WI PERE ON TOHUNGAS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 11056, 23 August 1907, Page 5

WI PERE ON TOHUNGAS.

HOW HE WOULD HAVE PUNISHED RUA. WHY HE CURSED THE PAKEHA. (From our Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. The Hon. Wi Pere m the Legislative Council yesterday afternoon, when discussing th c Tohunga Suppression Bill, made an interesting statement of what he had done to put down Rua and also offered an explanation of why m the Lower House he had lost his temper and cursed the pakeha. There were some tohungas, he remarked m opening, who did not their best to allay the suffering of the Maori people. Sometimes, however, the tohunga has an ulterior object m professing to have power to heal, and that is to get hold of a very nice wife. (Laughter.) There was another tohunga who professed to be able to heal for the purpose of getting hold of all the Maori relics, Maori greenstones, and the like. Then there was the tohunga who practised witchcraft, who pronounces that some one shall die and be dies. There were two gods tho Maoris worshipped, 10, who supported life, the kind god, and Ha, who was the destructor of life. It was lo who created heaven and earth and the beings m the Bible. Wi Pere went on to say Jehovah was God and Hatanga was the devil, which corresponded to the two gods of the Maoris. He was glad to see m the Bill that ho prosecution could take place without the consent of the Native Minister, who would satisfy himself if the tohunga was acting under the god lo or his opponent. Plunging into Biblical^ history, the hon. gentleman went on to speak of* Christ the son of Jehovah, who appointed twelve apostles. They were tonungas to do good and bad for the people. Today we had nothing of that kind. What We had were doctors, and the only way to remain m good health and to be happy ,was to go to the feet of Christ. SpeaKing of Rua, Wi Pere explained this man was a member of the Urewera tribe, who was carrying on a practice as a prophet. He had prophesied that King Edward would come to Gisborne, when he would scatter all his nliamonds among the people. Then, the Maori would enjoy happiness and prosperity- and revive from the severe blow inflicted upon them by the pakeha. He gave his followers to understand that when the King came New Zealand would go back to the hands of the Maori, and the whites would have to go, where he did not know. Rua fixed the date when King Edward would come, added Wi Pere. It was on the seventh of the month. He forgot which month. He (Wi Pere) was in'\ Wellington when Rua made this prophecy and strange to say he himself arrived at Gisborne on the day appointed. (Laughter). Rua told his people "here we have the king of England." "I told Rua," added Wi. "if that was true he was to give me tne diamonds." (Laughter.) "Of course he was unable to do so, he did not possess them." The hon. gentleman went on to relate how he had advised Rua and his followers to go home to their people. This man Rua, he declared, had a following of 100 fat men (rangitiras). Addressing these men he (Wi) again advised them to go home,, -but as they persisted m staying he threatened to bring 6000 soldiers and drivo them out. Thus they could see he had done his best to assert the law. He had pointed out to them that the land was tne mainstay of the Maoris, and if they did not go he would have their lands confiscated, and given to the soldiers, and that Itua and his followers left, but behold they only went 60 miles and settled on another part of his (Wi Pere's) land. At this he became annoyed and asked the Government for authority to go and punish these people. If the Government had only granted his request Rua would have been removed. They appointed Coldnel Porter and when the natives heard of this they became scared and cleared out. Rua declared his god was Christ,' 10, but he was advising his. followers to sell all their land, stock, horses, sheep, and get all the money they could, for all the property would come back tp them. At this he (Wi) got very much annoyed and urged the Government to pull Rua up. Had they granted his request he would have collared Rua. long ago. Ho incited bad spirits and said all the whites would be sent but of the land. This made him (the speaker) angry. "Now," continued the hon. gentleman, "I don't want you to anything that took place a couple of years ago m another place, when I said with 4000 soldiers of my race I would fight the whites and drive them out of the country. I only said that bjgeause I was very angry. I 'don't want you to say I am like -Rua. I want to explain I was annoyed because some members of place were saying that . tha pakehas should take all the Maori land — everything. I was cross, that is why I cursed the pakeha. I was only trying to free myself of the turmoil and anger inside me, and when I cursed the pakeha I was all right. I desire that the Bill shall be passed into law."