Powerful Profile of a Remarkable Kuia

Tu Tangata, Issue 14, 1 October 1983, Page 2

Powerful Profile of a Remarkable Kuia

by Harata Solomon

A Life of Leadership and Love

Maraea Mary-Anne Te Kawa J.P. was born at Mohaka 6.7.1899 into a family of four brothers and three sisters (eldest sister 88 years June of this year). Their close family tribal affiliation being to Ngati Porou and Ngati Kahungunu. Maraea was raised and grew up in Wairakaia and Muriwai, attended first the Muriwai Primary School then the Hiruharama Native School and in 1914-1916 was a student at Hukarere Maori Girls College in Napier. Maori was her first language, at which she excelled. She was fluent in both Maori and English. Add to this a clear analytical mind and you know that here was a person who knew how to communicate. Maraea was a woman of spirituality, tremendous energy and great humanity. In Mangere, Maraea was superintendent for 11 years at a camp for industrial workers consisting of Maori men from throughout Aotearoa. She was their caterer, mum, banker, advisor, peacemaker, nurse, ‘lawyer’, tutor and all round best friend. When she left Mangere, her son George succeeded her as camp super. In 1940 she moved to Auckland and started a new life for herself. She volunteered in the National Service

Corps which consisted of 800 women. She was one of two Maori volunteers. The other one being the late Hopi Reweti. The two women, who were close friends were the first two Maori officers in the Corps and later became the first two female chaufeurs for the Auckland Post and Telegraph. Maraea’s first husband was Te Makarini Ngata. They had one son, George. In those early years Maraea and Makarini lived at Wharehou, the home of Sir Apirana Ngata. Maraea said she learned so much from Wharehou, and paid a high tribute to her then mother in law, Lady Arihia Ngata (Sir Apirana Ngata’s first wife). From the example of Lady Arihia, Maraea said she learned humility, sincerity, tolerance, and love of people. She became interested and involved in community service and in youth concerns. She also learned the history of her people and became an authority in this field. Tane tuarua was Nopere Te Kawa (no issue from this union). Nopera was a lieutenant in the 28th Maori Bn. In 1944, following his dis-

charge from the army as a husband and wife team, supervised a summer camp for 170 women and girls, all Maori, from all walks of life at Helvetia, Pukekohe. The camp closed at wars end. M.W.W.L. In 1953, just two years after its inception, Maraea became a member of the Maori Womens Welfare League, joining Ruapotaka, which was Auckland’s first branch. She was founder of Arahina Branch which was formed in her own home in Panmure. Notables present at Arahina’s first meeting were Mrs Ruiha Sage and Mrs Wikitoria Bennett. The strong personality and leadership of Dame Whina Cooper, the M.W.W.L. first Dominion President had been an inspiration to Maraea, and she kept up close contract with Dame Whina all down the years. Maraea served as Tairawhiti Area Representative of the Maori Womens Welfare League for 10 years up to May conference 1982. On that occaison, past president Mrs Mira Szaszy paid a warm tribute to Maraea for her many years of service to her people, ‘‘ln Maraea Te Kawa,” she said, ‘‘is the epitome of what league is and what Maori womanhood might aspire to.”

Travel During her lifetime, Maraea Te Kawa had done her share of oveseas travel. In 1957, and again in 1959, she visited the U.S.A. attending the Moral Rearmament World Conference where all races, creeds, all religions came together sharing and caring about the complex problems besetting the nations of the World. She visited Tonga and became a special personal friend of the late Queen Salote of Tonga. Then through a film ‘‘The Crowning Experience” Queen Salote invited Maraea with some of her Moral Rearmament Friends to take that film to Tonga which they did. She was yet again to be a special guest of Queen Salote at a Pan Pacific Conference held in Tonga. Among her treasured possessions in all the years since, had been a bundle of letters sent to her personally by the famous Queen of the Friendly Isles, Salote. In 1977 Maraea was in the 2nd Group who went on the 28 Maori Bn Pilgrimage. The many battle arena of World War II were visited and the high

point of that tour for Maraea, was the visit to the Holy Land.

On 6.7.1977 in Bethlehem she visited the Church of All Nations and there presented a Maori Prayer Book to the Elder and Leader of that Church. He invited her to place in on the Holy Altar and to lead the Congregation in Prayer which she did, in Maori.

This was a treasured memory for Maraea, and a great honor for the Maori people.

M.W.W.L.

A poetess, writer of verse she entertained and amused M.W.W.L. members when they gathered for annual conferences with her own witty and meaningful writings.

Leader of women

Her hopes for the Dominion Executive of M.W.W.L. “...That they work as a finely tuned team dedicated to the upliftment of the M.W.W.L. and the overall advancement of the Maori people, especially Maori womanhood and the sancity of the family...

Her prayers and hopes for the M.W.W.L., as an organisation and for its members. That they should aspire to, and attain... renewed heights of accomplishment, of leadership, or responsibility, of commitment, of support and service within the community working not only in Maori causes but among the pakeha people also.

