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Kōrero: Te Hau, Matiu Te Auripo

Whārangi 1: Haurongo

Te Hau, Matiu Te Auripo

1912–1978

Nō Te Whakatōhea; he kura māhita, he kaiwhakamātau, he kaihautū hapori

I tuhia tēnei haurongo e Ranginui J. Walker, ā, i tāngia tuatahitia ki Ngā Tāngata Taumata Rau i te 2000. He mea whakamāori nā Ngā Tangata Taumata Rau.

I whānau a Matiu Te Hau, arā, ko Matt tonu rā tōna īngoa, i te 11 o Hūrae o te tau 1912 ki Ōmarumutu, e pātata atu rā ki Ōpōtiki. Ko Matiu te tama a te kaiwhakamārama reo raihana rā, a Wiremu Turakiuta Cooper o Ngāti Kahungunu, rāua ko Kōparepare Matiu, o te hapū o Ngāti Ruatakenga o Te Whakatōhea. Nā te kore kaha o Kōparepare ki te puri i tana tama, ka tukua kētia atu e ia mā tana tuahine, mā Āporina a Matiu e whakatipu. I whānau mate mai te kanohi matau o Matiu, ā, nō reira tōna āhua tino mōhio, e karepa e hihiwa ana te whakaaro. Kāore i tino tawhiti atu i Ōmarumutu, arā, i te marae matua o Te Whakatōhea, te kāinga o ana mātua whāngai, o Āporina rāua ko Waea Te Hau, arā, i Te Waiiti. I pau te nuinga o tōna tamarikitanga ki Ōmarumutu, e haere ana ki te kura Māori me te tākaro hoki i te marae, ā, koiraka i tino mārama ai a Matiu ki te kōrero Māori me te mōhio hoki ki ngā tikanga o te marae. He mea whakatipu mai a Matiu hei Katorika.

I te wā e ruarua noa nei ngā Māori e haere ana ki te kura tuarua, mā runga paihikara kē a Matiu haere atu ai ki te kura tuarua ā-rohe o Ōpōtiki (Ōpōtiki District High School), e whitu māero te tawhiti, he taka kōhatu, pūehuehu nei te rori i haerea e ia. Nō muri i neke atu ia ki te kāinga o tana matua kēkē, o Kauri Matiu (Matthews) noho ai, arā, i Te Ngaio i ngā tapa tonu o te tāone o Ōpōtiki. Nō te tau 1929 i toa ai a Matiu ki te whakamātautau ka āhei nei ia ki te whakauru atu ki te whare wānanga, arā, te hua mai nei o te puku mahi o te tangata. Ahakoa tana putanga i tana whakamātautau, he uaua tonu te kite mahi i taua wā. Ka kino kē atu te ngau o te korekore, ka wehe atu nei a Matiu i Ōpōtiki, haere kē ana ki Taranaki kimi mahi ai i ngā pāmu miraka kau.

Taro rawa ake kua noho kē ko ia tētahi o ngā tāngata mau tīni a Tipi Rōpiha o te rōpū rūri a te Tari Māori (Native Department). Nā Matiu anō i āwhina te mahi ake nei i te poraka whenua o Ngāti Hine i Te Tai Tokerau, ā, nā tana whanaungatanga ki ngā tāngata o taua takiwā i pai ai te whakaaro ki a ia. I te wā i a ia i reira i tino mārama ia ki ngā kōrero mō ngā whānau rangatira o Ngā Puhi, mō ō rātau hononga iwi me ō rātau pānga whenua.

I te tau 1939 ko Matiu tētahi o te rōpū tuatahi o ngā tauira Māori i whakaaetia kia haere ki te kāreti takiura o Ākarana (Auckland Training College). Ko ōna hoa mahi o tēnei whakamātatau para tūturu i te huarahi o te mātauranga, ko Hōri (George) Marsden, ko Nuki Williams, ko Johnny Pile, ko Johnny Rogers me Wītana Matthews. Mōhiotia whānuitia ana a Matiu he tangata tino hīanga, tino koi te atamai, ka noho nei ia hei ūpoko nui mō te karapu Māori o te kāreti, hei kaiako pono atu hoki mō ngā mea tamariki ake o ngā tauira.

