Whārangi 1: Haurongo
Te Kakapi, Rīpeka Wharawhara-i-te-rangi
?–1880
Nō Te Āti Awa; he wahine whai mana
I tuhia tēnei haurongo e Angela Ballara, ā, i tāngia tuatahitia ki Ngā Tāngata Taumata Rau i te 1990. He mea whakamāori nā Ngā Tangata Taumata Rau.
I whānau a Te Kakapi, arā, ko Wharawhara-i-te-rangi, ki Taranaki. He irāmutu a ia nā Te Wharepōuri, ā, nāna i taurima a Te Kakapi rātou ko ana tungāne, a Mākere rāua ko Mātene Tauwhare me ngā tamariki a tana tuahine a Mātengakūao rāua ko tana tāne ko Rangiatia. I heke iho a Te Kakapi i ngā kāhui ariki o Te Āti Awa, i a Te Whiti-o-Rongomai I, te tipuna o te karangatanga hapū. He uri anō rā nō Āniwaniwa, te tāne a Tāwhirikura. Heoi, ko Ngāti Te Whiti, ko Ngāti Tāwhirikura ōna hapū.
I ērā wā, he maha ngā heke a Te Āti Awa ki te tonga, ki te kimi kāinga, tawhiti mai i ō rātou hoariri, pērā i a Waikato. I te wā o te tau 1832, ko Te Wharepōuri tētahi o ngā kaiārahi o te heke, e karangahia nei ko Tama-te-uaua, ā, tau rawa atu ki Te Ūpoko-o-te-Ika. He maha ngā pakanga, kātahi anō ka tukuna e te iwi kāinga a Te Wharepōuri mā kia tau, ēngari tau irirangi noa te noho. Ka pakanga anō, ka mate te iwi kāinga i Pehikatea, ka whakatahi rātou ki Nukutaurua. I muri iho ka noho a Te Kakapi rātou ko Te Wharepōuri mā ki Kaiwaewae, arā, ko Patumōkai (Featherston).
Tērā ka noho, ka hoki mai ngā iwi o Te Wairarapa i raro i tō rātou rangatira toa, i a Nuku-pewapewa o Ngāti Kahukura-awhitia. Whakauru mai ana hoki ngā hapū e whā o Heretaunga i raro i tō rātou rangatira, i a Te Hāpuku. Nō te kitenga o Te Hāpuku i te tini o te hoariri ka hoki. Ēngari a Nuku-pewapewa, i haere tonu, ka tauria te pā a Te Wharepōuri, ka hinga, ā, nā tana peke i te paripari i oraiti ai ia. Ka whakaraua ko tana wahine ko Te Uamairangi rāua ko Te Kakapi.
Ka whakarauoratia e Nuku-pewapewa ngā herehere, ka haria mā tana waka a Ngātoto ki Ōtauira. Kātahi ka tukuna e Nuku-pewapewa a Te Uamairangi kia hoki ki a Te Wharepōuri, ki te ui atu, he aha te take i tangohia ai e ia ngā whenua o ngā iwi o Te Wairarapa. Huri tonu iho a Te Uamairangi ka tukuna a Te Kakapi ki a Nuku-pewapewa. Ka hoki a Nuku-pewapewa mā ki Te Matau-a-Māui (Hawke's Bay).
Kātahi ka ohooho ngā rangatira o Waimārama, o Heretaunga i a Te Kakapi, hāhau noa ana a Te Moananui rāua ko Te Hāpuku ki a ia, kīhai i riro. Nā ōna kāwai te mana o Te Kakapi, he tūranga hira ki ngā iwi, hei whakaora tangata, hei whakaea rānei i ngā raupatu. Ko tā Nuku-pewapewa, mā Te Kakapi e whāriki te hoki mai a tana iwi ki Te Wairarapa kīhai ia mō te tuku noa.
Ka noho a Te Wharepōuri rātou ko tana iwi ki Ngāūranga, i Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington Harbour). He whāngai poaka, he rumaki kānga te mahi, hei utu i te haere ki Nukutaurua mā runga kaipuke. Nō te tau 1840 pea rātou i wehe atu ai, ā, 15 tō rātou kaha. I tēnei wā, he maha ngā tāngata kua huri ki te Whakapono, ka iriiria a Te Kakapi ka tapaina ko Rīpeka. Tae rawa atu a Te Wharepōuri kua mate kē a Nuku-pewapewa – i toromi. Ka riro ko Tūtepākihirangi hei whakarite i te tono a Te Wharepōuri, ā, tukuna ana e ia he mere pounamu mō tana tamaiti. Kāore i rite te hiahia o Tūtepākihirangi ēngari mā te whakahokia mai o ngā whenua i Te Wairarapa, kātahi ka ea. Ka whakaae a Te Wharepōuri. Ka puritia ia pea ki Nukutaurua, ka haere ko Tūtepākihirangi ki a Te Āti Awa, i Te Whanganui-ā-Tara, ki te whakatau i tā rāua i whakarite ai. I te whakaaetanga o Te Āti Awa, ka hoki mai a Te Wharepōuri rāua ko Te Kakapi. Whārikitia mai ana hoki a Te Kakapi ki te taonga – ko Kai-kanohi – he toka pounamu, me ngā kākahu, e 15. I te raumati o te tau 1840–41, ka hokihoki mai a Tūtepākihirangi mā ki ō rātou kāinga i Te Wairarapa.
I te Kōti Whenua Māori i te tau 1872, ka kōrerohia e Te Kakapi te takoha a Mitai Te Wehewehe Pōneke o Rākaiwhakairi ki a ia. I tukuna e Mitai he whenua, nō te mea nā Te Kakapi te rongo ā whare i waenga i a Te Āti Awa rāua ko Ngāti Kahukura-awhitia. Ka whakamoea a Te Kakapi ki a Īhaka Ngāhiwi o Ngāti Kōmuka, o Te Wairarapa, ka noho rāua ki Ngāpuke, ki te taha rāwhiti o Wairarapa moana. Kīhai i mōhiotia te roanga ake o ngā kōrero mō te wahine nei, ā mate noa ia i te 4 o Hānuere 1880.