18 • TE AO MAORI MAI I TE TAIRAWHITI NGĀ MAUNGA Maunga-a-kāhia He Mihi and Ngāti Kahungunu Nau mai anō ki te pūrongo kōrero tekau mā ono e mōhiotia nei ko, Ngā Maunga Kōrero o Te Tairāwhiti. I tērā marama i peka āhua whakawaho mātau ki Te Whānau-a-Apanui, ā, e pērā anō i tēnei marama ki Ngāti Kahungunu. He nui, he iwi tāhora whānui tonu, mai Te ki Heretaunga, ā, tae atu ki Te . Ka tīmata ngā kōrero mō Kahungunu ki Te Taitokerau, whai tonu mai ko tōna nohonga ki Tauranga, ki Ōpōtiki hoki, ā, huri mai ki Tūranga me tōna nohonga whakamutunga ki Te Māhia. Kāti, whakatā mai, pānui mai, whakaarohia mai.

Welcome again to the sixteenth issue in the series of Ngā Maunga Kōrero o Te Tairāwhiti. In the last issue we ventured outside the district to Te Whānau-a- Apanui of the Eastern Bay of Plenty and we make a similar journey this month by looking at the tribe of Ngāti Kahungunu. This tribe is one of the largest in New Zealand, occupying the Maunga-a-kāhia, the pā of Kahungunu and Rongomaiwahine on the Māhia peninsula. region from Mahia and Wairoa in the north to Hawke’s Bay and the Wairarapa in the south. The stories herein trace the Ko Maunga-a-kāhia te maunga of Kahungunu. and impressive natural feature that would have ancestor Kahungunu, from his origins in Maunga-a-kāhia is the mountain To have chosen the iconic geographical been an automatic deterrent to any would-be the north to his residences in Tauranga, features of Maunga-a-kāhia and Whangawehi, invader back in the day. And with an ample Ōpōtiki and Gisborne, and finally his last Ko Whangawehi te awa above, is purely arbitrary in that they represent supply of water on its plateau, it is little wonder abode on the Māhia peninsula. Therefore, Whangawehi is the river those closest to where Kahungunu himself why Kahungunu and Rongomaiwahine chose loosen up, read and let your thoughts lived. However, it in no way diminishes the this location as their home. Maunga-a-kāhia wander. Ko Ngāti Kahungunu te iwi importance of other maunga (mountains) and would witness interesting times — the genesis Ngāti Kahungunu is the tribe awa (rivers) in the territory referenced by hapū of an iwi, the origins of a tribe, yet today not Principal resources referenced for this of Ngāti Kahungunu wherever they reside even a plaque or signpost indicates its location or collection include: (Halbert, Tihe mauri ora! — Whakapūnake, Maungaroa, Kahurānaki, importance. What would it take and what price 1999); Raurunui-a-Toi Lectures (Ngata, Alas, the breath of life! Kōpuawhara, Wairoa, Tukituki and Ngaruroro, is our history? 1944); Historic Poverty Bay and the to name a few. Therefore, returning to Maunga- The stories that follow focus essentially on East Coast (Mackay, 1949); Takitimu VERYTHING about Ngāti a-kāhia, this impressive hill-top fortress became the man, Kahungunu, the early years of his life (Mitchell, 1944); Story of Old Wairoa Kahungunu is big. The tribal territory the home to Kahungunu and his premier wife, the culminating in his marriage to the chieftainess and the East Coast (Lambert, 1925); Ngā Eis one of the largest in , irresistible and irrepressible Rongomaiwahine. Rongomaiwahine and their settlement on Tāngata Taumata Rau 1769-1869 (Te spanning from Māhia in the north through to It is their story that has shaped, fashioned and Maunga-a-kāhia on Nukutaurua. There are Tari Taiwhenua, 1990); Ngā Tukemata – the Wairarapa in the south. The tribal population decorated the early history of our region and other stories about the exploits of the children Ngā Taonga o Ngāti Kahungunu (Audio ranks third largest of all iwi in the country. And their influence cannot be understated, as the of Kahungunu and Rongomaiwahine, and their Visual, Hawke’s Bay Museum, 1986) the man himself was also big in every sense following stories will attest. consolidation of the iwi we now recognise as of the word. Tall and handsome, everywhere Maunga-a-kāhia sits amongst a cluster of Ngāti Kahungunu, but these will be left for Walton Walker he resided he left his imprint. He had at least ridgelines at the most easterly point of the Māhia another time. And while Kahungunu is the star School of Humanities, Tairāwhiti four wives, with children to all, leaving a legacy peninsula. This point is classically referred to as of this feature, Rongomaiwahine occupied no Polytechnic. forever engrained in the landscape of our Nukutaurua. Facing north, its precipice rises less a position — but her stories will be left for country — Ngāti Kahungunu, the descendants directly up from the sea, forming a formidable another time also. Te Wera Hauraki – An Unlikely Alliance?

