Nga Tuhinga o tatou Tupuna

Te Pae o Warawara, Hokianga. Private Collection, 2012.

                                                                      

For many years I had the pleasure of working in places that hold the stories of and written by our many ancestors, nga tuhinga o tatou tupuna, ara, nga korero tuku iho. In these storehouses are vast collections of manuscripts, they do not lay silent but whisper amongst themselves until we discover them. They wait patiently to be uncovered and to be read, and voiced.

Below is a letter from Aperahama Taonui, Te Popoto of Utakura in upper Hokianga. He was the founder of the Kotahitanga movement, later to become the Maori Parliament which travelled around the country in the 1890s. Taonui was a leader, a prophet and a politician during his whole life. Here is an exert. Enjoy.

Aperahama Taonui - Letter to the Ngapuhi tribe on political matters and several songs embodied therein - dated Okura 12/11/61.
(Page 1)



Okura, Nov 12 1861
Aperahama Taonui

He pukakpuka tana I korero ai e ngaphui tena koutou, tenei te aroha e te kawana kia koutou, tena I koa, ai tana ngakau. Ko a koutou kupu I te whana[houo]? Or te[ aha noho uo] ke a na kupu I roto I te pouritanga ka ngaro atu a kawana ki tawahi ka hua nga raru I muri iaia, nei ra hoki e tu atu kei te kawana ko nga mea ngotu e tu mai ana, ki e kupu a kawana e mea atu nei ki a koutou, ko nga tikanga a te pakeha ki a whakamatauria kia koutou, ara te tikanga

(Page 2 ) o nga ture ka whakaritea nei ki nga takiwa katoa ko tetahi ko te Kura, ko te Rata, kia marama mai hoki tenei I a koutou, a te wahi I whakaritea ai te Rata hei mea, hei mea e kore I kumea ki a roa te tikanga o enei mea ka paua tatatia nui ano, tenei ano tenei kupu mo te whenua I ait e mea, e tau totohetia te tahi whenua me tuku ma taua Runanga I whakaritea nei mana e mahi me haere katoa taua kaiwhakawa ki runga I te whenua haere ai, tenei ano tenei kupu mo te whenua ano, tautohe ko te kawana ranei te tahi wahi o taua whenua

(Page 3 ) me tuku ano ki runga o taua mahi whakawa, kia rite ai hoki te kupu nei he iwi ko tahi, na tenei hoki tenei kupu ka tirohia te whenua I te runanga kia tae ia nga kawhakawa ki taua whenua. Ki a oti raw ate mahi, kia taku tika kei reira ka whakamoh[i]o ai te tahi pakeha ki reira waka tu ka u ka whakahua I tana hari, mauri awheawhe Moetara, tutaki ana mai e hara I naianei ano mua iho. Ka rongo atu na hoki I au kupu ko te kura, ko te whare turoro ka rua ka tangohia I Hokianga o taonga whai hoki ko te whare herehere ka tangohia ma te tutu hoki, ka riro te tangata ki te whare. Ko te tahi tumuaki

In Papers and memoranda relating to the Maori ; collected and in many instances written by John White, collated and arranged by George Graham and John Barr - Maori section vol 3 p58.
Waahi: Auckland Central Library, Special Collections NZ MS 714/3

Take: Hetaraka; Kahika, Raniera; Kaipo; Karaka, Arama; Marino, Paora; Ngaro; Ngaropo, Hira; Papahurihia, Penetana (aka Te Atuawera); Taonui, Aperahama; Taramoeroa; Te Uruti; Tio; land tenure; speeches and addresses; politics; waiata


FULL BIOGRAPHY http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/2t7/1

Mangungu Mission

Mangungu was established in 1828 as the second Wesleyan Mission station in New Zealand, the first being destroyed in 1827. The existing house was built ca 1838 for the head of the Methodist Mission in New Zealand, the Rev. Nathaniel Turner. The station is the oldest surviving structure associated with the Methodist Church in New Zealand.

On the 12 February 1840 the third and largest signing of the Treaty of Waitangi took place at the mission. The house was designed and the construction supervised by the Rev. John Hobbs who lived there with his wife Jane and family from 1845-55 when the station was closed.

For more information on Rev. John Hobbs diaries check out this link Mangungu Mission

Or visit this historic site on Motukiore Road, Horeke.

12pm - 4pm
November - April: Saturday & Sunday

May - October: Sunday.

Summer & Easter school holidays: Thursday - Monday
Closed Christmas Day

Taonga Whakahirawhira

                                                     http://www.lindaueronline.co.nz/


The Lindauer Maori portraits are an impressive collection of oil paintings of tupuna from the 19th century. They are held at the Auckland Art Gallery which is currently under re-development. The Auckland Art Gallery recently launched the digital version 63 portraits from the Partridge Collection and an accompanying Lindauer Visitor's Books from the period. 

Nothing will ever take the place of seeing these tupuna portraits kanohi ki te kanohi, face to face which is an awesome, awe inspiring experience. However, if you can't get into the Auckland CBD to physically view the portraits then visit them online.

Hokianga chief Tamati Waka Nene is one of the portraits exhibited online,  there are also other treasures such as photographs of the tupuna, manuscripts and information provided by descendants and other institutions providing a more holistic approach to the subject, the tupuna.

The Auckland Art Gallery has set a benchmark of quality and excellence for other heritage storehouses to follow, regarding the respect and care institutions give to taonga Maori physically and in the digital realm. Miharo pai, Auckland Art Gallery, miharo pai!