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Kōrero: Te Pairi Tūterangi

Whārangi 1: Haurongo

Te Pairi Tūterangi

?–1954

Nō Tūhoe; he kaihautū, he tohunga, he pū kōrero, he tohunga whakairo, he kaiwhatu

I tuhia tēnei haurongo e Pou Temara, ā, i tāngia tuatahitia ki Ngā Tāngata Taumata Rau i te 1996. He mea whakamāori nā Ngā Tangata Taumata Rau.

Tēnā pea nō te tekau tau atu i 1840 i whānau ai a Te Pairi Tūterangi, i Maungapōhatu i te waengarahi o Te Urewera. Nō te taha ki tōna pāpā, ki Tūterangi tōna pānga ki a Tamakaimoana o Maungapōhatu, ki a Te Whakatōhea o Ōpōtiki me Ngāi Tūterangi o Tūhourangi o Te Arawa. Nō Te Waimana tōna whaea a Emeria, arā, ko Meri Maraki rānei tōna īngoa. Ko tōna hapū ki roto ki a Tūhoe ko Ngāi Tūranga. I hono anō hoki ia ki a Te Arawa. Kotahi noa te teina o Te Pairi, ko Nāhiri te īngoa. Tokotoru ana tuāhine, arā, ko Tike, ko Waikohu me Kārepe.

E whitu nei ngā tau o Te Pairi, ka whakatapua ia ki te atua, ki a Tūmatauenga. Riro ana nā tana matua kēkē rongonui, nā Te Whiu Maraki a ia i tohutohu ki ngā tikanga mau rākau a te toa Māori. He toa a Te Pairi ki te mau rākau, ā, ko te taiaha me te toki poutangata tāna i tino matatau ai. I ngā pakanga o te tekau tau atu i 1860 ka mahue i a ia ngā rākau whawhai a te ao kōhatu, ka mau kē ki te pū. I a ia e noho ana i ōna whanaunga o Te Whakatōhea i Ōpōtiki, ka kite ia i te whakawānga me te whakamatenga i te minita rā, i a Te Wākana (Carl Völkner) i Maehe o te tau 1865. Ka tīmata te patu haere a te kāwanatanga i a Te Whakatōhea, ka rere atu a Te Pairi ki ōna whanaunga o Tūhoe i Te Waimana whakaruru ai, ā, i muri iho ka nuku atu ia ki Maungapōhatu. Taui ake ana a Te Kooti ki Te Urewera i te tau 1868, kotahi tonu atu a Te Pairi rāua ko Te Whiu ki te āwhina i a ia. Noho ana a Te Whiu hai tino hoa mō Te Kooti, hai kaitohutohu hoki i a ia mō te mahi kawe i te riri, kawe hoki i te taha wairua. Ka nui kē ngā pakanga me ngā pāpāranga i kōkiritia e rāua i ngā whaitua o Te Urewera me Taupō.

I ngā wā i waenganui i ngā pakanga, whakahauhautia ana e Te Kooti ana pononga ki te whakatū kura whakairo, ā, i tēnei wā i tīmata haere mai te mōhio o Te Pairi ki te whakairo. Pārekareka ana hoki ki a Te Kooti te mahi whakatūtū rērehi hōiho, hai whakamāmā ake pea māna i te mōkinokino o tēnei mea o te pakanga. He tino toa nei a Te Pairi ki te eke hōiho, ā, nā te mea he tūpuhi tōna hanga i rawe ia hai tioke. Pau noa ōna rā i mina haere tonu a Te Pairi ki ngā mahi hōiho, ā, titoa rawatia ana he waiata mōna me ana hōiho.

