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Kōrero: Emery, Samuel Horouta

Whārangi 1: Haurongo

Emery, Samuel Horouta

1885–1967

Nō Ngāti Pūkeko, nō Ngāti Maniapoto, nō Ngāti Mahuta; he ihu oneone, he tangata mahi pāmu, he tangata purei whutupaoro, he kaiwhakahaere toa, he kaimau, he ngira tuitui, he kaitōrangapū ā-rohe

I tuhia tēnei haurongo e Cushla Parekowhai rāua ko John Himiona Hunia, ā, i tāngia tuatahitia ki Ngā Tāngata Taumata Rau i te 1998. He mea whakamāori nā Ngā Tangata Taumata Rau.

Ko te āhua nei nō te tau 1885 i whānau ai a Hāmuera Horouta Emere (Samuel Horouta Emery) ki tētehi kāinga Māori pakupaku noa nei i te pūtake o Kakīpuku-o-Kahurere (Kakepuku), e tata ana ki Te Awamutu. Nō Ngāti Mahuta tana pāpā a Hāmuera (Samuel) Hoera Joyce, he waoko tāna mahi; he hononga anō hoki ōna ki a Ngāti Pūkeko. Ko Waimārama Emere o Ngāti Kahu te māmā o Hāmuera, arā, o Hāmi (Sam). I a ia e taiohi ana, he tamaiti tūpuhi noa a Hāmi, he urukehu wherowhero nei ōna makawe, ā, he rite kē nei tōna āhua ki tōna tupuna tāne Pākehā. Nā te kore i whai moni kāore i taea e ana mātua a Hāmi te tiaki, tukua kētia atu ana ia mā tana matua kēkē e whakatipu. Ahakoa anō i te wehenga atu, e mōhio tonu ana a Hāmi he aha te mate kai: auau tonu tā rāua whiu atu ko tana tuakana, taina rānei ko Tame (Tom) i te kau a te whānau ki rō repo, unu ai rāua i te miraka mai i te ū. Kore rawa i wareware i a Hāmi tō rāua kaha pōhara, waiho tonu tēnei hei hihiri i a ia ā mate noa.

Tekau mā rua ōna tau, oma atu ana a Hāmi i te kāinga ki te kimi oranga nui mōna i ngā raorao keri kāpia o Moehau (Coromandel). Ko te reo Māori anake tōna reo i taua wā. Hore kau a Hāmi i tae ki te kura, ā, hore kau anō hoki ia i mōhio ki te tuhi, ki te kōrero pukapuka rānei. Otirā, kia kore ia e tinihangatia e te hunga nanakia hokohoko kāpia nei, kaihokohoko noa rānei, tere ana tana ako ki te tātai whika. Ka eke nei ōna tau ki te 18, kua kōputu kē i a ia he tahua moni, hei moe māna i te wahine pūhou nei, i a Kataraina Te Urumahue Kātene o Te Rotoiti. Hei tamāhine a Kataraina mā Hona Whakataki Kātene o Ngāti Rongomai, rāua ko Āneta Irihana Rēwiri o Ngāti Te Rangiunuora. Ko te tau 1903 pea, 1904 rānei te tau i mārena ai rāua ko Hāmi i Tapuaekura i Te Rotoiti; tokotoru ā rāua tama tāne, tokotoru hoki ā rāua tamāhine. I tīmata ake tā rāua noho ki Piropiro, i āwhinatia e Hāmi ana hungarei ki te whakatū i te whare rā, i a Rākeiao i reira. I reira hoki i tīmata tana titiro i te mahi whakaahu tātai i ērā whenua Māori e tata nei te kore e tōtika mō te mahi pāmu.

