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Te Maari-o-te-rangi, Piripi

by Angela Ballara, Mita Carter

Biography

He tangata rongonui a Piripi Te Maari-o-te-rangi mō ana mahi wawao, kaitiaki hoki i ngā whenua me ngā roto o ngā iwi o Te Wairarapa mai i ngā tau 1860 tae noa ki tana matenga i te tau 1895. E ai ki ngā kōrero whakamārama nā rāua ko tana taina, ko Hōhepa Āporo, i whakatau ki te aroaro o te Kōti Whenua Māori, ko Āporo Waewae tana pāpā. Otirā i ētahi wā, tērā i puta tonu te whakaaro ko Te Maari-o-te-rangi kē tana pāpā. I ērā wā i te tuakana tonu o Te Maari-o-te-rangi, i a Te Kai-a-te-kōkopu, te mana motuhake mō ngā rawa kai o Ōnoke, te roto whakararo o ngā moana o Wairarapa. Ā, i mau tonu te mana tūturu ki a ia tae noa ki te tau 1840. Anei te whakapapa: Ko Hariata Ngārueiterangi te whaea – nō Ngāti Hinewaka. Ko Piripi Iharaira tō mua, ka whai ake i muri ngā mea tāne, ko Piripi Te Maari-o-te-rangi, ko Hōhepa Āporo. Ko ngā tuāhine, ko Ani Āporo, i moe i a Rātima Rōpiha nō Pōrangahau; ko Ihipera Āporo i moe i a Hēmi Te Miha, he hoa nō Piripi i roto i tana mahi. Ko te tuakana, ko Piripi Iharaira Āporo, nō Whareama; ko te taina, ko Hōhepa, i moe i a Maikara Paranihia. Ko ana hapū ko Ngāti Tūkoko, ko Rākaiwhakairi, ko Ngāti Rākairangi, ko Ngāti Manuhiri, ko Ngāti Hineraumoa, ko Ngāti Hinewaka (he peka nō Ngāi Tūmapuhiārangi).

Nō muri mai i te tau 1832, i te whakaekenga anō o ngā ope taua o te raki, o te hauāuru ki runga o Te Wairarapa, ka patua a Te Maari-o-te-rangi, tētahi o ngā pāpā o Piripi, e Wī Tako Ngātata, hemo rawa. Ko Wī Tako he kaihautū nō Te Āti Awa. Ko te rerenga tērā o ngā iwi o Te Wairarapa ki te raki, i runga i te whakapono ka noho ora rātou i reira. He maha rātou i haere ki Nukutaurua i Te Māhia noho ai. Ko Piripi me tana whānau, me ētahi atu o rātou i noho kē ki Waimārama i te riu o Tākitimu. Ko te whakaaro nō te tau 1837 i whānau ai a Piripi ki reira. I kuraina ia ki te kura mihinare a Te Wiremu (William Williams) i Waerenga-a-Hika, i kō tata mai o Tūranga (Gisborne). Nā reira i noho pakari ai mō ngā rā kei te tū mai, mō ngā mahi mō tana iwi, ā, i tū ai hei kaihautū mō tana iwi.

I te tekau tau mai i 1840, ka tīmata te whānau a Piripi ki te hokihoki ki Te Wairarapa. Ko Piripi kua moe i te wahine i a Meri Te Haeata. Kua whānau kē he tamaiti mā rāua kātahi anō ka nuku ki Te Wairarapa, i ngā tau mai i 1850. Nā ana mahi pāmu ka tino piki te mana o Piripi. Nāna i rīhi mai ētahi whenua i ōna whanaunga hei whakatipu hipi, kau hoki. I runga i te tino whānui o ana mahi pāmu, ka huri a ia ki te rapa Pākehā hei kaimahi māna. Rite tonu hoki tōna mātauranga ki te whakahaere i ana whenua, i ana pāmu, ki tō ngā tāngata whai. Ka kitea tōna kaha. Ka kitea tōna tau hei whiriwhiri i ngā raruraru e pā ana ki ō rātou whenua, ki ō rātou taunga ika. I ngā wā katoa, tūpato tonu a ia kia mau i te iwi o Te Wairarapa ō rātou whenua, ā rātou taunga ika, me ā rātou taonga katoa, mai i mua noa atu i te taenga mai o te Pākehā. Arā, kia kore rawa atu e ngaro tō rātou mana ki ēnei taonga. Ka waiho hei pakangatanga māna e pupuri ngā moana e rua, ā, mate noa. Ina hoki i te tau 1853 nā Te Mākarini (Donald McLean), te kōmihana tumuaki hoko whenua, i hoko mā te kāwanatanga ngā whenua i ngā tapa tonu o ngā moana e rua. Kāore i tino mārama i ngā pukapuka hoko, te whānuitanga o ngā whenua i hokona e Te Mākarini. Heoi anō, i kōrero ā-wahangia e Te Mākarini ko ngā roto ka noho pūmau ki ngā Māori tae atu hoki ki ngā wāhi reporepo e waipuketia ana. Ko tana whakatau ka whainatia te Pākehā £50 mehemea ka poka noa ki te whakatuwhera i te ārai kirikiri i te wahapū o te roto i Ōnoke.