Ka mutu ngā pakanga, ka moea e Te Pairi a Te Maromako, he wahine nō Ngāti Hinekura o Waikaremoana. Tokowhitu ā rāua tamariki: ko Eretini, ko Hopa, ko Wirihana, ko Tarakawa, ko Te Kirikau, ko Pita me Nāhiri. Nō te tau 1872 i rere atu ai a Te Kooti ki te Rohe Pōtae noho ai, i raro i te maru o Kīngi Tāwhiao. Tonoa ana a Te Kooti e Tāwhiao ki te whakatū, whakairo hoki i te whare nui nei, i a Te Tokanganui-a-noho i Te Kūiti. I konei ka whai wāhi anō a Te Pairi ki te whakanui ake i ōna mōhio ki te whakairo. He tangata whakapono a Te Pairi ki te hāhi Ringatū, ā, ko ia tētahi o ngā karere e kawe ana i ngā kupu whakaari a Te Kooti ki ngā rohe e aukati tonu ana ki a rātau. Ka unuhia nei te hara o Te Kooti i te tau 1883, haere ana a Te Pairi hai hoa mōna, whakaekea ana e rāua te maha o ngā marae i te rohe o Waikato tae atu ki Te Moana-a-Toi (Bay of Plenty). Nā ēnei haere a rātau i tohunga ai a Te Pairi ki te whaikōrero. Nō muri i te matenga o Te Kooti i te tau 1893, i hoki atu ai a Te Pairi ki Te Hikutaia i te kōawaawa o Te Waimana noho ai ki runga i ngā whenua o tōna whaea. Kātahi mai i reira ka nuku ki kō paku atu ki Piripari, ā, nō muri rawa mai ka nuku whakarunga anō ki Ōmuriwaka noho ai.

Nā te mea he huhua ngā mahi i tohunga ai a Te Pairi Tūterangi, ka mau kē te wehi o Tūhoe ki tō rātau rangatira. Tino mōhiotia ana ia mō te whaikōrero, inarā, he ngutu kākā; he momo anō, he taunga ki te tū marae whatārangi ai. Kātahi kē te hanga o te tangata, te mā o ngā makawe, e rere ana ngā pāhau, he tautau pounamu roa nei i ngā taringa, he toki i tōna ringa e wiri, e tohu ana. Hai whakatairanga i ana kōrero, tāmaramara ana ia i te marae, oma tonu atu nei, hūpeke mai ana, tau ana ki raro, tīkapea ake te waewae, huri ake ana, anga mai ana. E uaua ai te mākutu a te tohunga i a ia e tū ana i te marae, kore rawa ia e roa e tū ana i te wāhi kotahi. I a ia e whaikōrero ana he rāpaki nei tāna e mau ana. Mehemea he kaka Pākehā nei wōna, āta tangohia rawatia ana e ia ana hū me ana tōkena. Tangohia ana hoki e ia tana tarau, ā, takaitia ana e ia tana hope ki te paraikete. Ki te titiro nei, e kore ia e mate i te makariri, e rongo rānei i te mamae. He wā nei, hūpeke ana, tau ana, tū ana tōna waewae i te maramara kōiwi. Noho iho ana ki raro, tangohia ake ana e ia te ngota ka tīmata anō te whaikōrero. Hai tohu mō te manawa wera o Te Pairi, tapaina ana ia e tōna whanaunga tata, e Mita Taupopoki ki te īngoa karanga 'Te Pairi Tarapekepeke'. Nō Tūhourangi te rangatira nei a Mita Taupopoki.

Ko te waihere pī tonu a Te Pairi mō ngā kōrero tuku iho. He tohunga ki te whakapapa, taea noatia e ia te hoki rawa ki ngā whakatupuranga o mua tātai mai ai. I ngā kura wānanga o Mātaatua me Te Arawa a ia e kauhau ana i ngā take whakapapa. He mōhio anō hoki a Te Pairi ki te taha pure mō te wahine, me te pure whakawhānau tamariki hoki. Ka uaua nei te whakawhānau a te wahine i te tamaiti, haria tonutia atu ana ki a Te Pairi. Hai whakaheke i te werawera o te wahine ka tahuri ia ki te hanga whare kaponga. Tangohia ake ana e ia kia 12 ngā kōhatu whakawera ai, ā, meinga atu ana e ia kia whā noa i te wā kotahi ki roto i te whare. Kātahi ka kuhuna atu te wahine e waha ana ki roto, kia romiromitia e ngā wāhine kaiāwhina. Ko Te Pairi tonu i te tohutohu i ngā kaiāwhina, ā, rehua ana e ia te karakia tika. Pau ana te whakamahi i ngā kōhatu 12 kua pai noa te whakawhānau.

