Whārangi 1: Haurongo
Ngā-kahu-whero
fl. 1800–1836
Nō Te Rarawa; he wahine rangatira
I tuhia tēnei haurongo e Henare Arekatera Tate, ā, i tāngia tuatahitia ki Ngā Tāngata Taumata Rau i te 1990. He mea whakamāori nā Ngā Tangata Taumata Rau.
He uri a Ngā-kahu-whero nō Te Rēinga. He tino rangatira a Te Rēinga nō te iwi o Te Rarawa. I Te Hokianga ia e noho ana, i raro i ngā maunga o Panguru, o Te Rēinga. I a Te Rēinga te mana nui ki runga i te iwi me te whenua, ā, i tukua iho tēnei mana ki tana tamaiti, ki a Te Kurī. Ko tā Te Kurī ko Te Ruapounamu, he tama wahine. Ka riro i a ia te mana ki runga i te whenua o Waihou. I moe a Te Ruapounamu i a Tarutaru, he rangatira, he toa hoki, ā, i a Tarutaru te mana ki runga i te whenua o Waireia. Ka puta ko tā rāua tamaiti, ko Kahi, ka riro i a ia te mana o ōna mātua. I moe a Kahi i a Kaimanu, te tamāhine a Ngono. I a Ngono te mana ki runga i te whenua o Pūpūwai. He tamāhine a Ngā-kahu-whero nā Kahi rāua ko Kaimanu. Ka riro i a Ngā-kahu-whero te mana o ōna mātua ki runga o ngā whenua katoa o te rohe. He uri anō hoki ia nō te tupuna wahine, nō Waimirirangi. Ka puta i a Waimirirangi ko Tamatea rāua ko te tuahine, ko Pare, me ētahi atu anō. I moe a Pare i a Te Rēinga.
I whānau a Ngā-kahu-whero ki Waihou i ngā tau mutunga nei o te rau tau 1700–1799. Ko Herepaenga tētahi o ōna īngoa. Kāhore he kōrero mahue mai mō te wā e tamariki ana ia, ēngari i tōna pakaritanga ake i moe ia i a Muriwhenua, he uri anō nō Te Rēinga. I te wā kua tata te whakawhānau o Ngā-kahu-whero i tana mātāmua, ka heke rāua ko Muriwhenua ki Whāngāpē, kia whānau ai te tamaiti nei ki roto ki ērā o ōna tuākana. Ka whānau te tamaiti, ka huaina ko Ngāniho Te Tai. I muri tata mai o te whānautanga ka hoki ake rātou ki Te Hokianga, noho rawa mai i Waihou. Ka noho rātou ki Te Riha. I reira ka whakatupungia ā rāua tamariki tokotoru, a Te Tai, a Te Hira, a Wharo, tā rāua tamāhine. I Te Riha ā rāua mahinga kai, he kūmara, he taro, he uhi, he rīwai, he kānga, he paukena, he merengi me ngā hua rākau pītiti.
I te mea i a Ngā-kahu-whero te mana o ōna mātua ki runga i te whenua, i a ia katoa te mana ki te whakatau rohe whenua, ki te tuku whenua rānei ki te tangata. Ko Mariao me ērā atu i whiwhi whenua i a ia. Me tae atu ki a ia he moni mō ngā hoko whenua a ētahi atu. Ka hokona tētahi whenua e Kaumātua ki te pīhopa Katorika, ki a Pomaparie (J. B. F. Pompallier). Tae atu ana ētahi o ngā moni hoko ki a Ngā-kahu-whero. Kāhore he tangata i whakararuraru i ēnei tikanga. I a ia anō hoki te mana ki runga i ngā rākau o te whenua. Me mātua inoi ki a ia kātahi anō ka āhei te tangata ki te turaki i ngā rākau i te rohe o Waihou. Me tae atu anō hoki ki a ia ngā paru, arā, ngā utu mō aua rākau. Māna e pupuri i ngā utu, e whakapau rānei, e tuku rānei i ētahi o ngā utu ki te iwi turaki i ngā rākau rā.
Ko Ngā-kahu-whero, he wahine atawhai i te tangata. Ka arumia tētahi tangata e tōna ake iwi kia patua, kia mate. Oma atu ana ia ki a Ngā-kahu-whero, ka ora ia. I pērā a Kaumātua, te wē o tōna whakapakonga ka oma ki a Ngā-kahu-whero. Ka puta tana whakahau; 'Waiho māna e tahu ngā ahi mā te hunga hī ika i tō rātou hokinga mai ki uta.' I uru atu a Ngā-kahu-whero ki roto i ngā mahi katoa i pā ki tōna iwi, tae atu ki te parekura i Waitukupūhau, i Te Oneroa-a-Tōhē (Ninety Mile Beach). I Motukauri anō ia i te ekenga mai o Moetara me tōna iwi, a Ngāti Korokoro, ki te whawhai i reira. I tū taua parekura ki Motukauri i te marama o Mei 1833. E kōrerotia ana, i te wā i mau ai a Moetara ki tana patu ka hīpokina atu e Ngā-kahu-whero tana kahu ki runga i a Moetara kia kore ai e taea ake tana patu. Ka pau te toru tau i muri mai o te parekura nei ka houhia te rongo e Mohi Tāwhai o Te Māhurehure ki waenganui i ngā iwi nei. Ko te whakaotinga, me noho a Ngāti Korokoro ki te taha whakarunga o Te Hokianga, ā, me noho hoki a Ngāti Manawa me Te Rarawa ki te taha whakararo.
Kāhore he kōrero i mahue mai mō te tau i mate ai a Ngā-kahu-whero, ēngari i te matenga, i nehua atu ki Papanui, ki runga o Pukekōwhai, ki roto ki ngā uri o Te Rēinga. He nui te whakamihi a te iwi o Ngāti Te Rēinga me Te Rārawa mō tō rātou tupuna wahine, mō Ngā-kahu-whero, e maharatia nei e rātou.