THE MAORI ROYALTY

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 17, 20 January 1940, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE MAORI ROYALTY

XXX. — The Story Of The Waikato dynasty

WHEN we watched and listened to the thrilling tangi ceremonies over King Tawhiao at the foot of Taupiri mountain in 1 894, the mournful chants, the roaring war-dance choruses (dances of old-time, not the prancings they call war dances to-day), the volleys of musketry, the farewell of the tribes to the old Waikato monarch's spirit, the thought came to some of us that this was the farewell also to the dream of an independent Maori kingdom. Certainly tliat year 1594 saw the passing away of much of the ancient inana that had helped to keep the lire of the Maori kingite union burning. But those who thought the passing of the old tattooed monarch marked the flickering out of the patriotic flame were mistaken. There is still a strong national feeling; the Maori kingdom is still a very real entity, and there is no sound reason at all why it should not continue to exist, so long as the Maori has still political wrongs to right, and until the pakelia Governments at last make some substantial attempt to remedy the grievances that are now three-quarters of a century old. The Maori population is increasing at a faster late tlian the European in New Zealand, and that fact in itself is suflicient encouragement and justification for the Waikato and allied tril>es clinging to the fine traditions of the past and reviving, as they are doing at Ngaruawahia under that splendid woman who is their greatheart and strong right hahd to-day, To Puea Herangi. Te Puea is rightly styled Princess. She is a great granddaughter of the first Maori king, Potatau Te Whcrowhero, and granddaughter of Tawhiao. Her lines of noble ancestry link her up with a score of large tribes, all the principal tribes in this island in fact. But she

By--James CoWan

prefers to support the old Maori tradition of warrior and chieftain rule, and she is a loyal and enthusiastic worker for the perpetuation of the kingship that was set up in the Waikato more than eighty years ago. Koroki, the present head of the Waikato dynasty, a dignified figure who prefers that others should be his mouthpiece, in accordance with tradition, is a kinsman who she delights to honour. The beautiful building in the old Maori style at Xgar Hawaii ia and the model kianga not alone do honour to the descendant of a hundred great names, but arc an inspiration to all the Maori people. Through licr labours, much of the old Maori life is reconstructed as a pattern for the tribes elsewhere; and Xgaruawahia is of all places the most suitable for that revival, with the beautiful river to murmur to those who have the ear to hear the heroic stories of the past. The Kingitanga, otherwise the Kotahitanga, exists to-day becauso it is the forefront of efforts to obtain redress for acts of injustice in the past, and all its griefs and all its hopes arc centred in the land.. There was not tliat landlessness in the fifties, when the kingdom was planned. This, briefly from the accounts given to the present writer by some of the old leaders of Maori nationalism, is the manner in which, the Potatau family became the royal dynasty. Tamehana t-j Kauparalia, after a voyage to England under missionary auspices, pondered long over the question of the good government of the Maoris, and came to the belief that they would be bene'fited by the setting up of a king of their own. Every people had a king or queen of their

own. . When he returned, to New Zealand lie suggested to 1113 cousin, Jlatene to Whiwlii, of Otaki, that they should search for a king for the tribes, to unite them peacefully. .So, in the early 'fifties, they travelled to most "of the important tribes. Te Heuheu I-.vikau, of South Taupo, declined tile honour; .10 said lie liad only a small tribe. The leading chiefs of the Arawa, the East Coast, Taranaki, Whangarei, all declined. Xo one wanted to be king; the secure position as chief paramount of their own tribe or tribes was enough for most of them. At last, at the cud of ISiifi, o. conference, was held at Pukawa, Lake 'iV.upo, the home of the Hetiheus, and was attended by delegates from all the tribes from Auckland southward. Jlatene te Whiwlii in an oration unfolded his liual proposal in the eloquent and figurative fashion of the Maori. "I look far over the sea to the south," ho said, "and what do I Mountains covered with snow and ice. I turn an.l gaze across the plains to the cast, and