I taua wā e kaimahi ana a Emere mā te kamupene papa tōtara o Taupō (Taupō Tōtara Timber Company) e āwhina ana i temahi whakatakoto i te rerewē atu i Putaāruru (Putāruru) ki Mōkai. Nā te mea he tangata tino pakari, pukumahi hoki nei ia, i whiwhi moni wawe ia, ā, nō te tau 1909 i taea e ia te whakatū tōna ake whare i Te Tuarae i te taha moana o Te Rotoiti. I taua wā anō i tīmata ai tana mahi ki te whakapai i te whenua i kō muri tonu atu i tōna whare kāinga. Nā te mea nō te iwi kē o tana wahine te whenua, he mea whakarite e ia he rīhi, e whakaae ana i a ia kia whakawātea i ngā rākau, kia pai ai te tipu o te karaihe. Whakatipuria ana e ia he kau me te hipi i runga i taua whenua. Nā tana pūkaha tonu ki te whakatipu i ngā momo kararehe tōtika anake, me te hokohoko i ana kararehe atu i tana pāmu tonu, i pū ai tana whakatipu i ngā kararehe pai anake i runga i āna pāmu.

He kaimahi rori tūao a Hāmi Emere, e mahi nei ia ki te hanga i te ara matua e haere atu rā ki Whakatāne. He wā potopoto nei ia e mahi ake ana i runga i ngā rori o Okataina me Manawahē, whāia mutu ake ana tēnei, pau ana he wā i a ia e rumaki rākau ana i Waipā. I riro anō hoki i a ia te kirimina mana ki te tō atu i ngā wana paina atu i te wāhi whakatipu otaota ki ngā takiwā rumaki i roto i te ngahere. E nuku atu ai tana utu ia rā ki te kotahi herengi, whakamau ana ia i te hānihi o tana hōiho me tana kāta, riro kē ana i a ia te mahi hari i ngā rākau.

Ahakoa te nui o ana pakihi i wātea tonu ia ki te purei whutupaoro. Ia Rāhoroi tonu i te tau whutupaoro, i mua i te awatea oho ake ana ia, ā, haere atu ana mā runga hōiho e hia māero kē nei te roa ki Rotorua, hei ngā ahiahi purei whutupaoro karapu ai. I a ia e tākaro whutupaoro ana i ngā karapu o Waipā, o Kahukura me Te Rotoiti, he tino toa kē nei ia i te tūranga kaiāpiti. Kāti, i uru atu anō hoki ia ki te tīma o Te Moana-a-Toi-te-huatahi (Bay of Plenty), ā, nō ngā tau ki muri i riro ko ia hei kaiwhiriwhiri mō ngā tīma o Rotorua, o Te Arawa me Te Moana-a-Toi.

Nō te tau 1911 i whakatuwheratia e Hāmi Emere he toa pakupaku nei i te taha o tōna kāinga i Te Rotoiti. I te nuinga o te wā riro ana ko te toa nei nā Kataraina rātau ko ā rāua tamariki me ērā atu o ō rāua whanaunga i whakahaere, ā, mau tonu te haere o te hoko o ngā kai noa pēneki i te parāoa, i te tī me te huka. Mōhio tonu ana te hunga hokihoki atu, kāore e wareware i a Hāmi ngā kai rawe ki te Māori, pēraka i te tītī. He mea hoko atu anō hoki e tana toa te mīti, he mea patu tonu mai i ana whare patu mīti; mai i te pāmu tonu a Emere ngā tinana o ngā kararehe nei.

Momoho rawa atu te whai hua o tana toa huawhenua, whakamahia ana e ia ngā hua moni hei hoko i tētehi paki tāpara, kia taea e ia te whakanui ake ngā rawa hei tōtō mai māna i Rotorua. Ehara a Hāmi i te tangata moumou aha noa, ā, i tīmataria ake e ia he pahi harihari tangata i ngā mutunga wiki, paku iti noa nei te utu a ngā kaitākaro whutupaoro o te haukāinga mō te mau atu i a rātau i ngā Rāhoroi ki ā rātau tākaro. Nā tēnei mahi āna i tū ai te kamupene kawe a Emere (Emery Transport Company), noho ana ko tēnei te ratonga pahi pūmau tuatahi, harihari pāhihi atu i Te Rotoiti ki Rotorua. Tere tonu te kite a Emere i te kaha pai o te motowaka ki tana mahi tōtō, taka atu ana ki te tau 1917 noho tahi mai ana te taraka Ford i te taha o tana kāta hōiho. Ā muri ake nei, nekehia atu e ia te nui o ana waka, e toru kē atu ngā Buick, tāpiri atu hoki ki tētehi pahi hari pāhihi, e 25 te nui o ngā tāngata e taea ana te mau.

