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Rīwai, Te Kiato

by Adelaide Couch-Snow

Biography

Nō te 21 o Noema o te tau 1912 i whānau ai a Te Kiato Rīwai, ko Kia kē rā tōna īngoa e mōhiotia whānuitia ana, ki Wharekauri, arā, ko Rēkohu ki ngā Moriori (Chatham Islands). Ko Mere Ngautanga Dix o Ngāti Mutunga rāua ko Te Oti Rīwai o Ngāi Tahu ōna mātua. He kaimahi pāmu te mahi a tōna matua, ā, ko Ngāti Hinematua tōna hapū. Ko Kia tētahi o ngā tamariki tekau a Mere rāua ko Te Oti, ēngari i riro kē ia nā tōna whānau whānui i whakatipu. Nō te wā o te urutā rewharewha o te tau 1918 i mate ai a Te Oti. Kia taea e Mere Rīwai tana whānau te whāngai i nuku atu ia me ērā o ana tamariki e ora tonu ana ki Ōtautahi (Christchurch), ka noho he tunu kai tana mahi mā ngā rōpū kutikuti hipi.

Noho ake ana a Kia hei tauira i te kāreti mō ngā kōhine Māori o Te Waipounamu (Te Waipounamu Māori Girls’ College). (Nō muri iho i riro nā Kia i whakatū te rōpū mō ngā tauira kōhine o mua i kuraina i te kāreti o Te Waipounamu, noho perehitini atu ana hoki ia mō ngā tau e rua tekau mā rima; i tua atu i tēnā e hia tau kē nei hoki ia i runga i te poari kāwanatanga o te kāreti.) Nō te pānga mai o te korekore i mutu ai ngā akoranga a Kia, ā, nā te nui haere kē atu o te kore mahi, i kore ai e kitea e ia he mahi māna hei whāngai i tana whaea me ana tamariki.

I te kitenga he mate kohi nei te mate o Kia ko tana hokinga atu tēnā ki Wharekauri, whakamātūtū ai. Ahakoa te whakaaro kē o ētahi o tōna whānau e kore ia e ora, e ai ki tōna āhua anō, inarā, he kiriuka, he pūkeke nōna i ora ai ia i tana mate. Otirā, nō ngā tau tōmua o te tekau tau atu i 1930 i whiwhi mahi a ia, he tunu kai nei mā tētahi rōpū whakahiato hipi i tētahi teihana hipi i te moutere rā. Tino whakahaua ana ia kia kaua rawa ia e titiro he aha kei roto i tētahi o ngā kāpata o te whare. I te wā ko ia anake i te kāinga, kore rawa i taea e ia te pēhi tana whakamatemate, huakina ana e ia te kāpata. Otirā, ka mau kē te wehi i tana kitenga atu i tētahi putunga papa angaanga e ngahoro mai ana ki raro. Ko te whakaaro nei he Moriori ngā korotū rā. I te kaha mataku o Kia, tīwēwē ana te tangi, ka rere atu nei ia i te whare. Kore rawa i hoki mai.

I te hokinga atu o Kia ki Ōtautahi, he wā poto a ia e mahi ana mā Lane, Walker me Rudkin, he umanga waihanga wūru. Ēngari ko te mate kē kāore kau i tika te mahi o rō wheketere hei wāhi whakaputa māna i ōna kaha. Nā reira i tīmata ai tana mahi mā te karapu Māori o Ōtautahi (Ōtautahi Māori Club), ā, whai wāhi atu hoki a ia ki te whakaū i ōna kaha ki ngā mahi whakahaere, ki ngā mahi toko i te ora me te tautāwhi hoki i te tokomaha o ngā Māori, nō nā noa nei i nuku mai ai ki Ōtautahi.