Kāre kē he painga o Te Pairi ki te mau taiaha, ā, he tino toa tonu ngā tāngata i pakanga ki a ia, taka rawa mai ki roto i te rau tau rua ngahuru. I ngā tau tōmuri o te tekau tau atu i 1920 i tū ai tētahi pakanga rongonui i waenganui i a Hōri 'Mau Taiaha' Hōhua o Ngāti Koura rāua ko Te Pairi i te marae o Tauarau i Rūātoki. Ko ērā anō i whawhai ki a ia i Ruatāhuna me Maungapōhatu, ko Te Ānewa Te Aare, ko Te Mata Kiripā me Te Kēhua. I te pā o Te Poroporo e tata atu rā ki Whakatāne, i karawhiu ai rāua ko tētahi tangata o Ngāti Pūkeko. Mehemea kāre i pērā i a ia te toa o te tangata ki te mau rākau, mutu tonu atu te whawhai a te tangata ki a ia. He wā anō e toro atu ana ia ki te marae o Waikirikiri i Rūātoki, ka tūpono atu ki tētahi hunga e whawhai ana. Horahia ana e ia tana korowai i te taha tonu o te hunga rā, kātahi ka tukuna e ia tana ohiti. Me e takahia ana tana korowai, ka riro te tangata nā hai kai mā tana toki. Mutu tonu atu te whawhai a te hunga rā.

I a ia e taitamariki tonu ana, i akona ai a Te Pairi ki te whakairo, ā, ka tae ake nei te wā whakairohia ana e ia ngā whare nui nei a Te Maungaroa me Whakarae i te awaawa o Te Waimana. Nāna anō te whare nui i Ōmuriwaka i whakatū, ā, nāna katoa ngā whakairo i mahi. Ko te tangata i te āwhina i a ia, ko te kāmura nei, ko Mātānuku o Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki. I te otinga o te whare, tapaina ana ko Te Tatau-ki-a-Hape-Tūārangi. Hai whakahaere i te kawanga o te whare ka pōwhiritia atu e ia ōna whanaunga o Tūhourangi o Te Arawa hai hiki i te tapu. I te wā o te kawa, kitea ana e ia te āta whakakotititanga a te tohunga i te pure. Me ka waiho noa iho kia pērā, ka waimehatia te wairua o te whare. Werohia tonutia atu e ia taua tohunga rā, tohu ana a Te Pairi ki tōna waha, me tōna tou, karanga atu hoki, 'Mā konei koe e kuhua atu ai, mā konā koe e puta atu ai'. Katoa te wā i a ia e kōrero ana, e wiriwiri tonu ana tana toki. Whati tere tonu te whakatika ake a te tohunga rā i tāna i mahi hē ai.

Ko tētahi mahi ā-ringa anō āna ko te whatu korowai, inā kē te ātaahua. Whakamahia ana e ia ngā taitama o Te Waimana ki te hopu i te kiwi, me ērā atu anō o ngā manu. I te kaonga mai o ngā manu, mahue tūturu ana i a ia te hunga kāinga, ka haere ka noho kē mai ia ko tana kotahi, whatu ai i tana korowai. Kāore rawa ia e whakamau ana i te kākahu Māori mehemea ehara i a ia tonu i mahi. Kai tūkinotia tōna tapu, i tino tūpato ia ki te wahine e noa nei tōna āhua, tae atu hoki ki te koha kākahu mai a te tangata o iwi kē ki a ia, nā te mea kua oti pea te mākutu. O ngā korowai katoa i tukua mai ki a ia i āta meinga e ia hei taonga whakarākai i roto i tōna whare nui.

