THE EAST COAST MAORI MEMBER.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 4078, 16 August 1884, Page 3

THE EAST COAST MAORI MEMBER.

Tho following letter appears in the Poverty Bay Herald :— We wish to inform those Europeans who are not acquainted with Wi Pore, the present representative in Parliament for the East Coast native electoral district, that he is a half-caste, and lived with his mother (who was a chieftainess of Turanga) and her brother, from his infancy until manhood. Wi Pere himself inherits the spirit of the noble ancestors from whom ho is descended namely, Porourangi, Hauiti, Kahungunu and others, and is recognized as a man of groat importance on his own lands, and amongst 'the Maori people of Turanga (Poverty Bay). » When Christianity was first introduced here ho was one of the young chiefs who supported it up to the time that Kcreopa Kaiwhatu came to Turanga and introduced his false gods, namely Riki and Rura. Wi Pore tried to persuade the Turanga people to have nothing to do with those false gods, but the people would not listen to him, and joined themselves to the new religion. \vi Pore therefore and Wi Haronga severed themselves from the rest and joined thoso on the side of the Queen, whilst tho Hauhau party were destroying life and property. _ Subsequent to this the Hauhaus, including To Kooti Rikirangi, were conveyed to Wharekauri (Chatham Islands) from whence they made their escape. Ie Kooti then took to the bush and making a, raid upon Turanga, killed Europeans, Maoris, and half-ca.stca indiscriminately. Wi Pere, being captured, was taken away by Te Kooti to Makarctu, where he intended to kill him, but was frustrated in his design by our timely arrival at that place. We and other loyal natives attacked tho Hauhaus at Makarctu, and whilst thus engaging their attention Wi Pere took the opportunity of escaping, and fled to Torero, where ho took refuge for some time with his uncle Wiremu Kingi. After a while he returned again to Turanga and joined in the pursuit after Te Kooti, wishing to be revenged for tho illtreatment he had received from him. He was appointed captain of his own people, Te Aitanga a Mahaki, and fought side by side with our people the Ngatiporous._ ' In course of time there was a sitting of the Native Land Court in this district, and he was tho chief of Turanga wlm gavoit his support, at tho same timo advising his people to bo careful about their lands lest they should bo swallowed up by the Europeans, and there would be no land left for their wives and families to live upon. In leasing, selling-, or otherwise disposing of their lands, ho advised that they should first have a clear understanding amongst themselves before so doing. Tho only Europeans who found fault with the upright dealings of Wi Pere regarding the lands, wore those who wished to buy up tho land about Turanga for a mere trifle per acre. But none of the old European settlers blamed Wi Pere, no not one. Our reason for writing this is on account j of the taunting words in the Telegraph newspaper of Napier, which were reprinted in tho Herald newspaper of Poverty Bay in its issue for August Bth, 1884. TUTA. NIIIONIHO, Ruka Aeatapu, For Ngatiporou. Gisborne, August 12th, 1584.' j