He wahine tākaro tino rawe kē nei a Kia, ka tino pai ia ki te purei kirikiti mō te karapu o Mai Moa, me te purei poiuka, poi tarawhiti me te hōkī hoki mō te karapu Māori o Ōtautahi. He mea kōwhiri ia ki te purei hōkī mō Niu Tīreni, ēngari nā te mea i pāngia ia e te mītara i kore ai i pahure. He mea pai anō hoki ki a Kia te mahi a te rōpū Rīpeka Whero o Niu Tīreni (New Zealand Red Cross Society), ka riro nā rātou i whakarite te whakaakoako i a ia i te pūtahi o Waitaha whaka-te-raki (North Canterbury Centre). I te tīmatanga o te Pakanga Tuarua o te Ao, ko ia anake te wahine Māori mai i te pūtahi o Waitaha i whakatūria nei ki te ope tūao, āwhina hoki (Voluntary Aid Detachment) ki te whakaako i a ia hei nēhi mō ngā mahi hauora ki tāwāhi. I taua wā anō, nā runga i te āwhina a te karapu Māori o Ōtautahi, ā, nā runga hoki i te tono mai a te rōpū tautoko i ngā Mahi Māori mō te Whawhai (Māori War Effort Organisation), ka riro nā Kia i whakatū he wāhi mō ngā hōia e whakamatua ana. I tua atu i tēnā ka whakatūria e ia he rōpū kapa haka Māori i Ōtautahi hei kohi moni mai mō te tahua āwhina i ngā take o te whawhai.

Ko Caserta i Itari te wāhi i tāwahi i mahi tuatahi ai a Kia, e tiaki ana i ngā taotū. He nēhi tiaki anō tāna mahi i Kent i ngā hōia nō mua rā i mau hereheretia e te hoariri. I taua wā anō i taumautia ia ki tētahi āpiha Kōtimana, nō muri rā i hinga atu ia i te pakanga. Nō te mutunga o te pakanga i hoki mai ai a Kia ki Aotearoa mā runga i te kaipuke hōhipera, i te Maunganui. Nā te mea i takaina ngā tūpāpaku o ngā hōia ki ngā paraikete taua, paraikete kiwikiwi nei te kano, i kore rawa atu a Kia i whakaae ki ērā tū paraikete ki roto i tōna whare, kei hoki kē ōna mahara ki ngā tūpāpaku. Mō ōna nei kaha i te pakanga, nō te tau 1946 i ūhia ai a Kia ki te mētera hiranga o te Emepaea o Peretānia (British Empire Medal), ā, i pōwhiri rawatia hoki a ia kia hoki atu ki Ingarangi ki te hīkoi whakatūtū mō te wikitōria.

Kāore i roa te hokonga mai a Kia i tētahi toa paku nei i Raekura (Redcliffs), he hoko keke, he hoko rare nei te mahi. I tua atu i tēnā he whare noho tāone iti noa nei tōna i Ōtautahi, ā, e noho ana rātou ko tōna whaea me tana irāmutu tuarua ki reira. Pau noa te nuinga o te pō i a ia e tunu kai ana, aoināke ka hokona. Kawea ana hoki e ia ngā kai ki rō pouaka, ki rō kete, ka tatari ai ki te taramu o te waru karaka, hei hari atu ai ki tana toa i Raekura.

Nō te tau 1952 i whakatūria a Kia e te Tari Māori (Department of Māori Affairs) hei āpiha toko i te ora Māori ki Ōtautahi. He pōkia haere tonutia nō te Māori e ngā mate tauwhiro te take i whakatūria ai tēnei tūranga. Ko te hiahia anō hoki me mahi mai a Kia i te taha o ngā komiti ā-iwi. Ko te kaupapa tuatahi ki a Kia ko te taha hauora me te oranga o ngā whāea me ō rātou whānau, ā, whakapau ana ia i te nuinga o tōna kaha ki te tautāwhi i te hunga e hiahia āwhina ana. Riro katoa ana i a Kia Te Waipounamu hei rohe mahi mōna, ka tīmata tana whakatūtū haere i ngā peka o te Rōpū Wāhine Toko i te Ora (Māori Women’s Welfare League). Puta ana ko Ōtautahi, ko Rāpaki, me Taumutu ngā peka tuatahi. I te mutunga kapi ana a Te Waipounamu i ngā peka o te rōpū nei. Nā runga i te whakaaro nei mō ōna kaha, nō te tau 1967 i te hui ā-tau o te rohe o Te Waipounamu me Wharekauri, ka whakarewahia te Tohu a Kia Rīwai (Kia Rīwai Trophy). Tino kaikaha ana te whāia o te tohu nei, ka whakawhiwhia atu ki te peka e toa ana ki te whakataetae tikanga Māori.

