THE ANCIENT VALLEY

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8102, 10 January 1931, Page 2

THE ANCIENT VALLEY

SOME OLD-TIME MAORI HISTORY FIGHTING ABOUT WAIHI TARA AT ZENITH OF POWER The following article, one of a series being written by Mr W. P. Payne for the Te Aroha News on oldtime Maori history, will be read with interest by residents of Waihi and adjacent districts: The Ngati-marama on their defeat by the tribe of Tara migrated to Motukeo. Some of the refugees went further afield and settled at Waihi and Katikati, and more than a few at Tauranga. Some time after this two bold young blades from He Kei’s pa at Owharoa left on a journey to visit two young women at Motukeo. The Ngati-marama damsels were known as Tai-nanahi-po and Tai-Paki-rerua, and treated their visitors better than some of the other members of the tribe, for our heroes on their return journey were subjected to insults. One of the young men, Maioro, the son of Whakamaro, on reaching Owharoa did not let the matter rest with reporting it to He Kei but went on to the main pa at Piraurahi and gave an account of the happening to the tribal head, old Tara.

INSULT WIPED OUT Tara’s grim old face grew more stern as he listened to the young man’s recital of the insult offered by Ngati-marama to his tribe. . Quickly came his decision, “I will go to Katikati,” and quickly was sent round the fiery cross so that in a short time 740 warriors had assembled. Leaving a few fighting men to guard the women and children and old people in the pa, Tara and his taua of 700 men set out for Motukeo. He took this pa but with great slaughter. Mitinui and Tu-te-rurunga, two enemy chiefs of importance, lost their lives in the defence of their fortress. Tara set up a stone as a tohu or mark at the place where these rangatira were killed. The defenders on seeing the day was lost fled to the pa at Korokoro. This pa is situated inland from the pa at Waihi. Both these pas were attacked and taken by Tara and their inhabitants fled to Kariori, also situated in the Waihi district. Its chief. Hanui, was killed by the people of Tara. The latter set up a tohu on the spot where he was slain. Makau-rangi and Ue-nuku-kapako of the enemy also were killed, upon which event the fighting was suspended, and peace proposals were submitted by Tu-panapana and Taratu. Tara agreed to leave them in possession of the lower part of their pa at Harioi, which was called Tawhiti-araia, but not the part towards Katikati.

FAME AS A WARRIOR He Kei with 240 men returned to live at Owharoa, but his brother, Tiki-te-Aroha, remained at Karioi to hold the new possession of the tribe. Tara had become very old and he returned to Piraurahi guarded by an escort p/ 3,6:0.' men. His fame as a warrior had spread over the land and his tribe had increased and had acquired considerable importance in native politics. A Ngati-tara woman was given to Tara-tu, named Hinewaha, and through this connection he held the land from Waihi even to Motukeo. Tiki-te-Aro.ba built a pa at Karioi and Ngati-tara also garrisoned the pa Waihi. Hine-waha became the mother of two children, Hakiri and Porokaki, who by birth were chieftains of Ngai-tara. Away up on the mountain peak called Tawhiwhi, op the Katikati side of Waihi, stood the Ngamarama pa named Whati-whati-rau-rekau, as yet ujicpnquered. by the tribe of Tara. The aged chief now sent his two sons with a war party of ZOO men to carry out Its subjection, and the operation was duly carried out. The old patriarch Tara by this time was bowed down with the weight of years; he could hardly walk, but made pro-1 gress in a very stooping position, partly crawling over the ground.

DEFEAT AT OTAWHI-NOHO At this period a party was sent out to attack the people of Otawhinoho, near Katikati, It was led by Tiki-te-Aroha. He Kei, Teawa-i-haea and Nohu-manauea-nui, and the warriors soon found they had a hard nut Ito crack. After they had been there some time Te-awa was sent out as a spy but owing to certain misconduct on his part confusion came to the war party and the people of Tara lost 200 men, the remainder fleeing to their home. This was the first repulse experienced hy the Ngai-tara. The ancient Ariki, Tara, now removed from Piraurahi to Amaioro pa, where he ruled with his grandsoh Whakamaro, child of Tiki-te-Araha, and his great-grandson Maioro, after whom the pa was named. The head chief at Piraurahi now was Honu-maruiwa-tvrti, and at Awharoa the ra.ugatira was Teawapu, where also lived the chiefs Hakiri, Tunohopana and Poro-kaki.

WAR OF REVENGE ' The tribe of TilVa was now very numerous a. lid at the zenith of their power; the same time the people of pauraki were fast adding to their numbers and other tribes were increasing in their own districts.

About this time a certain Ngamarama chief named Teautororo, who had sustained a former defeat near Katikati, now determined with his ally Raukawa to carry on a war of revenge against the tribe of Tara. They attacked Owharoa pa, where Tewhakamoro had come from Omaioro, lint the 500 people in the pa were 100 strong for the beseigers. When Poporo, another ally, saw the defeat of Teautororo he sent a messenger to the Thames for assistance, which was later supplied from there.