He Kupu Whakamarama Mo Henare Tate

Te Ao Hou, December 1962, Page 12

He Kupu Whakamarama Mo Henare Tate Kua roa a Riki raua ko tana kuia ko Meri e noho tahi ana tetahi ki tona hahi, tetahi ki tona hahi. Kua eke te kaute o nga tamariki ki te toru. Katahi ka uru mai te whakaaro ki roto i te hinengaro o Meri, me huri mai a ia ki te whakapono o tana kaumatua, a ka huri mai. E kopu ana a Meri i taua wa. Na, te whanautanga mai o te tangata hou ki te ao, he tama wahine, Ko Herapia te ingoa i huaina ai ia i te ra o tona iriiringa; ko te tau 1910. Ka tupu ake, ka wahinetia ia, ka moe tane, ka whakawhanau tamariki ki te ao, ko Hohepa, ko Hori. Ko te toru o nga tamariki, ko Henare Arekatera, i huaina ki tona matua atawhai, ki a Henare Noa. I a ia e noho ana i Motuti, a kura ana ia ki te kura kawangatanga. He wa ano ka hoki kia kite i nga matua mo etahi ra, he wa ano ka haere tahi raua ko tona tupuna ki te hao ika i te awa nui o Hokianga. Te mutunga i te kura ka whiwhi ia ki te karahipi, a ka tukuna e tona matua atawhai ki te kura kareti o Hato Petera. I reira ka tupu ake te whakaaro i roto i a ia me te hiahia hoki ki te tunga pirihi. He marama no te matenga, he u no te whakaaro, he piri pono ki te karakia, te kotiti ai a Henare i te huarahi e ahu atu ana ki te taumata, ara te whakatapunga pirihi i te ra 30 o Hune. Ka whai hoa a Pa Wiremu te Awhitu, ka tokorua raua kua oti te whakawahi hei pirihi hei hoa mahi mo Hehu Kerito. Ma te Atua koe e tiaki, e manaaki e Pa Henare; kia maha rawa ai o tau i te mara o te Ariki hei painga mo tou iwi, te iwi Maori. ‘He ra ka taka ki tua—a takoto te pai—hi, hi, takoto te pai’.

This true story of heroism is based on the account given in Percy S. Smith's ‘Maori Wars of the Nineteenth Century’, 1910. Te Aokapurangi and her husband Te Wera later went to live at Mahia, and it was there that she eventually died.