He mea tohu tonu e Apirana Ngata a Matiu hei kaihautū, ka pōwhiritia atu ia kia hanake ki te hui tuatahi a ngā Rangatahi Māori (Young Māori Conference) i te kāreti o te whare wānanga o Tāmaki-makau-rau (Auckland University College) i te tau 1939. Heoi anō nā te Pakanga Tuarua i mahue tārewa noa ngā kaupapa o taua hui. Nō muri i tana akoranga i te Ingarihi me te hītori i te kāreti o te whare wānanga, i haina ai a Matiu kia uru atu ai ia ki te Ope Taua 28 (Māori) o Aotearoa (28th New Zealand (Māori) Battalion), i te pokapū o te tau 1940. Nō te 14 o Tīhema o taua tau i moea e ia a Arohanui Ngāhiwi Kawe i Remuwera (Remuera); nō Ngāti Maniapoto a Aroha, ā, ko tōna kāinga ko Poro-o-Tarao (Porootarao) i Waitomo. Nō Hānuere o te tau 1941 i kuhu atu ai a Matiu ki te hōpuni hōia. Kāre i mutu mai te rangatira o te tangata pērā i a Matiu ki te tinihanga. E ai ki te kōrero, i te wā i whakamātautautia te kaha o ōna kanohi, i whakararea e ia te āpiha hauora; i te kīnga atu o te āpiha kia ūhia e ia tana mata mauī, arā, te kanohi pai, i te aranga ake o tana ringa mauī, tere tonu tana mea kē atu ki tana kanohi matau, me te haere tonu o tana pānui i ngā reta. I eke a Matiu ki te tūranga haihana, ēngari ka hē kē atu te mate o ana kanohi i ngā kirikiri o Īhipa, ā, nā te taotū paku nei anō o tōna ringa, i whakamutua āna mahi hōia i Hepetema o te tau 1943.

I tana hokinga mai ka tīmata ia i tana mahi whakaako tuatahi i te Kura Māori o Rūātoki i te whaitua o Tūhoe. Haere tonu te mahi hīanga a Matiu, ka whakaakona nei e ia tana karaehe ki te haka a Te Whakatōhea i hinga nei i a rātau a Tūhoe, inarā i te haka nei, i a ‘Te kōtiritiri, te kōtaratara’. I te hokinga atu ki te kāinga ki te haka i te haka nei ki ō rātau mātua, pōrahua noa ana te hunga harakore nei, ka tūmatakuru kē mai ō rātau kaumātua.

Ahakoa te pai o te noho whānau, noho piri tonu a Matiu rāua ko Aroha, hiahia kē ana a Matiu ki te whai i te ara porihanga matua. Nō te tata paunga o te tau 1946 i tono ai ia i tētahi mahi i te kura o Ōrākei, ā, whiwhi atu ana ia. I a ia e mahi ana i reira ka tīmata anō tana mahi whakamātautau i te whare wānanga mō tana tohu paetahi (BA), ka oti nei i a ia i te tau 1949. Kātahi ka whiwhi tūranga ia i te kura māhuri (Normal Intermediate School) e tūtata tonu ana ki te kāreti kaiwhakaako i Epsom, arā, he whakaako i ngā tauira kura māhita tana mahi i reira. Kāore ā rāua tamariki ko Aroha i te wā nei, ka hiahia nei rāua ki tētahi tauira kamakama hai tamaiti whāngai mā rāua. Ko tōna īngoa ko Arnold Wilson he mea tohu e Matiu meāke nei ka tangata māia. I te hūnukutanga atu o Matiu ki Ākarana (Auckland), tareka ana e ia ngā mātua o Arnold te whakapakepake māna tā rāua tama e tiaki. Haere atu ana te taitama nei ki te whare wānanga, riro ana ko ia te Māori tuatahi i whiwhi i te tītohu mō ngā mahi toi kairangi.