Nō te tau 1963 i whakatairangatia ake te tūranga o Kia hei āpiha matua toko i te ora mō te rohe o Te Waipounamu. Nā reira i taea e ia ana pāpanga maha te hanga, te whakakaha ake hoki. He pekapeka haere tonu tana mahi ki te kite i ana hoa, i tōna whānau me ana hoa mahi. Me ka rongo te tangata i tō rātou takiwā a ia, ā, kāore i peka atu, tino pāpouri ana rātou. He wahine tino aroha nuitia a Kia, arā, he wahine atawhai, manawanui hoki, he wahine whakarongo, ā, taea noatia e ia te raruraru te whakarite. (Nelson) me Te Wairau (Marlborough), tatae ake ai ngā taitamariki Māori ki te kimi mahi ā-tau i ngā māra whakatipu tupeka, whakatipu hāpi. Nā te tomonga nei me te kore whai wāhi hei whakatā, hei whakangahau mō rātou, mau kē ana tā rātou noho i ngā hōtēra, kākari ai ki ngā mana ture. Hei take whawhai māna, whakamāmā ake ai i te raru nei, i tīmata a Kia ki te whakatūtū haere i ngā rōpū, me te whakatairanga i ngā tikanga Māori. I te pakarutanga mai o te awa o Te Wairau, he maha kē nei ngā whānau Māori i pōhara i te waipuketanga o ngā raorao. I tērā, whakatū tonutia ai e Kia he rōpū kōnohete hei rōpū mahi moni, hei tautāwhi māna i te hunga i aituātia nei e te waipuke. E hiwa tonu ai te kaha o ngā rōpū nei, he auau tonu te pekapeka atu a Kia ki te kite me te whakahauhau i a rātou kia mau tonu ngā mahi whakataetae o te takiwā kāinga, puta noa hoki i Te Waipounamu. I te tau 1965 i te whakatūnga o te whakataetae tikanga Māori o Waitaha, he whakataetae e tino manakotia ana e te tangata, riro ana te tohu whakamaharatanga e mau ake nei tōna īngoa hei taonga whakataetae mā ngā tīma puta noa i Te Waipounamu.

I whai wāhi nui tonu anō hoki a Kia i te whakatūtanga i te kaupapa momoho nei, te akoranga hokohoko. Riro ana nā rātou ko ana hoa mahi te mahi ki te kimi i ngā tauira, ki te whakatatū i te wāhi noho, tae atu ki te tiaki hoki i te taha ora. Hei wāhi noho kāinga mō ngā tamariki i whakatūria ai te marae o Rehua mō rātou; hei whakahōnore i a ia, e mau ake nei te īngoa o Kia i runga i te whare tākaro.

Mō āna mahi mō tōna iwi i ūhia ai a Kia ki te tohu MBE i te tau 1965. He wahine ngākau mahana, wahine tohe tonu a Kia ki te mahi mā tōna iwi. He wahine matakite, whakamanea a Kia; he wahine akiaki, pūtohe hoki, ā, e kore e whakaaetia e ia te taupatupatu. Kore rawa hoki ia i moe tāne. He hinengaro atawhai anō hoki tō Kia, ka riro nei nā rāua tahi ko tana māmā tino kaha, ana irāmutu i whakatipu, i whakaawe hoki. He ruarua nei ngā irāmutu e mau nei i tana īngoa; ko tētahi o aua irāmutu nei ko te mema Pāremata, ko Pene Rīwai Kaute (Ben Rīwai Couch). He kaha manawawera nō Kia ki te mahi me tana kaha anō hoki ki te kai hikareti i taumaha nei ia. Nō te tau 1966 i kitea he mate pukupuku nei tōna mate, ā, nō te 31 o Ākuhata i te tau 1967 i hemo ia i Ōtautahi, e rima tekau mā whā ōna tau. I te tangihanga ki a ia, e ai ki te kōrero whakawahapūtanga a Kēnana D. D. Thorpe mō ana painga ki te iwi Māori, he karakia aroha āna mahi mā tōna iwi ā mate noa.


He whakaaturanga anō

Rārangi pukapuka

    Canterbury women since 1893. Christchurch, 1979

    Macdonald, C. et al ., eds. The book of New Zealand women. Wellington, 1991

    Obit. Te Ao Hou No 61 (Dec. 1967–Feb. 1968): 3–4


Me pēnei te tohu i te whārangi:

Adelaide Couch-Snow. 'Rīwai, Te Kiato', Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, first published in 2000. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/mi/biographies/5r14/riwai-te-kiato (accessed 29 March 2024)