I te tīmatanga o te rau tau rua ngahuru karawhiu ana te taunaki a Te Pairi i te poropiti, i te kaihautū nei, i a Rua Kēnana. Whakahāweatia ana hoki e Te Pairi ana pononga. Pūmau tonu te noho a Te Pairi hai pononga mā Te Kooti me te Hāhi Ringatū, ā, ko tāna ki a Rua, kai takahia noatia e ia te awaawa o Te Waimana ka noho ia hai kai mā tana taiaha, mā Tamakaimoana. Hāunga anō tana matua kēkē a Te Whiu, he tangata tūpato, ko tāna kē me ngāwari. I te mutunga mai aukatia noatia ana ko te rohe o Ōmuriwaka. Taka rawa mai ki te tekau tau atu i 1920 kua tino mārire kē nei a Te Pairi ki a Rua. I te matenga o Rua i te tau 1937, riro ana ko Te Pairi hai pōwhiriwhiri i ngā ope whakaeke, hāpai i ngā whiti e taunga anō mā te tangata rangatira e waiata. Nō muri i tāia e ia te kaupapa whakapono a Rua ki runga i tana hīti moenga, ka whakairia e ia ki roto i tōna ake whare. Hoi anō kāore a ia i hono atu ki ngā pononga a Rua.

Nō te tau 1927 i whai wāhi a ia ki te pikitia The Te Kooti Trail. Riro ana nāna a Te Kooti i whakaatu, ā, hua ana tana tino mōhiotanga ki a Te Kooti. I te tau i muri mai he wāhi paku nei tāna i roto i te pikitia Under the Southern Cross. Riro ana te wāhi nui o taua pikitia i tērā rangatira tonu hoki o Tūhoe, i a Tū Rakuraku, mai rā anō rāua ko Te Pairi i tino hoa ai. Me i kore a Te Pairi kua raru kē te pikitia nei, inarā tā ngā Māori e korekore ana rātau e whakaae kia whakaahuatia te tangihanga kia oti rawa i a Te Pairi te karakia. Ahakoa i utua paingia a Te Pairi, kāore noa he take o taua pikitia.

Ā hipa nā te wā ka noho ake ai ko Te Pairi tētahi o ngā whakamutunga atu o te ao kōhatu e ora tonu ana i te ao hou. Nō te matenga o tōna hoa, o Tū Rakuraku i te tau 1938, i kite ai a Tūhoe i a Te Pairi e whakahoki ake ana i tētahi tikanga nō mua rā anō. I te tomokanga atu ki te marae, tukua ana e ia tana hōiho, tū kau mai ana tō tangata, he petipeti rau noa nei i tōna rae, he taiaha i tōna ringa. Kōwiri, ngōki ana tana whakaeke i te marae, ia wā nei hauhautia ana e ia te mata o te whenua ki te mata o tana rākau ā tae noa atu ia ki te tūpāpaku. I reira ka noho ia mō ngā rā e iwa, kāore i kai. Hipa noa ia rā, ia rā, maroke ana tana tīpare, memenge ana; ki te titiro mai a te tangata kua ngārara kē nei te āhua o Te Pairi. Wehi tonu nei te tiro atu a te tangata. Ka tae ki te wā kia taupokia te pouaka, ka tangohia mai e ia tana tīpare, ka tapahia e ia ana makawe, rāua atu ana me ngā rau rākau ki roto i te kāwhena. Whai ake anō hoki ngā wāhine o te whare mate i tāna.