Ka tae mai nei ki te tekau tau atu i 1950 kua karangatia kētia a Matiu ko ‘Uncle Matt’ e te nuinga o te hunga tauira Māori e tokomaha kē ake nei rātau e whakauruuru atu ana ki te kāreti takiura me te whare wānanga o Ākarana. He whakamoemiti tonu tā tētahi o rātau, arā, tā te kaiwhakairo rā tā Pākāriki Harrison, nō te tau 1950 i panaia mai i te kāinga taiohi o te kāreti takiura, o te whare Rae. Nā te mea nā Matiu i hari te ākonga hīanga nei ki tana kāinga noho tiaki ai, i mau tonu ai tana haere ki te kāreti. E hia tau kē nei i hipa atu i te whakairotanga o Pākāriki i te whare nui o te whare wānanga o Ākarana, i a Tānenui-a-Rangi, ā, hei whakanui māna i tana koroua, i a ‘Uncle Matt’, he mea kāreparepa e ia te kanohi o Toroa, te rangatira o te waka o Mātaatua. pānui o te whare wānanga e kimi nei i tētahi pūkenga ki te reo Māori, he wā hangere nei te wā mahi. Nā te mea he tangata e tino matatau ana a Matiu ki te kōrero Māori i tau tonu ia mō taua tūranga, ēngari riro kē ana te mahi i te mātauranga rā, i a Te Piiki (Bruce Biggs), he tohunga rā ki ngā āhua o te wetereo. Hei aha māna, ko te mea nui kē i mau haere tonu te tautoko a Matiu i a Te Piiki, ako hangere tonu ai tana mahi ako Māori, mahia ake ana e rāua ngātahi he rīpene reo mā te tari o Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa (New Zealand Broadcasting Service).

Nō te tau 1952 i whānau ai te tama a Matiu rāua ko Aroha, ā, nō te tau i muri mai

i hua ake anō he mahi kē anō mā Matiu ka meinga atu ia kia mahi i te taha o Maharaia Winiata, hei kaiwhakaako ki ngā tauira pakeke i te peka torohanga o te whare wānanga. Ka riro i a Matiu te whakahaere o te takiwā o Te Tai Tokerau, ka riro i a Winiata a Waikato. Noho kē mai ana i waho o te whare wānanga te whakahaere o ngā mahi mō te taha ki te reo, ki te tikanga, ki ngā tāhuhu kōrero me ngā mahi whakairo, raranga hoki, arā, whakahaerea kētia mai ana i ngā kāinga nohonoho tonu o ngā Māori. Whakamahia ana e Matiu te tohunga whakairo nei a Hēnare Toka ki te whakahaere i tētahi kura whakairo me te mahi tukutuku i te wāhi huihuinga Māori (Māori Community Centre) i te tiriti o Fanshawe i Ākarana. I tēnei wā he mema a Te Hau nō te Rōpū Marae o Aotearoa (Aotearoa Marae Society), piripiri tonu nei tā rātau mahi ko Arapeta Awatere me Whina Cooper. Ko te kaupapa o te rōpū nei he whakatū marae mō ngā Māori noho tāone, ēngari i te pakarutanga o te rōpū nei, tukua kētia ana e Matiu ngā whakairo o taua kura mā te marae whakamaharatanga ki a Te Puea (Te Puea Memorial Marae) i Māngere.

Kāti, i āianei rā i Ōmarumutu, e uaua ana te mahi a Ngāti Ruatakenga ki te whakaoti i tō rātau whare hui, whare kai atu hoki i te kore moni. Hoki atu te mahi a te komiti he tāke moni i ngā whānau, he whakatū kanikani, purei kāri atu hoki i ngā ahiahi. Tārewa noa ana te mahi ka pau nei te hau o te hunga kāinga ki te pērā haere tonu te mahi moni. I konā ka kī atu a Matiu me mea kē ngā whare nei hei whakamaharatanga ki ngā hōia o te pakanga, ā, kātahi ka whiwhi rātau i ngā moni tāpiripiri a te kāwanatanga. Nā tēnei tohutohu āna i haurua noa ai te roa o te whakaoti ake i te mahi.