He nui tōna ingoa he whānui tōna mana and Tūkorehu, who between them attacked Te Hāpuku, Te Koari and Tārehā Te Moana-nui, Great was his name and widespread was his various settlements in Te Tairāwhiti, including managed to escape the carnage. They, together authority Whetumatarau (see Issue 11 Whetumatarau and with their people, joined the mass exodus of Te Araroa), Waipāoa (against ), Ngāti Kahungunu from the Wairarapa and Kāhore kau ia i whakapae mahi kino Māhia and Wairoa. The campaign lasted 16 Hawke’s Bay to Te Māhia and the protection of Never was he accused of evil deeds months and Te Wera returned to the north in Te Wera. April, 1821 with 40 captives in tow, including Te In 1832, Te Wera, with the help of the people Kāhore hoki ia i waiho noa i te hunga i raro i Whareumu, a young chief from Māhia. who had taken refuge in Māhia, built the fortified tōna maru In 1824 a combined raid by Ngāpuhi, Tūhoe, pā called Ōkurārenga. The combined tribes that Nor did he abandon those who placed themselves Whakatōhea and against Ngāti had wiped out the remnants of Ngāti Kahungunu under his guardianship Kahungunu resulted in the capture of more in the Wairarapa and Heretaunga soon found prisoners and a prized greenstone axe, named their way to Māhia and were joined by war parties N the Māhia peninsula stands a Te Rama-apakura. When the Ngāpuhi section from Te and Tūhoe. Therein began the Ōkurārenga or Kaiuku from the west . . . marae called Kaiuku. The name returned to the north with the greenstone axe siege of Ōkurārenga. The battle raged for days, Oliterally means, to eat (kai) clay (uku). in their possession, Te Whareumu recognised then weeks, but Ōkurārenga proved impenetrable. The original name of the site was Ōku-rārenga, it and began to weep, realising that more of his Both sides were running out of food and those however after 1832 the name Kaiuku was people would have been slaughtered for it to be inside Ōkurārenga resorted to eating clay. used after the pā was besieged and its starving taken. Te Wera Hauraki took sympathy on the Thereafter the name of the pā became known occupants were forced to eat its clay soil to captive chief who had served him so well over as Kaiuku. After three months Te Wera received survive. This incident also stands as a testament the years, deciding to return him and the precious reinforcements from his Ngāpuhi kinfolk, and to the actions of Te Wera Hauraki of Ngāpuhi, greenstone heirloom back to their people. When this proved to be the turning point in the battle. who became a protector of the Ngāti Kahungunu the expedition party reached Te Pukenui on the With dwindling supplies and ammunition, and tribes who had taken refugee in Kaiuku during Māhia coast, Te Whareumu summonsed his the threat of the resurgent forces of Te Wera, the this time. Some would say that the fate of Ngāti kinfolk and announced to them that Te Wera combined tribes retreated and left the district. Kahungunu leadership hung in the balance that would protect them and remain amongst them. Ngāti Kahungunu not only won the battle that day and would surely have been eliminated had it Over the next several years, Te Wera Hauraki day but also a lifeline to their future, thanks in not been for the protection of Te Wera. would aid and protect the people of Ngāti no small part to Te Wera Hauraki. Thereafter, Te Wera Hauraki was born around 1800. In Kahungunu of Te Māhia and Ngāti Rākaipaaka Te Wera fought in further battles at Keke- 1818 he was part of a Ngāpuhi musket war party of Nūhaka against all enemies. In 1830 he sailed parāoa near Te Karaka in 1834 and Toka-a- . . . and looking back from the east. that sailed up the Rangitaiki river near Te Teko, to Heretaunga (Hawke’s Bay) where he made kuku against Te Whānau-a-Apanui in 1836 (see and following the raid he took a captive woman a pact with Pareihe of Ngāi Te Whatu-i-āpiti. Issue 15 Whanokao and Te Whānau-a-Apanui). slave named Te Ao-kapu-rangi, who was of Ngāti Meanwhile, a joint force comprising about 2000 Ngāti Kahungunu lands in Heretaunga and the Rangiwewehi. Returning to his home at Motuiti men of Waikato, Ngāti Raukawa, Tūwharetoa Wairarapa still remained in enemy hands but Te to do so. However, thoughts of home and his in the Bay of Islands, he married Te Ao-kapu- and Ngāti Maniapoto was preparing to attack Wera, with the might and power of the exiled people grew stronger and stronger, and soon he rangi and had a child. The child was accidentally the pā of the Heretaunga area. Pareihe returned chiefs in Ōkurārenga, led the repatriation of would bid farewell to the people he had lived burnt in a fire and thereafter Hauraki, as he was with Te Wera to Māhia but another chief, Te these lands back to their rightful owners. amongst for almost twenty years. Within a year originally named, added Te Wera (the burning) Hauwaho, refused to join them. The attack by It was a given that Te Wera could remain and of returning home to the north, in 1839, Te Wera to his name. Towards the end of 1819, Te Wera the joint tribes was brutal and swift. Te Hauwaho live out the rest of his days with Ngāti Kahungunu Hauraki died. But his memory remains forever joined another war party, probably that of Pōmare was slain but other chiefs of the area, including of the Māhia peninisula and he appeared happy enshrined in the story of Kaiuku.