I tēnei wā, he rangatira mana nui rawa a Te Pairi ki tōna iwi. Hai whakamahara i te matenga o Tū, whakahaua ana e ia ngā wāhine katoa o Te Waimana kia tāia ki te moko. Ko tāna nei, he whakapakari i a rātau, kia mau haere tonu ai te mana me te tapu o Tūhoe ki Te Waimana. Ahakoa rā whakakorea ana e ia te wahine ki te tū i runga i ngā marae o Te Arawa me Mātaatua kōrero ai. He wā anō hoki ko Te Puea Hērangi tonu tētahi kāore i whakaaetia e ia ki te kōrero. I ngā takiwā kāore he pānga o tōna mana, ā, whakaaetia ana te wahine ki te whaikōrero, kore rawa ia mō te mihi ki a rātau. I tētahi wā, e tīmata ana tētahi wahine ki te whaikōrero i a ia i tētahi marae o Ngāti Kahungunu, ko te tūnga ake tēnā o Te Pairi me tōna iwi, mahue ake ana i a rātau te wahine rā, tomokia ana e rātau te whare nui. Poto noa te wā ka puta ake anō. Kāore he kōrero, kāore he aha. Whakawhiti atu ana i te marae, eke atu ana i tō rātau pahi, hoki atu ana ki Te Waimana. Mataku ana a Ngāti Kahungunu tērā kua oti kē i a Te Pairi mā te mākutu tō rātau whare nui. Ahakoa rā, kāore i aituā, ēngari he roa tonu te wā kātahi anō ka mutu te noho mataku a te hunga kāinga.

Nā te mea ko tōna whānau tonu e wehi ana – inarā he mataku tonu nei i a ia – i kore ai rātau i kaha ki te noho tonu i tōna taha, ā, nā reira i kore ai te tangata i āhei ki ōna mōhiotanga. Ko Te Kani te Ua, te rangatira o Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki noa tana tauira, ā, he ruarua nei ngā wiki ia e tohutohungia ana e Te Pairi, whakatapua rawatia ana hoki. Hai tohu i te mutunga o tana ākonga, hoatu ana e Te Pairi ana pounamu mau taringa mō Te Kani. Ā mate noa ia i te mau haere tonu a Te Kani i aua tautau rā.

Kāti mai te tangata mōkinokino ko tēnei ko Te Pairi; ia rā, ia rā, pēnā tonu tōna āhua. He tangata utiuti ia ki te kai. He mea pārekareka te whakaanuanu a te tangata i a ia e kai ana, waiata ake ai i ā rātau waiata mōtekoteko. Nā tana kaha mau ki te tapu, me ka pā noa tōna ātārangi, o wai kē rānei ki runga i tana kai, tere tonu te mutu o tana kai. I ētahi wā, he pai ki a ia te inu wehikē, ā, he pai anō hoki ki a ia te mau kaka hūtu, pōtae teitei nei, mehemea ehara i te wahine, i te Māori rānei i mahi.

I mau kaha tonu a Te Pairi ki ngā tikanga o neherā, ā, kīhai hoki ia i ako ki te kōrero Pākehā. Hāunga anō, ko tāna kē, kia whiwhi ngā tamariki o Te Waimana i te mātauranga. He mema ia nō te komiti Kura Māori o Te Waimana. I te tūnga o te Kōmihana o Te Urewera i te wā tōmua o te tau 1907, ko ia te kanohi o ngā kaiwhaipānga o ngā poraka whenua ruarua nei o Tūhoe. Tae noa ki te tau 1910 noho ake ia hai mema i runga i te Komiti Tumuaki o te Rāhui Māori o te Takiwā o Te Urewera (Urewera District Native Reserve). Taikaumātua ana te pakeke o Te Pairi Tūterangi, ka mate ia ki Ōmuriwaka i te 22 o Noema 1954.

Me pēnei te tohu i te whārangi:

Pou Temara. 'Te Pairi Tūterangi', Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, first published in 1996. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/mi/biographies/3t16/te-pairi-tuterangi (accessed 29 March 2024)