Whārangi 1: Haurongo
Te Wharepōuri, Te Kakapi-o-te-rangi
?–1842
Nō Te Āti Awa; he toa
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.
He toa taua o Te Āti Awa tēnei tangata a Te Wharepōuri. Ko tōna īngoa tuatahi ko Te Kakapi-o-te-rangi. I whānau ia i Taranaki, i te whakapaunga o te rau tau mai i 1700.
Ahakoa ko Hōniana Te Puni-kōkupu te ariki nui o ngā hapū o Ngāti Te Whiti me Ngāti Tāwhirikura, ko tōna teina, ko Te Wharepōuri, te toa. I ōna rā he pakanga tonu te mahi a ngā iwi, a ngā hapū; ka kitea te toa o Te Wharepōuri ki te mau i ngā rākau a Tūmatauenga, te māia o te tangata, te marutuna. Ka whakatūria e tana iwi, ko ia hei amokapua mō rātou. I te hekenga mai o te waitaua nunui, arā, ko Amiowhenua, i ngā tau 1821 ki 1822, e tinga ana ko ia tētahi o ngā kaiātete. I te tau 1822, ka pakanga a ia ki a Waikato i Motunui. Ka haere te wā, ka tawhiti kē atu tana haere ki ngā pakanga a Ngāti Tama, a Ngāti Mutunga, i te haerenga tuatahi ki Te Wairarapa. I haere rawa pea rāua ko Te Whatanui ki Te Matau-a-Māui (Hawke's Bay). I te tau 1828, ka tahuri ia ki te whakakīkī i a Hakirau (John Agar Love) rāua ko tōna hoa, ko Tiki Pārete (Richard Barrett) ki te whakatū i tā rāua toa hokohoko ki Ngāmotu, he wāhi o Nū Paremata (New Plymouth) o ēnei rā. Kia kore ai e mate tōna iwi ina tomokia anō, ka haere ia ki Poihākena (Port Jackson) mā te kaipuke o Pārete ko Tohorā te īngoa, ki te hoko pū, paura hoki.
I te tau 1831 i muri mai, ka hoki ake a Waikato ki Taranaki ki te ngaki i ana mate. I Pukerangiora te parekura nui. Ko te rerenga o ngā mōrehu ki a Te Wharepōuri, ka whāia e Waikato, ka pakipakia rātou i te pā o Ōtaka ki Ngāmotu. E toru ngā wiki e awhitia ana te pā. Nā te āwhina a Hakirau rāua ko Pārete, ki te whakapuru i a rāua pū ki te maitai, ki te kōhatu, ka mate a Waikato, hoki atu ana. E ai ki te kōrero, 350 te parekura.
Mōhio tonu a Te Wharepōuri tērā a Waikato e hoki mai anō ki te ngaki i ana mate. Ka tupu te whakaaro me heke rātou ki te tonga, kia tawhiti atu i te hoa ngangare. I te tau 1832 pea, ka ārahina e Te Wharepōuri ana toa, e 400, me ā rātou wāhine, tamariki, i te heke i huaina rā ko Tama-te-uaua. Ko ngā hapū o Ngāmotu, ko Ngāti Tāwhirikura, ko Ngāti Te Whiti, me ērā atu hapū o Te Āti Awa, i muri mai ka huaina ko te iwi o Ngāmotu. Ka heke rātou katoa; ka heke anō ko Ngāti Rāhiri, ko Ngāti Tū, ko Ngāti Hineuru, ko Ngāti Mutunga, ko Ngāti Tama, ko Puketapu, ko Manukorihi, ko Pukerangiora, ko Kaitangata, ko Te Whakarewa. I whai anō hoki ā rātou Pākehā, a Hakirau rāua ko Pārete me ā rāua whānau o Te Āti Awa.
Tau rawa atu ki Kāpiti, ka nuku anō ki Te Uruhi i Waikanae noho ai mō ngā tau e rua. Ko ētahi o rātou i haere ka noho ki ō rātou whanaunga o Ngāti Mutunga i Pito-one (Petone) – ko tōna tuakana tonu, ko Matangi rāua ko tana tama, ko Te Mānihera Te Toru. Nō muri mai ka heke anō a Te Wharepōuri ki Te Koanga-ā-umu – he wāhi pā tata atu ki Porirua. I reira hoki ngā māra a Te Puni. He aha rā, ka piki ki ō rātou waka, ka heke anō – ki Ōkiwi i te ākau, kei te taha rāwhiti i Te Whanganui-a-Tara, ka huri mā Palliser Bay, ka piki i te awa o Ruamāhanga ki te tuawhenua. E kimi ana, e rapu ana i tētahi kāinga tūturu, e ora ai tā rātou noho.