Ko ngā roto nei, kī tonu i te kai. Ka puta te tūpuhi, ka pā te hau tonga, ka tū mai te matatara i te wahapū hei pā tuna. Ka rere ngā tuna. Kāore i ārikarika. Tae ana ki te 20 tana ka mau mai! Ka pawherahia. Ko ētahi ka whakawhitia mō te huahua, mō ngā kai moana a ētahi atu iwi. Tae rawa ki Te Wairoa, ki Tūranga. He wā anō ka tukuna ētahi hei koha.

I te tekau tau mai i 1860 ka minamina ngā Pākehā ki ngā whenua kirikiri i waipuketia i te taha o ngā roto. Ka mahia whānakotia e ētahi o rātou. Heoi nā aua waipuke tonu rā i uaua ai ngā mahi pāmu a ngā Pākehā. I ngā tau whakamutunga o te tekau tau mai i 1860, ka tahuri rātou ki te rapa huarahi hei whakatuwhera i te ārai kirikiri, ēngari kāore rātou i tono ki te hunga nō rātou ake te whenua. I te tau 1868 ka haere a Piripi Te Maari rāua ko Rāniera Te Iho me ētahi atu, ki te tono ki te kāwanatanga kia whakamanaia ngā whakarite a Te Mākarini. He wā ka pai te noho a ngā iwi e rua. Ka whakaae te iwi kia whakatuwheratia te ārai kirikiri, ka utua mai te moni £40. Ēngari i ngā marama mai i a Hānuere ki Maehe i te rerenga o te tuna, kua katia. Āhua pai tonu.

Heoi, kore rawa atu i ngata te hiahia o ngā Pākehā, ka tautohe tonu ki te kāwanatanga kia hokona ngā roto, kia whakamutua te waipuke ki ō rātou whenua. I te tau 1872 i runga i te tono a tētahi tangata whai, a Richard Barton, ka hui a Rākaiwhakairi ki Te Waitapu e pātata ana ki Tuhitarata. Ka whakataungia kia kaua e hokona ngā roto. Kore, kore rawa a Piripi i whakaae ki te hoko.

Ēngari i te tau 1876 ka whakahaeretia tētahi kaupapa e Te Mānihera Te Rangi-taka-iwaho rāua ko Edward Maunsell, te takawaenga a te kāwanatanga. Ka tohe kia hokona e Te Hiko rāua ko Hēmi Te Miha me ētahi atu, ō rātou taunga ika i te roto i Ōnoke. Nā te mahi nanakia a Te Mānihera ka riro, ka whiua te kupu ko 'Te Hoko a Te Hiko'. Nō te haerenga mai o Maunsell ki te utu ka tūtaki ki a Piripi Te Maari. Ko te riringa o Piripi, nā te mea he ruarua noa iho te hunga nō rātou te whenua, i whakaae ki te hoko.

