I whānau mai a Arapeta Marukitepua Pitapitanuiārangi Awatere (ko Te Arapeta Pitameirangi Marukitepua Awatere anō te momo tuhi i tōna īngoa) i te 25 o Āperira o te tau 1910 i Tūpāroa, i Te Tai Rāwhiti. Hai tamaiti ia mā Petuere Wī Hēkopa Awatere, he tangata ahu whenua nō Te Whānau-a-Hinetāpora, he hapū nō Ngāti Porou, rāua ko tana wahine, ko Hēni Hautao, inarā, ko tōna īngoa anō ko Hēni Pratt (Parata). He mea tapa te īngoa o te whānau ki te īngoa o te awa o Awatere, koinei te wāhi i mate ai te tipuna tuarua o Arapeta, arā, a Te Whetūkamokamo, i te pakanga o Ngāpuhi ki a Ngāti Porou. Nō muri, i tukuna mai e Ngāti Hine o NgāPuhi ētahi tāne, wāhine rangatira rānei mā Ngāti Porou kia mau taketake ai te rongo i waenganui i ngā iwi nei. Ko te koroua o Awatere, ko Wiremu Parata Moihi Kā o Ngāti Hine tonu tētahi i manokohia pērātia e Ngāti Porou.
I a Arapeta e tamariki tonu ana, ka haria atu ia e tōna whaea mā runga kaipuke ki Whangaruru, arā, ki te marae o Pīpīwai, kia whakatupuria mai ia i reira e te whanaunga o tōna whaea, e Hēni Māhanga. I a rāua e kawea ana ki tātahi, ka pokea te poti e te mahi a te ngaru. E hia kē nei ngā rumakitanga o te ūpoko o te kōhungahunga ki te wai, ā, hei aha māna, ka moe tonu, ka moe tonu. I kīia tēnei he tohu, inarā tērā te wā e tutuki i a ia he mahi whakahirahira kē nei mā tōna iwi. He mea tāpuke te pito o Awatere ki tētahi wāhi tapu i mua i te whare hōro o te marae; he tohu tēnei mō te hokinga mai ki Te Tai Tokerau o tētahi whānau kua roa kē e ngaro ana.
Ka ono tau te pakeke o Awatere, ka hoki atu ia ki Te Tai Rāwhiti, ā, pau noa tōna tamarikitanga e ārahia, e akona ana a ia e ōna whanaunga o Ngāti Porou. Whakaakona ana ia ki ngā tikanga Māori e ōna tino tohunga anō, ko Pineāmine Tamahori tonu tētahi. I te whare wānanga i Umuariki, e tata ana ki Tūpāroa, kua akona kētia a Awatere ki te karakia, ki te whaikōrero me te whakapapa. I whakangungua anō hoki a ia ki te mau i ngā rākau tahito o te ao kōhatu, me ōna kōrero tuku iho anō hoki. Nā tana toa ki te mau taiaha i whakawhiwhia a ia ki te taiaha rā, ki a Tūwhakairiora. Nō tōna haerenga atu ki ngā kura Māori i Tūpāroa me Tokomaru, kātahi te mahi rerekē ki a ia i te kore e whakaaetia ngā tamariki ki te kōrero Māori. I te mutunga, he maha kē ngā reo i matatau ia ki te kōrero, ā, āhei noa ia ki te whakahua i ngā kōrero whiti i te reo Rātina, i te reo Kariki (Greek) me te reo Pākehā atu hoki.
I te matenga o ngā mātua o Awatere, ko tana wehenga atu tēnā i Tūpāroa, ā, hai utu i tana haere ki te kura tuarua ka noho he hēramana tana mahi. I haere ia ki te Kāreti o Te Aute i Te Matau-a-Māui (Hawke’s Bay), ā, i ngā hararei ka hoki anō ia hai hēramana, mahi moni ai. I puta ia i te whakamātautau kaiwhakamāori i te taumata tuatahi i te tau 1925. I te mutunga o tana kuranga ka haere ia ki te mahi mā te Tari Māori (Native Department) i te tau 1928, tīmata ake i Rotorua, kātahi ka whakanekea atu ki Pōneke (Wellington), ā, atu i te tau 1933 ki Tūranga (Gisborne). I a ia i reira i noho ia hai mema mō te komiti kura o Kaitī (Kaitī School Committee); kāti, nuku atu i tēnā, hai kaiwhakahaere, hai hēkeretari hoki ia mā ngā kaimahi toko i te ora tūao Māori (Māori Voluntary Welfare Workers) i Kaitī, ā, hai kaiwhakaako whakapakari tinana hoki mō te YMCA o Tūranga. I moe a Awatere i a Elsie Bella Rogers o Ngāti Whakaue i te 17 o Hānuere o te tau 1931 i Ōhinemutu; ā taihoa ake i tokorima ai ā rāua tamāhine.
