANCE BY THE GOVERNMENT

Since the Act was passed in 1945 over £100,000 has been paid out in subsidies. In the years 1949 and 1950, especially, the applications came in hard and fast, and many projects were started. There is a slight lull now, which is natural after so much activity. The projects were mostly marae buildings—either new work or renovations—but many other marae improvements were also carried out. Sports grounds are a common item. The Ngati Manawa, Koriniti and Peninsula Committees, amongst others, asked for substantial grants to improve their water supplies. Maori arts and crafts work features sometimes in the subsidies, but far more rarely than one would imagine. The emphasis seems to lie on utility most of the time.

The subsidies under the Act are different in nature from those paid to pakeha local bodies. The great difference is that the Act permits subsidies on revenue earned by committees and executives, whereas a pakeha local body has to apply for subsidies on total projects. This does not mean, of course, that subsidies can be paid for projects of which the government does not know and approve. If that were so, the pakeha local bodies would have something to complain about.

PROGRESS BY STAGES

One of the great differences between pakeha and Maori local body work lies in the way it is done. A county or borough lets a contract for a job, and gets it done all at once. A tribal executive or committee, calls on everybody to help in the work; materials are bought, and the work proceeds as men and materials become available. It is a slower method, but a very much cheaper one. If one sees the fine community buildings in sometimes quite small Maori communities one must reflect that such

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