Ko tētahi o ngā kaupapa awe nui kē nei a Matiu Te Hau rāua ko Winiata ko te whakaaranga mai anō i ngā hui a ngā Rangatahi Māori (Young Māori Leaders’ Conferences), ko tōna kaupapa he tiro i ngā take e pā ana ki te whenua, ki te hauora, ki ngā whare me te mātauranga hoki. I te hui tuatahi i muri mai i te pakanga, ko Matiu tonu te hēkeretari whakahaere o te hui i tū ki Ākarana i te tau 1959. Hau wawe ana te rangona o te hui nei, ā, huri noa i Te Ika-a-Māui te rere mai o ngā tono kia whakahaerea anō he hui. Whakatūngia ake anō hoki he hui ā-rohe ki Kaitāia, ki Ngāruawāhia, ki Whakatāne, me Tūranga (Gisborne) i te tau 1960, ā, ki Tauranga, ki Taupō, ki Rotorua me Te Wairoa i te tau 1961. Nā ngā mahi mai o ēnei hui, tāpiri atu ki ngā kitenga ake i te rīpoata a Hunn o te tau 1960 mō te hē o te kore whiwhi mātauranga o te Māori, i tīmata ai te mahi whakatū i ngā wāhi noho mahi ā-kura, me ngā rōpū ahu whakamua i te mātauranga. Nā te hui i Ruatōria (ko te īngoa tawhito ko Rua-a-Tōrea) i te tau 1962 i rewa ai te kaupapa rōpū tākaro mō ngā kōhungahunga i ngā kāinga Māori, me te whakapuaki hoki i te mahi kōrerorero i ngā take e pā ana ki te ngare. Nā te aha rā nō te tau i muri mai i whai tamāhine ai a Matiu rāua ko Aroha.

He mea whakatari e Matiu ngā kaikauhau o te whare wānanga mai i ngā tari Māori, tari tikanga tangata, tari hītori, tari ture, me ērā atu hoki o ngā kaupapa mātauranga, hei rearea mōhiotanga mō ana hui hautū. Ko tana rōpū mō Te Tai Tokerau he mea karanga kē ko te ‘Maninirau a Te Hau’ nā te mea he mōhio nō rātau ki te mahi whakapārekareka i a rātau me te hunga kāinga, ka mutu nei ngā mahi.

Nuku atu anō i āna nei mahi utu, ko ngā mahi anō hoki a Matiu i te ao tōrangapū, e hia kē nei tana roa e noho mema ana mō te Rōpū Nāhinara o Aotearoa. I te tau 1954 ko ia te hēkeretari rōpū mō te rohe pōti o Te Tai Tokerau me te tiamana atu hoki i te tau 1965 ki 1974, me te tau anō hoki o 1978. E toru tau ia e perehitini tuarua ana mō tana rōpū, mema hoki mō te rōpū kaiwhakahaere o te motu i ngā tau 1963 ki 1965, 1969 ki 1971, me 1975 ki 1977.

Nō te tau 1973 i ūhia ai a Matiu Te Hau ki te tohu OBE mō āna mahi mā te iwi Māori e hāngai ana ki tana mahi mātauranga mā ngā tauira pakeke tae atu ki āna mahi mā te iwi kāinga. Tekau tau kē tana roa e noho tiamana ana mō te rōpū whakahaere ā-iwi o Te Waitematā (Waitematā Tribal Executive). I te whakawāteatanga o taua rōpū rā ka riro kē te mahi i te Kaunihera ā-Rohe Māori o Ākarana (Auckland District Māori Council), he mea whakatū rā i raro i te Ture Toko i te Ora Māori (Māori Welfare Act) o 1962. Ka noho ko ia te tiamana tuatahi, me te māngai hoki ki te Kaunihera Māori o Niu Tīreni (New Zealand Māori Council) taka atu ki te tau 1970. Ko ia anō hoki te tiamana tuatahi o te poari tiaki marae o Ōrākei, ā mate noa ia. Kātahi anō ka mutu atu te mahi pārekareka āna, arā, te purei korowha, whakahoahoa ki ana hoa maha o te karapu o Remuwera, ka mate nei a Matiu. Nō te 9 o Noema o te tau 1978 i mate ai ia, ā, mahue mai ana ko tana hoa wahine me ā rāua tamariki. I ngā marae o Te Ūnga Waka me Ōrākei i takoto ai a Matiu i mua i te haringa atu i a ia ki te urupā o Poro-o-Tarao, nehu ai.

Me pēnei te tohu i te whārangi:

Ranginui J. Walker. 'Te Hau, Matiu Te Auripo', Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, first published in 2000. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/mi/biographies/5t7/te-hau-matiu-te-auripo (accessed 29 March 2024)