I te tau 1928, ka uru atu ia ki te rōpū hōia ā-takiwā o Aotearoa (New Zealand Territorial Force), ka akona e ia ngā kōrero tuku iho mō ngā hōia tino tohunga o Uropi. Mau pai ana te whakamahi mai a Awatere i ngā tikanga hōia e rua nei i te Pakanga Tuarua, arā, tā te Māori me tā tauiwi hoki. Nō te marama o Noema o te tau 1939 i haina ia ki te haere ki te Pakanga Tuarua, ā, nō Maehe o te tau 1940 i whakatūria a ia hai rūtene tuarua. Nō muri mai i ngā whawhaitanga i Kariki (Greece) me Kariti (Crete) i tonoa atu a ia ki te Ope Taua 28 (Māori) o Aotearoa (28th New Zealand (Māori) Battalion), arā, ki te hokowhitu Māori, ā, ka noho ia hai āpiha kohi mōhiotanga mō te hokowhitu me te pirikēti hīkoi tuaono o Aotearoa (6th New Zealand Infantry Brigade). Ko tana tūranga he kāpene (he meiha taupua anō hoki ia), ka riro i a ia te whakahaere o Kamupene C i te pakanga i Tebaga Gap i te tau 1943, ā, mō tana toa i taua whawhai i whakawhiwhia a ia ki te Rīpeka mō te Toa (Military Cross). Kāti koa, nō Hūrae o te tau 1944 i whakatūria a ia hai rūtene kānara, ā, nō Noema o taua tau ka riro i a ia te whakahaere o te hokowhitu Māori. I muri i te pakanga i Faenza i te taha whakararo o Itari, i Tīhema o te tau 1944, i whakawhiwhia a ia ki te tohu DSO.
I whakahē a Apirana Ngata i te rironga o te whakahaere o te hokowhitu Māori i a Awatere, nā te mea hoki he tangata kakī mārō rite tonu ki ōna tīpuna, ā, tērā rahua kētia ana ko te hokowhitu. Hoi anō, ehara a Awatere i te tangata moumou tangata, ā, haehaetia ana tana whatumanawa e te mamae i te nui o rātau i hinga i te pakanga. Nō muri i tuhia ake e ia ngā whiti waiata maha hai whakamaharatanga ki ōna hoa i hinga i te mura o te ahi. He tangata manawanui a Awatere, he amorangi ki mua, atawhai koretia e ia te hoariri. I hū haere tonu ngā whakapae mō ngā mau herehere e tūkino, e kōhurutia ana. Hoi anō ka mau kē te wehi me te mataku anō o āna tāngata i a ia. I te wā i a rātau e hūhunu haere ana, e whawhai kē ana rānei, whakahautia ana e ia āna tāngata kia kōrero Māori, uhingaro Māori rānei, kia kore ai e mōhio te hoariri e whakarongo ana, e aha ana rātau.
Nō muri i tana hokinga mai ki Aotearoa i Ākuhata o te tau 1945, ka pau i a rāua ko Eruera Stirling te rua tau ki te huri haere i te maha o ngā marae o te motu, ki te mihi ki ngā hōia o te hokowhitu Māori i hinga i te pakanga. Nō muri i tēnei, uaua ana tana whakapuaki kōrero mō te pakanga. Hai wetewete atu i ngā taumahatanga o te pakanga i runga i a ia e rua kē ana whakapurenga i a ia.
I mua i tana hokinga atu ki te Tari Māori (Department of Māori Affairs), he wā poto a ia e whakahaere ana i tētahi mahi hoko kaimoana, arā, i te tau 1948 ki 1949. I haere a ia ki te whare wānanga i te tau 1952 ki te ako i te mātauranga tikanga tangata, i ngā akoranga Māori me te kaupapa rapunga whakaaro anō hoki. I hoki atu anō
hoki ia i te tau 1955 ki te whai anō i te kaupapa rapunga whakaaro, ā, ka hia kē nei hoki te nui o ngā kōrero tuku iho me te mātauranga momo tangata o te Māori i oti i a ia te rangahau. I noho a ia hai āpiha toko i te ora ā-rohe Māori i Whanganui atu i te tau 1953, i Rotorua atu i te tau 1958 me Ākarana (Auckland) atu i te tau 1959. I mōhiotia a Awatere hai tangata whakapau kē i ngā utu a te Tari Māori i a ia mō āna mahi toko i te ora, hoatu kaka ana, moni atu rānei ki te hunga pōhara. He mea tātaki mai e ia te tīma kapa haka nei a Maranga i Ākarana, me tētahi rōpū ngaringari, ko te īngoa ko te rōpū pakiwaitara o Aotearoa (Aotearoa Folklore Society). I whai wāhi atu ngā rōpū nei ki ngā whakataetae o te wā, me te huri haere i te motu, tae noa atu ana ki Hāmoa me ngā Kuki Airini. I pōtitia a Awatere hai mema mō te Kaunihera Whakahaere o Tāmaki-makau-rau (Auckland City Council) i te tau 1962. Nō te tau 1963, i kōwhiria ko ia hai whakahaere i te wero ki a Kuini Erihāpeti Te Tuarua ki Waitangi, ā, mate ana ia i te hōnore i ūhia ki runga i a ia. Mau mai ana ia i tana taiaha, i a Tūwhakairiora, e tika kē ana mō te tangata e ono putu te roa. Ina koa rā, ehara a Awatere i te tangata tāroaroa, ēngari he hanga tūmārō, he tangata tino kaha kē nei ia. Kia tino tohunga a ia ki te taiaha, i pūmau tonu tana whakamahi i a ia ki te mau i te rākau nei.