I taua wā, ko Piripi tonu te kaihautū o te iwi. Ko ia anō te tiamana o te komiti e pupuri tonu ana i ngā whenua. He komiti whāiti nō te Rūnanga o Wairarapa i whakaaria rā i te tau 1859. Tae rawa atu ki ngā tau mai i 1880, ko Piripi tonu te tino māngai mō te iwi mō ngā take katoa e pā ana ki ngā roto. Nō te tau 1882 ka tīmata tana tohe ki te Kōti Whenua Māori kia whakakorea te take a te kāwanatanga i te mea 17 noa ngā mea i kōrerohia ō rātou pānga. Nō 1883 rā anō ka whakaaetia te tono a Piripi. Ka rēhitangia ko Piripi, ko Rāniera Te Iho me te 137 te hunga nō rātou ngā roto. Tērā waimarie. He maha ngā tono a Piripi ki te Kōti Whenua Māori – ehara i te mea mōna anake, ēngari mō te huhua noa iho. I te tau 1883 ko ia tētahi o te komiti tekau-mā-rua i whakatūria i Pāpāwai hei tirotiro i ngā raruraru katoa i waenga i ngā Māori me ngā Pākehā i Te Wairarapa.

Ka hoki mai anō a Maunsell ki te tohe. Ka tūtaki ia ki a Piripi i Tauanui. Ka mea atu a Piripi e kore te hunga whai pānga ki ngā roto e tuku i tō rātou mana. Ka whakautua e Maunsell ka tohe tonu te kāwanatanga, ahakoa pēhea. Tae atu ki te hoko i ngā hea takitahi o ngā mea ka whakaae. Ka whakatakotoria e Piripi ngā amuamu a tana iwi mō ngā āhuatanga mai i te tau 1855. I taua tau ka rū te whenua, ka puhaina ake he whenua hou i te tapa o ngā roto. Nō ngā Māori kē tērā whenua, ēngari nā te kāwanatanga i poka noa ki te hoko i tētahi wāhanga. Tuarua, kei te whakakī haere ngā roto i te kirikiri. Kua whakangaro ngā kai moana me ngā ika. Mehemea ka totohe te kāwana ki te kari awa atu ki te moana, kātahi ka tino ngaro rawa atu ngā kai moana. Tuatoru, kei te takatakahia ō rātou taonga e te hunga pupuhi pārera hei hoko. Ko ēnei āhua katoa e mahia ana i runga i te whenua, i ngā roto kei te iwi kāinga tonu te mana motuhake.

Nō te tau 1886, ka whakaaro a Piripi he pai kē atu tana whakaae ki ētahi o ngā tono a te kāwanatanga. Ka hui ki Pāpāwai, ka tae ake te minita mō ngā take Māori, a Te Paraihe (John Bryce). Ka whakaae te iwi kia whakatuwheratia te ārai kirikiri i te whakapaunga o ngā rā o Āperire. Kore i roa i muri mai, ka whakaae a Piripi kia whakapotohia te wā hī ika mā ngā marama e rua. He tino whakaaro nui tēnei. Ko Piripi rāua ko Wī Hūtana ngā māngai o te iwi ki te minita hou, ki a Paranihi (John Ballance), i te 12 o Noema 1886, ki te whakarite i tēnei take.

Heoi, kāore i tatū pai nā te mea i whakahēngia e te poari o te awa o Ruamāhanga (Ruamāhanga River Board). Ka tono ki te kāwanatanga kia tautokona tā rātou whakahau me whakatuwhera ngā roto. Ka kī rātou, he awakeri mō te katoa a Wairarapa moana. Ko te tiamana o taua poari ko Peter Hume. Nōna te whenua i tino ngaro rawa i te waipuke. I te tau 1888, ka whakamātauria te mana whenua o te iwi e te poari. Ka tonoa he rōpū tāngata – e 33 – ki te kari awa hei whakatuwhera i te ārai. E rua ngā pirihimana i reira hei hāpai i te ture. Ka puta atu hoki ko Piripi me tana ope; ka tautohetohetia te kaupapa. Ka tuhia e Piripi tana whakahē, ka hainatia e tētahi o ngā māngai a te poari, hei tohu kua mau tana ringa ki te pukapuka a Piripi.