The two peoples have a great deal to offer each other. By working together within the community both Maori and pakeha can learn to understand, to know and to respect each other. There are many areas of endeavour within every local community which give ample opportunity for both groups to work side by side e.g. civic or community project, P.T.A.s, school committees athletics, sports, cultural arts, church activities and many others.

Te Roopu Wahine Toko Ite Ora Kaupapa Maori: The aims and objectives of the Maori Womens Welfare League: With emphasis on the whanau, the home and leadership training. The strength of the whanau is determined by the strength of the women. “... no success can compensate for failure in the h0me....” The retention of the Maori language ‘‘Me nga tikanga Maori e pa ana kite whanau tae no kite whenua. Me anga atu tatou kite atua... nana nei nga mea katoa.” The health, happiness, education and well being of Maori womanhood, allowing development of individual character and potential are recognised as prime ingredients in the aims of the League. Inseparable from these, and of equal if not greater importance are the cultural, spiritual, and traditional Maori values.

Upon firm foundations prepared today may the confidence and security of future generations stand firm and tall. To Maraea, nothing was too much trouble and nothing was impossible. Maraea carried the mana of her high calling with honor and distinction. To her last breath her example to us all was one of pride in her Maori people and grace and dignity. On education Maraea said ‘‘My Whare Waananga is the Experience of Life....” She also said that her early training and education received at Hukarere, prepared her for life. She said “we must all accept basic citizenship responsibilities and in so doing be a positive influence in the neighbourhood and community where we live, to the support and betterment of others. We can do much to help build a

stronger and better community and nation. Spiritual values Maraea was a staunch believer in spiritual values: the true Christian outlook. Love of fellowmen... “do unto others as you would they should do unto you... it is more blessed to give than to receive.” For many years she had been a member of the Christian Temperance Union and her whole life reflected her Christian beliefs. Maraea Te Kawa lived out her closing years, from 1966 in her beloved Ruatoria, among the people she dearly loved and respected. Of Ruatoria Maraea said ‘‘...it is a community where both Maori and pakeha work together in harmony and in good, friendly spirits. In Church and other organisations within the area,

they have worked peacefully together, and still d 0....” Maraea Te Kawa, Dominion President of the Te Roopu Wahine Maori Toki I Te Ora (M.W.W.L.) passed away sth Sept. 1983, in Cook Hospital Gisborne. Her Tangihanga was held at Waiomatatini Marae and her burial took place at the Rimu Hill Family Cemetery, Ruatoria on Wed. 7.9.1983 (126 days after her election as Dom. Pres. M.W.W.L. on 12.5.1983). Haere e te whaea o te motu Takahia atu rate arawhanui a Tane ...te pae o te taki tini... o te tako mano Farewell o Noble Matriarch Tread the Golden and extensive pathway of Tane Let your footsteps rebound Beyond the threshold Of the myriads and the many thousands.

POROPOROAKI

Heretaunga Tamanui

“I te paunga o te marama o te Hurae kua taha ake nei, i hinga atu ra tetahi o nga totara whakahi o te Wao Tapu Nui o Tane. Ka rangona katoatia e te ao tona harurutanga. Ko te matua tenei ko Heretaunga (Archie) Tamanui. I mua tata o tana matenga kua riro kau i a ia tetahi Tunga Whakahonore o te Tari o te Ture kia tu ia hei J.P., ara kia hohoutia e ia te rongo ki waenga i te iwi. Ko tona tikanga ano hoki te whakaeke atu ki Poneke kite Hui Whakatauira mo tona iwi mahi ai. Otira na tenei hanga te mate a Heretaunga i karanga ai, katahi ka mawehe atu ia i te mata o te whenua.

Ae, he tika tonu ra ko tenei o tatou he tama nui! He tangata whakapono, he tangata ngawari, humarie ano hoki. Ko tona tumanako kia whakamahorahora tia e te ao o ratou whakaaro kite hohonutanga o to tatou taha Maori, a, kia aroha ake tatou i a tatou ano.

He tini rawa nga korero mona. He mihi ano na te iwi ki tana hoa ki a Te Atawhai (Maidey) me a raua tamariki, mokopuna hoki. Ka tutahanga hoki ta raua kapa haka a Te Manawanui. Kia peritia ritou i tana i tohu ai. Tena koutou. Tena ra koutou T’aitanga-a-Mahaki mo tenei taonga ataahua rawa atu o koutou i homai nei ki a matou. Me tangi tahi ai tatou ki tenei o nga uri o Mangahaumie. E ata rerehu ana ia i te ara. Ehara taua ara i te huarahitangata. Kao He huarahi wairua ke. No reira kei te hoa, kei te papa, takahia atu rate ara whanui e whakawi tehia mou. Kia tae atu koe ki Moriaonuku me hoki koe ma te waka tiwai a 5 tatou Wheinga. Kua rupeketia tahitia koutou te hunga mate ki tua o te arai. I hfkoia e koutou nga whetu e anga_ki te pouri kerekere. N 5 reira whakata, e oki, moe.”