Ehara a Awatere i te tangata tino kaha ki te moe, ā, ina ka moe, he pai kē ki a ia te moe i te papa. I te āhua nei ki tana whānau, i te oho haere tonu ia i te pō, pau katoa ana i a ia te wā i te piana e tito waiata ngaringari kē ana, tuhi kōrero, whiti kē rānei i te reo Māori, mō muri ake whakapākehā ai. He tangata ngākau nui a Awatere ki ngā āhuatanga katoa o te ao Māori, ki te reo anō hoki. Kāore ia i pīrangi ki te tohutō, ēngari e ai ki tāna, he mea pai atu te whakamahi i te tohu oro tāpara, takitoru rānei. Warea kē ana a ia ki ngā mahi whakapapa me ngā kōrero tuku iho, ā, e hia hoki te nui o ngā waiata i titoa e ia. I ngā wā e tawhiti ana tana haere mā runga motokā ki te nui noa atu o āna hui, takutaku ai i ana waiata ki te reo rōria nei.
I tupuheke haere te hauora o Awatere i te tekau tau atu i 1960. Pāngia ana a ia e tētahi rehu ohotata, me te tupu mai anō o te matehuka. Mea rawa ake te kitenga he matehuka tana mate kua tino hē kē te tinana. Nō te tau 1965 i pūremutia tana wahine e Awatere, ā, i tīmata tā rāua whakaipoipo ko Tuini Hākaraia. Nō te tau 1969, noho tahi kē mai ana a Hākaraia rāua ko Hendrik Vunderink. Nō te 2 o Ākuhata, i rehurehu a Awatere tērā ka pā he aituā ki a Hākaraia. Waihoki rā nō te ata pō tonu o te 3 o Ākuhata, i haere atu ai a Awatere ki te kāinga o Hākaraia i Te Atatū, ā, okaina ana e ia a Vunderink kia mate i te naihi e mau ana i tana koti waho. Ka mutu, whakapaetia ana nā Awatere i kōhuru. E ai ki te waonga ōna, nā tana matehuka i mate āhotea a ia, ēngari e taukumekume kē ana ngā kōrero whakaatu mai mehemea i te tino mārama ki a ia te āhua o āna mahi, kāore noa iho rānei. Ahakoa tonu, i whakataua i hara a ia, ā, whiua ana a ia ki te whare herehere ā hemo noa.
I haere tonu ngā mahi a Awatere i te whare herehere, ki te tuhi kōrero, ki te tito waiata, ā, me tana whai tonu hoki i ngā mahi Māori e pā ana ki te taha tōrangapū, taha hapori hoki. I oti atu anō hoki i a ia te tuhi ētahi kōrero whārahi kē nei mō te Māoritanga. Kāore i mutu te taetae ake a te tangata ki te kite i a ia, arā, ko ia rā te kaiwhakaako, te kaiako pono rā ki ngā tauira o te whare wānanga me wai noa atu e hiahia ana ki te whai i te mātauranga Māori. He mea tīmata e Awatere ētahi kapa haka i te whare herehere, me tana whakaako anō hoki i ērā atu o ngā mau herehere ki te kōrero Māori. Huhua noa atu ngā mahi punenga i whāia tonutia e Awatere, taka rawa mai ki tana ako i a ia ki te kōrero Hapanihi.
Ohorere noa ana te matenga o Awatere i te 6 o Maehe o te tau 1976. I taua wā, kua tino pai kē te ora me te pakari o tōna tinana, ā, e tatari ana ia, he poto noa ka tukua mai ia i te whare herehere. Ko tana hiahia rā he hoki atu ki Tūpāroa ki te hanga anō i te whare nui o Tangihaere. Mahue mai ana ko tana wahine me ā rāua tamariki.
Kātahi kē te tangihanga nui ko tēnei! E hia kē nga rā i pau i te tira ki te whakahoki mai i te tūpāpaku i Tāmaki-makau-rau ki Tūpāroa. I te mea he maha rawa nō ngā marae e hiahia ana ki te poroporoaki i a ia, ā, ahakoa tā rātau hari i a ia mā huarahi kē, aukatia noatia ana e ētahi te huarahi kia mau ake tā rātau tangi ki a ia i tō rātau marae. Ko Mangahānea, i te rohe o Ngāti Porou, te wāhi takoto whakamutunga mōna, ahakoa te tono a Ngāti Hine kia whakahokia atu ia ki Te Tai Tokerau. Ko ōna hoa tonu o te pakanga i te hiki i a ia. Ēngari i te pikihanga whakamutunga ōna ki Waitetoki, riro kē ana nā ana mokopuna ia i mau atu, ā, nehua ake ana ia ki te taha o tōna whaea.