I ngā tau maha i mua atu, i nohoia tērā takiwā e te hunga o Ngāti Tama, o Ngāti Mutunga. Ina rā, i noho i runga i te ngākau manawa-pā, i te mea ko tērā whenua nō ngā iwi kē o Rangitāne, o Ngāti Kahungunu, o Ngāti Ira. I te auau o ngā pakanga, ka haere kē a Ngāti Tama me Ngāti Mutunga, ka neke whakararo a Nuku-pewapewa rāua ko Tūtepākihirangi i ō rāua iwi. Rokohanga atu e Te Wharepōuri me tōna tira, he whenua mahue a Te Wairarapa – he hanga noa iho ngā mea i reira e noho ana. Te mutunga iho, ka marara te noho o te hunga o Taranaki. Ēngari a Te Wharepōuri i tau tonu te noho ki Kaiwaewae, arā, ki Patumōkai (Featherston). He tangata tārai waka a Te Wharepōuri, nō reira ka whakahaungia e ia ana tāngata ki te hanga waka. He whai tohorā pea tētahi o ana mahi.
I te rongonga mai o Nuku-pewapewa kua tae anō tētahi hunga anō o Taranaki ki Te Wairarapa, ka hoki mai me tana ope taua, ka whakaekea a Te Wharepōuri i Tauwharerata. Waimarie i pahika ia, ēngari ko tana wahine ko Te Uamairangi, me tā rāua tamaiti taurima, ko Te Kakapi, i mau hereheretia. Heoi, i arohaina rāua e Nuku-pewapewa, ka tukuna. Huri tonu iho a Te Uamairangi, ka tukuna atu tana tamāhine taurima ki a Nuku-pewapewa.
Ka tonoa e Nuku-pewapewa he kaiārahi hei mau i a Te Uamairangi ki te kimi i a Te Wharepōuri. Kāti, kua tae kē ia i Noema o 1835 ki runga i a Matiu (Somes Island), he motu i Te Whanganui-a-Tara, i muri tonu iho i te maunutanga atu o te ope tuatahi o Ngāti Mutunga. E ahu ana ki Rēkohu, arā, ki Wharekauri (Chatham Islands). Ka takatū ki te haere, ka tukuna e Wiremu Piti Pōmare mā te mana o ō rātou whenua ki a Matangi rāua ko tana tama, ko Te Mānihera Te Toru. Ka pā te karanga a Matangi ki a Te Wharepōuri kia haere atu ki Pito-one, kia tangohia e ia mōna ngā whenua o Ngāti Mutunga i whakarērea mai rā i Ngāūranga. Tū tonu ake taua māia, ka panaia a Ngāti Haumia, ahakoa anō i āta whakaritea e Ngāti Mutunga he mahinga kai mā rātou ki reira.
Ka noho, ā, ka puta atu a Te Uamairangi. Tere tonu te kite o Te Wharepōuri i tētahi tikanga hei hohou i te rongo ki ngā hoariri o Te Āti Awa. Ka tiakina, ka manaakitia ngā kaiārahi mai i tana wahine; ka whakatipuria he kai hei utu i te hokinga ki Te Matau-a-Māui mā te kaipuke o te Pākehā. I haere anō hoki ia ki te tono kia tukuna mai tana whanaunga.
Ka waerea te ngahere, ka hangaia e Te Wharepōuri, e Wī Tako Ngātata mā he whare – ko Te Akitiwha – mō rātou katoa ki Ngāūranga. Nō muri mai ka whakatūria e Te Wharepōuri ko Pukeatua, hei whare mōna ake. Heoi, hokihoki tonu ai ia ki Te Wairarapa, kia mau tonu ai tana ahikā. I Āperire o te tau 1836, i te ūnga mai o te kaipuke whaiwhai tohorā, te Active, ki Palliser Bay, ka whakaraua e ia. Ko tōna hiahia he whakawhiti ki Rēkohu ki te taha o ngā mea kua tau te noho ki reira. Heoi, i rarua rātou e te kāpene o te kaipuke. E rua tekau noa iho te tira o Te Wharepōuri i heria, ka mutu, i tukuna kē atu ki uta i te takiwā o Tōtaranui (Queen Charlotte Sound).
I te tau 1839, i te ūnga mai o te Tory te kaipuke o te Kamupene o Niu Tīreni (New Zealand Company), nāna i mau mai ngā tāngata o Ingarangi ki tēnei whenua, kua noho kē a Te Wharepōuri ki Ngāūranga. Kāore tonu i roa te taenga mai o ngā Pākehā, ka hokona e rāua ko tōna tuakana, ko Hōniana Te Puni, te whenua katoa e takoto ana mai i Rimurapa (Sinclair Head) ki Tūrakirae; atu i te tahamoana ki te tihi o ngā maunga o Tararua. Nā te māharahara tērā ka tāmia rāua e te hoariri, i mahi pēnei ai rāua. Kua mutu kē hoki te haerenga mai o ngā whanaunga o Te Āti Awa, ā, kua whakarērea e ngā mea o Taranaki te whenua nei. Āpiti atu hoki, i te nui o te utu i riro mai i a rāua, riro mai ana i a Te Wharepōuri 120 ngā pū, 21 ngā kāho paura. I tua atu i tērā, i whakaaro rātou, ngā rangatira, ka tiakina rātou e ngā Pākehā me ō rātou kaipuke, me ā rātou pū.
