MAORI MEMORIES

Taranaki Daily News, 2 September 1933, Page 13 (Supplement)

MAORI MEMORIES

SIR DONALD McLEAN

(By

J.H.S.—Copyright.)

Taka Moana, a candidate for conversion to the Pakeha religion, made it a condition that on admission he should be named after the greatest rangatira mentioned in the kawenata hou (new testament). The good missionary, after some months, persuaded him to accept the comuromise of karaitiana (Christian), and thus arose a new and honoured name well known throughout Hawke’s Bay. The zealous convert, however, could not a.t once relinquisn his claim to the beloved whenua tupuna (ancestral lands), upon which Te mpuku and his followers were living. The quarrel became serious, and threatened to involve the little township of Ahunri (flood bank). A detachment of the 65th Regiment was sent up from Wellington, but fortunately for them and for us they were not called upon to interfere. This was about 1858, when the Maoris numbered ten to our one. Donald McLean, that greatest of all diplomats in native affairs, according to a Maori idiom, “paddled his canoe across the swollen waters, and without even the semblance of coercion persuaded Te Hapuku (the codfish) to move inland. Had we but realised from the first the inborn aversion of the Maori to domination, there would have been no war in New Zealand. To these untutored aboriginal landlords example was everything, precept was mere talk. Makirmi, in addressing them, seemed like a father with his children. His unassuming and almost woman-like gentleness under all circumstances was a very remarkable trait in this Herculean Scot. To the wisdom and kindly firmness of Sir Donald McLean and his knowledge of Maori character we may attribute the safe piloting of Hawke’s Bay through a most stormy period of rampant Hau Hau fanaticism, which after all was their way of protesting against “doping us with rum and promises, while they steal our lands.” Rewi Mana-ia-poto.

Yet once again we thank Hope Blake for an eloquently brief history of a great Maori. In the late days of the Waitara rebellion Rewi’s tribe, after whom he had been named, decided to fight for their lands. The far-seeing Rewi was for peace. When his people said, “We have been tricked: our land has gone like smoke, leaving us only the ashes: we are strong and determined: we can conquer or die,” Rewis reply was characteristic. “Fight if you must, kill if you will, and what then? They will be replaced. More and yet more will come. England will. send swarms across the waters. You will die in the end. If it is peace, good ! I am with you. Is it war? I have spoken my mind. Where my people are, there too am I. In peace I guide: in war I lead. I can plead, or fight and die for our land and our rights.” On being requested by General Cameron at Orakau to surrender, R ev « s action was consistent with his notable bravery. Standing boldly upon the parapet with his naked breast and head, bared to 1500 besiegers who surrounded his 301 famishing warriors, with their women and children, his arms extended to the Heavens, like Ajax defying-the thunder, he said in ringing tones, “Ka whawhai tonu, Ake, Ake, Ake” (we will fight on, for overhand ever, and ever). Finally he cut hiis way through a double line of the 40th.', and escaped with many followers. By strategy and skill in constructing his strongholds he surprised and perplexed the engineers of the British army. Rewi Maniapbto rests beneath the fine monument of Kihikihi erected by Maori and Pakeha to the memory of the hero of Orakau, leader of a noble race. That his “Mana can never die in his own race was made clear by the unparalleled excitement among the Maoris when his namesake ran in the Melbourne Cup half a century later. Paddle Your Own Canoe.

Before the days of horse-racing, which came to be a science with the advent of historic sires, such as Riddlesworth, Don Juan, Figaro and Fifeshire, we enjoyed, the welter-weight, grass-fed, three-mile hurdle or fiat races on le Aro and Bumham courses. Also before the whaleboat and the outrigger was the far more exhilarating racing waka ma ned by 20 or 30 muscular Maoris, with shining bare bodies and paddles moving in unison, as though controlled by Revolving mechanism. Each canoe was about 50ft. long, cut by stone axes and shaped in symmetry from a seasoned totara log. The figure-head was designed to strike fear, to the heart of an enemy, and had protruding red tongue, glaring eyes of opal-like paua shell, and three fingered hands crossed on the puku. The paddlers, joined by a thousand men, women and children on shore, would jump in the air and chant a weird waiata (song), every contortion of the body and note of music in absolute unison. The crews of seven canoes numbering over 200 would float each vessel, jump to their places, and make their strokes from start to finish as one man. Time, in all things, was instinctive with the Maori. The course was from Te Aro (the curved shore) to Pito one (the end of the sand) and back round Somes Island. The race was a struggle between the several crews of the two contending chiefs, Te Puni and Wi Tako, who showed the same friendly rivalry in their hospitality for the pioneers of 1840. Despite the long and strong puli the canoes came up the sloping shores of Te Aro with the same swift precision as they had left. The crews jumped ashore and at once led the haka and carried out the wondrous contortions of their bodies and the abdominal movements which formed the very first lesson in bodily health given to every boy and girl from early childhood. The Shark’s Mouth.

Possibly so named because of his large mouth and his small stature Ropata, the intrepid and ever-loyal leader of the Arawa and Ngatiporou “Friendlies, struck terror to the hearts of all Hau Hau fanatics who crossed his path. His followers were tireless and watchful as a cat, and had never fallen into an enemy ambush, a Maori art in which our British soldiers were so often entrapped. It was asserted that Ropatas men “could smell the enemy with the acuteness of the Maori dog.” Te Ua (the backbone), a powerful chief, threatened to capture Auckland and drive every pakeha into the sea, as kinaki mo nga mako” (tit bits for the sharks). To Ropata, Renata, Tareha, Karauna, Karaitiana, Tomoana and other wellknown Hawke’s Bay chiefs is the credit due for having averted such a catastrophe. Their moral force added to their military powers were the main factors by which 50,000 fighting men were dissuaded from joining the rebeis.