Mau haere tonu te rīhi a Hāmi Emere me tana whakawātea whenua hei pāmu māna. Nuku atu i tana mahi whakatipu kararehe noa, e 20 ana kau he mea tīmata e ia te miraka i runga i taua pāmu e 300 eka te rahi kei Te Rotoiti. Mai i taua wā i taea ai e te tangata te hoko mai te miraka hou me te kai tere pirau nei i tana toa.

Nō tēnei wā i mutu ai te mahi rori a Emere, ā, whakapau kē ana ia i ōna kaha ki ana umanga. Ko tētehi atu mahi moni āna he hanga kāwhena mai i te takiwā kāinga, he mea uwhi a roto ki te matā. I te tau 1915 ka uru ia hei hoa me tētehi atu tangata ki te whakahaere i tētehi umanga mira rākau, ā, hokona mai ana e Hāmi he rōnihi hari pāhihi 34 nei te nui, ko Hikuwai te īngoa. Ēngari kia riro mai rā anō i a ia tana tīkiti kāpene, kātahi anō ia ka āhei ki te whakahaere i te waka hei mahi moni māna, ka tahuri rā ia ki te ako tonu i a ia; nā te mea kāore anō ia i mōhio ki te tuhi, ki te kōrero pukapuka rānei, i tāruarua ai tana momo ako i a ia ki ngā pātai me ngā whakautu o te whakamātautau. I tino whakawhirinaki a Emere ki tōna whānau hei whakarite i ngā mahi pepa, anā kē te nui me ngā kaute e puta mai nei i te maha o ana whakahaere. Riro ana nā Kataraina rāua ko tana teina ia i āta ako ki te haina i tōna īngoa, ā, whāia i taua wā, rerekē noa te noho mai a Emere hei tumuaki poutāpeta whai raihana mō Te Rotoiti. Kāti, riro kē ana nā ngā wāhine o te kāinga te mahi ki te tino wehewehe i te mēra, me te mau atu hoki i ngā reta.

I mōhio tonu a Hāmi Emere kia tupu, kia nui haere ngā rawa a te Māori me whai wāhi tonu rātau ki tētehi taketake moni, hua haere tonu ai. Ko ia anō tētehi o ngā kaitautoko tuatahi i te kaupapa ahu whenua a Āpirana Ngata. Nā te mea he tangata mōhio ia ki te mahi pāmu, mārama ana ki a ia te tika ki te whakatōpūpū i ngā wāhanga whenua pakupaku, kia rahi ake ai, kia whai hua ai te mahi pāmu. Waihoki tētehi mea nui hoki mō ngā Māori e whai pānga ana i roto i ngā poraka kaporeihana, kia mau tonu i a rātau te mana whakahaere o ngā rīhi, me te whai tonu i tētehi mahere whakangao hei whakarahi ake i tā rātau ake i tīmata tuatahi ai.

He tūranga āpiha whakahaere anō tō Hāmi Emere i roto i ngā kaporeihana o Ōkere, o Tautara, o Waione 3B8, o Manupīrua, o Waitangi Nama 3, mutu ake i Te Haumingi Nama 5 me Te Haumingi Nama 13. Nā te mea kua puta kē ōna tohu he kaiwhakahaere mātau ia, meinga ana ko ia hei tiamana mō te kaporeihana tino momoho nei o Ngāti Pikiao, arā, te Kaporeihana o Rotomā. I reira i whakatūturutia e ia tōna rongo hei Māori kaipakihi ihupiro, hei kaipakihi whānui te titiro. Mai i te tau 1937 i noho ia hei mema, hei tiamana kairīwhi anō hoki mō te Poari Kaitiaki ā-Rohe o Te Arawa (Arawa District Trust Board) me te riro anō hoki i a ia o te tūranga kaitiaki moni o te Kaunihera ā-Rohe o ngā Komiti Tōpū o Waiariki (Waiariki District Council of Tribal Executives). He mema anō hoki ia i runga i ngā poari whakakitekite o te pāka o Bledisloe me te roto o Okataina. I tua atu i tēnā he mema anō ia nō te Kaupapa Mātauranga mō te Iwi Māori (Māori Education Foundation) o Rotomā, noho ake anō hei tiamana mō te wāhanga o te rōpū tautoko i ngā Mahi Māori mō te Whawhai (Māori War Effort Organisation) o Te Rotoiti.