Kāore ia, ka tū mai anō he pakanga, i te whakatakariri o Ngāti Raukawa kua whai rawa a Te Āti Awa i tā rātou hokonga i te whenua i tukuna atu hei nohoanga noa iho mō rātou, ēhara i te tuku whakarere. E toru ngā wiki i muri iho o te hokonga, ka pakanga rātou i Te Kūititanga. Kāore a Te Wharepōuri i reira, ēngari ka tae atu ia – i te ono o ngā rā – ki te āwhina i ōna whanaunga. Nō te marama o Noema ka houhia te rongo.
Ka haere te wā, ka takatū a Te Wharepōuri ki te haere ki Heretaunga ki te tono kia whakahokia mai tana tamāhine taurima, a Te Kakapi. Tae rawa atu, kua ngaro kē a Nuku-pewapewa – i toremi; ka waiata a Te Wharepōuri i tana tangi. Ka riro nā Tūtepākihirangi i whakatau i te tono a Te Wharepōuri. He pounamu tāna i tuku ai, ēngari kāore i whāwhātia mai; me whakahoki ko ngā whenua o Te Wairarapa, kātahi ka ea. Ka whakaae a Te Wharepōuri me tōna rahinga. Ka whakaritea ko te paemaunga o Tararua hei rohe. Ko Ngāti Kahungunu, ko Hāmua o Rangitāne me ērā atu o Te Wairarapa ki te taha rāwhiti; ko ngā iwi o Taranaki ki te taha ā-uru. I whakatūria rawahia he kōhatu, hei tatau pounamu. I whakatūria ki te ākau, ki te taha rāwhiti i Whakataki.
Ahakoa anō ngā whakamārama a Wairaweke (William Wakefield) mō te tira Pākehā kei te haere mai; i te taenga mai, ohorere ana a Te Wharepōuri, i te tino maha rawa e whia rau kē! I hua ia ka taea noa atu e ia te whakahaere i raro i tōna mana, i tōna maru; kāti ia, nō tana hokonga atu i te whenua, i tukuna pōhēhētia, he tuku whakarere tonu atu. Iti rawa nei te wāhanga i mahue mai ki a ia. I mea rawa ia ki te hoki ki Taranaki, kore noa iho; mau tonu iho ki Pōneke (Port Nicholson, Wellington). I te 29 o Āperira 1840, i te heringa mai o te Tiriti o Waitangi ki Pōneke, ka whakamaua e Te Wharepōuri tōna tohu.
Atu i tēnei wā, ka noho pōuri te kaingārahu nei – ngā mea e noho ana i Kumutoto, i Pipitea, i Ngāūranga, e taukumekume ana mō ō rātou whenua; mō ngā moni i riro mai mō ngā mea i hokona; mō ngā rāhuitanga i mau tonu i a Te Wharepōuri me tōna iwi. Ki ērā i Te Aro, he mea takoha noa te utu mō ō rātou whenua i te tuahine o Te Wharepōuri. Ka heke te mana o te koroua nei; ka mahue rāua ko Te Puni i ā rāua Pākehā. I taki heke kē ki tētahi takiwā anō o Pōneke, ki Britannia e mōhiotia ana i nāianei ko Thorndon. Tērā anō ngā āpiha o te Kamupene i te whakawai i a Te Wharepōuri, ēngari mōhio tonu iho ia – me ētahi atu o ngā Māori – kua tino heke kē tōna tipu. Kua tupu te whakaaro o te kāwana me ana kaiwhakahaere, ko Te Wharepōuri he nanakia, he mea i hokona ai te whenua o te tangata kē.
Na, kātahi ka kitea he tangata Māori kua hemo i muri atu o te pā i Te Aro, ka puritia e Te Wharepōuri te tūpāpaku kia kauaka e riro kia tirotirohia. Ka whakapaengia e ia nā ngā Pākehā kua tau te noho, i kōhuru taua tangata. I runga i tēnei āhua, ka noho āwangawanga ngā Pākehā, kei tū mai he riri a ngā Māori, ka kōhurutia ko rātou. Ka karangahia ngā pirihimana kia tū mai hei tiaki i a rātou. Ēngari, ka noho pai noa iho.
Ka noho tēnā koroua, ka pēhia e te ngākau pōuri; ka tū ko te anga anake; he haurangi tonu te āhua; ka whēwhēngia te māhunga ā, ka mate ki Ngāūranga,i te 22 o Noema 1842. Ka mahue mai ko Te Uamairangi rāua ko Te Kakapi me ana tungāne, tuāhine hoki. I tanumia ki Pito-one, ka whakaarahia tētahi wāhanga o tana waka hei tohu i tōna rua. Ko tana ōhākī ki tana tuakana ki a Hōniana Te Puni-kōkopu, 'Kia pai te manaaki i ō tāua iwi, i ngā Māori me ngā Pākehā.'