what do I behold but cabbage (An allusion to the Ivaingaroa and HawkcV, Bay plains; no great chiefs there.) I turn my eyes down to the Belly of the Fish of Maui (Taupo). I sec nothing but the little kokoptt fish and the koura crayfish that walks backward. I turn to the west and look over the forests to Taranaki. I see there nothing but broken ropes. (Meaning the tribes there were suffering from wars end dissensions). I look northward; I see there a leaking house. "Now," said Mateno, making his point and climax, "I turn mv eyes to Waikato. I behold Waikato-taniwha-rau, Waikato of whose river it is said, 'He piko he taniwha, he piko ho taniwha.'" (These classic sayings meant, "Waikato of a hundred watermonsters, Waikato whose every crook and bend holds a dragon.'*—that is, a strong and numerous tribe with many great chiefs). There, in Waikato, is the place where we must louk for a king. Yonder is the man." •Such was tlie manner in which the wise Matere directed the attention of the chiefs in council to the great warrior To Wherowhero, whose name came to every mind at once. Later meetings confirmed the choice of Te Wherowhero, who now became known as Potatau. He was a very old man, but a council o£ the highest chiefs of the central tribes carried out the actual duties of the k.ingship. At the great ceremonial meeting at Xgaruawahia in 185S, for the purpose of installing Potatau, the inducting high chiefs were the now-to-become famous Wircmu Tamehana, head of the NgatiIlaua tribe, of Matamata, and the venerable Iwikau te Ilcuheu, of Taupo. The solemn rite of making the aged Potatau king of the confederation of tribes took this form (as described to me by one of the chiefs present): Iwikau said:' ."Potatau, this day 1 create" you king of the Maori people. You and Queen Victoria shall be bound together to be one. (Paiheretia Kia Kotahi). The religion of Clirist shall be the mantle of your protection; the Law shall be the Whariki mat on which your feet shall rest for ever and ever onward." (Ake, ake tonu ulu.)

"Ac," said Potatau, "Yes, I agree, for ever and ever onward." And tho old chief continued: "There is but ono eye of the needle, through which the white, the black and the red threads must pass." This declaration was succeeded by an annointing after the Scriptural manner. Wircmu Tamehana poured the oil on r Potatau's head, and at his call "Whakahonarc lvi te Ivingi" ("Do honour to the King") all the people seated around l>owed their heads low in obeisancc, three times.

This ceremony of obeisance is still observed at important meetings of the Kotahitanga when the king appears. The narrative I have given here attests the altruistic aims of the kingmakers. They sought a head to bind the tribes together for The national betterment, i.» amity with the Knglish Queen, and Potatau himself was anxious to continue his long friendship with the pake/ia people. But the very name of King was anathema to the new Zealand politicianin power at that day, and to the two successive Governors, who brought on the war, G'orc Browne and Grey. The meeting at Ngaruawaliia was followed by a large gathering at Bangiaowahia, the great farming centre of the Waikato, three miles from the present town of Te Awamutu. Both those places were scenes of peaceful industry, especially wheat-growing, long before the setting-up of the king. When the Waikato War was fought, and the Maori lands were seized, the first places from which the owners wore driven on; into the comparative wilderness of tSie south were these desirable farming areas, with their grain and root crops i i great quantity, their beautiful orchard-, their Hour mills on the streams, and their large timber churches. To of those churches are standing to-day; they are used as parish churches by the pakehu settlers, and not a Maori foot crosses their thresholds. Is it any wonder that the Waikato tribes retain bitter feelings against tiie pakeha and accuse hi'm of hypocrisy when he quotes the Bible to them? All this and many exhibitions of the etill existing colour-line drawn not only by the more ignorant of the English race, go to strengthen the determination of the great warring Maori's to hold on to their Union under the form and style of Kingdom. + + + + Next Week: Koroki, King Of The Maoris