Ka hipa nei ōna tau ka tīmata te whakawhānui haere a Hāmi Emere i āna mahi pakihi kia kapi hoki i a ia te rawa pūmau, tae atu hoki ki te whenua mahi moni. Riro ana nāna i whakahaere te wawaetanga tuatahitanga o te whenua i Kōmuhumuhu (Gisborne Point), kātahi kē nei te hao nui ko taua kaupapa i te taha o te moana. Hokona atu anō hoki e ia he wāhi tūnga whare, nui te utu, i Rotorua. He tangata tino tautāwhi a Emere i te Rōpū Nāhinara o Niu Tīreni, tautoko ana rā i te tikanga koia nei te rōpū tōrangapū e pōtitia ana e te hunga nui te whiwhi moni, ā, nō reira, ko tērā hei rōpū tōrangapū mōna. E ai ki tāna, nuku kē atu te pai o tēnei i tā te whakaaro mātāpono.

Pōtitia ana a Emere ki te kaunihera ā-rohe o Rotorua (Rotorua County Council) i te tau 1944, ā, i mau tonu i a ia te tūranga nei tae noa ki te tau 1962, ka whakatā nei ia. He kaihāpai tohe nui a Emere mō te iwi Māori, auau tonu tana noho ake hei kanohi mō ngā iwi me ngā hapū o te takiwā kāinga, whakatakoto ai i ā rātau kerēme ki mua o te kaunihera. Nā runga i te uaua o ngā āhua e pā ana ki te taitara o ngā whenua tae atu ki ngā tautohenga mō ngā rēti, i mīharo nui ai ōna hoa Pākehā ki a ia mō ana whakaatu tōtika i ngā āhua o ngā take nei.

Nō te 21 o Hūrae i te tau 1959 i mate ai a Kataraina Emere. Hei tohu whakamaumahara ki a ia me ōna tūpuna, whakahaerea ana e Hāmi te hanga i te whare nui nei, i a Te Rangiunuora, he mea whakatū i runga puke i runga tonu ake i tana toa paku tuatahi, i te rae o Taurua. Nō te tau 1960 i whakatuwhera mārikatia a Te Rangiunuora e te Pirimia, e Waata Naahi (Walter Nash). Tērā atu anō hoki ngā whare nui o te takiwā o Rotorua i whai wāhi atu anō a Hāmi Emere ki te whakatū.

He mema anō hoki a Hāmi Emere nō te karapu rērehi o Rotorua, nuku atu i te 30 tau tana roa e noho mema ana, whakatipu ai i ōna anō hōiho. Ko te mea tuatahi o ōna hōiho rēhi āhua pai ko Kaimoni. Kātahi ka puta i a ia te hōiho tino tau kē nei ko Miss Pictavia te īngoa. Ka nui kē ngā toanga o taua hōiho rā, wini atu ana i a ia te Kapu o Matamata. Riro anō nā Hāmi hoki i whakatipu te hōiho uwha a Tip o' Dawn, nā Hermes i puta ai ko te hōiho manawa kaha nei, ko Van der Hum, nō te tau 1976 i wini i a ia te Kapu o Poipiripi (Melbourne Cup).

Nō te 20 o Āperira o te tau 1967 i mate ai a Hāmi Emere i Rotorua. He mea tāpuke ia ki roto i te urupā o te whānau ko Te Whare-tai-ngā-moko te īngoa, kei runga tahataha e tiro atu ana ki Te Rotoiti. Tokorima āna tamariki i te ora ka mate nei ia.

Me pēnei te tohu i te whārangi:

Cushla Parekowhai and John Himiona Hunia. 'Emery, Samuel Horouta', Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, first published in 1998. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/mi/biographies/4e10/emery-samuel-horouta (accessed 29 March 2024)