Kātahi ka pitihanatia e Piripi te kāwanatanga kiatirotirohia te take. Ka whakatūria he kōmihana uiui i te tau 1891 hei āta titiro, hei āta whiriwhiri i ngā āhuatanga katoa e pā ana ki Te Wairarapa. Ko Alexander Mackay te tiamana o taua kōmihana uiui. I te putanga o te rīpoata a te kōmihana, rangirua ana ngā whakatau. Tuatahi, puta kē ngā kōrero mō te whenua waipuke i Tūranganui i hokona ai e te Karauna. Ko te rohe o taua whenua ko te paenga o te waipuke. Heoi i te mea nā ngā Māori ngā roto, nā rātou anō hoki te rua kirikiri. Tētahi i raro i ngā whakahau a te Tiriti o Waitangi, kāore e whakaaetia kia raruraru ngā taunga ika a te iwi nō rātou ake te roto. Ka āpititia atu te whakapae, kāore anō hoki i tika kia tukuna e te iwi kia waipuketia ngā whenua i hokohokona e rātou ki a tauiwi.

Ka totohe anō te poari o te awa o Ruamāhanga ki te kari i tētahi awakeri i aua roto i te tau 1892. Ka haere ngā Māori 100 me ā rātou rōia ki te aukati. Me te pirihimana anō i reira hei whakatūpato. Ka huri atu te poari ki te whakaweti i te iwi kāinga me te kī, tērā ka riro mā te ture tonu rātou e whiu. I tukuna ai kia mahi ngā kaimahi a te poari.

Kāore tonu i tau ngā whakaaro o Piripi. Ka tohea tana take ki te Kōti Pīra (Court of Appeal), ka whakakorea mai. Ka kuhu tonu. Ka tukuna anō he pitihana; me te pānui ka tono rawa a ia mā te Kaunihera Motuhake a te Kuini (Privy Council) e whakatau. Nō te tau 1895 rā anō, ka whai hua tana tono ki te Komiti Mō Ngā Take Māori i te Whare Pāremata. Ka whakaaengia kia utua te iwi kāinga ki te moni kāpeneheihana, mō ngā hē i mahia ki a rātou.

Kāore i roa i muri mai ka mate a Piripi Te Maari i te 26 o Ākuhata 1895 i Hūpēnui (Greytown). I whakahokia ki tana ūkaipō, ki Waimārama. Ki reira tanu ai. E rua ana wāhine – ko Meri Te Haeata te wahine matua, ko Hēni Te Taka te tuarua. Tokowaru katoa ana tamariki ka mahue e rima e ora ana. Nō te tau 1887 ka iriirihia a ia i te 2 o Hune ki te Hāhi Mōmona i Waitapu. I noho rawa a ia hei kaikauhau. Ko ia tētahi o ngā kaiwhakamāori i te Pukapuka Tapu a ngā Mōmona. Noho taupatupatu tonu ia ki ngā iwi o Ngāti Porou nā te mea kua huri kē rātou ki te Kotahitanga hei āwhina i a rātou ki te pana atu i ngā Mōmona ki waho o Aotearoa.

Nō te tau i muri mai, nō 1896, ka tatū i a Tamahau Mahupuku te āhuatanga e utua ai te iwi nā rātou ngā roto, £2,000. I tua atu i tērā i takoto te whakatau ka whakawāteatia ētahi 'whenua rāhui e tika ana'. Ōtira, nō te tau 1915 rawa kātahi anō ka whiwhi te iwi o Te Wairarapa ki te whenua o Pouākani i Mangakino, i roto o Waikato. E 30,486 eka. He whenua pūhore. He mahi nui ka taea he oranga. Heoi, i kitea he rongoā hei whakaora i te whenua, ka piki ake te ora mō te hunga i nuku ki Pouākani. Kua hokona ētahi o ngā whenua, ēngari he maha tonu rātou kei reira e noho ana i nāianei.


He whakaaturanga anō

Rārangi pukapuka

    Aburn, A. Pirinoa. Carterton, 1987

    Appendices to the Journals of the House of Representatives (New Zealand). 1891 Sess. II, G--4

    Bagnall, A. G. Wairarapa. Masterton, 1976


Me pēnei te tohu i te whārangi:

Angela Ballara and Mita Carter. 'Te Maari-o-te-rangi, Piripi', Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, first published in 1990. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/mi/biographies/1t47/te-maari-o-te-rangi-piripi (accessed 29 March 2024)