Te Kuiti – The
Convergence
Aotearoa
–
Te Kuiti o nga whakaaro e Te iwi
The
convergence of thoughts of the people.
A Phase in the History of Te Kuiti
By Robert P. Emery
Apart from historical accounts handed down from generation to
generation no one, I dare say, can ascertain who were the first people or
family that settled in the
Perhaps it was the
“Tangata Whenua” (inhabitants or people of the land) as some historians refer
to as earlier settlers of this country. However our elders were quite definite
that the patriarch Maniapoto , his younger brothers and their people, were the
first to settle here.
So it was, the
history of the settlement of Te Kuiti began in this amphitheatre of
Taupiri-o-te-Rangi with its walls and limestone standing high on each side, its
entrance sheltered out but, nevertheless, open to the
It is not known how
long Maniapoto and his people were living at the mouth of Te Kuiti-tanga, the
name given later to the entrance of the gorge, when the a tribe from the east
coast migrated and built for themselves a home and fortification on a high
point on the long ridge of Pukenui, overlooking the Waiteti Valley from the
west. The leader and chief of the new settlers was one named Houtaketake. They
had not settled very long before they became over-familiar and gave outward
signs of possessiveness, this eventually led to an attack on Maniapoto, and his
people. Hautaketake, seeing Maniapoto standing in the midst of his warriors
challenged him to a single combat. By a ruse, Maniapoto easily killed his
opponent and it is stated from historical accounts that the enemy, seeing the
sudden fall of their leader by a simple manoeuvre, turned and fled from the pa.
This sudden move only sparked the warriors of Maniapoto to the chase. Only a
few of the enemy managed to escape with their lives, never to return to their
pa.
From then on the
people lived in peace. Maniapoto’s son Rora grew up to manhood and travelled
with his parents and older brothers from pa to pa within their domain. Rora
attended the school of learning along with other young men his age and there
learned the art of self defence, the use of different kinds of weapons, the
arts and crafts as expected of warriors, the songs and chants, the genealogical
creation of man. With his brothers he developed the knowledge gained and
produced the products of nature.
Like all races, the
Maaori had their own cultural background. Every young man and woman of rank was
urged and expected to learn of the events which had occurred down the
generations and memorise them for life. Maniapoto and his younger brother
Matakore, ensured that their young people should have schools established in
various localities of their domain and only the accomplished Priests of
Learning were permitted to be masters of such institutions.
After Rora had, along
with other students of the House of Learning, qualified in the applied tests in
both physical and mental spheres, the ceremony of matchmaking, selection of
husbands and wives, was held. Rora was married to Kuranui who, however did not
live long. It was not long after this that a chief from Poutama, a pa on the
banks of the Mokau river, invited Maniapoto and his people to a function and
feast which culminated in the match-making of young men and women.
He presented a young
girl named Kuramonehu to Maniapoto for a wife for one of his sons. Rora stepped
forward and indicates that he was prepared to accept her hand in marriage.
After the marriage
ceremony, Maniapoto and his people returned to Otewa and Rora and his wife
settled on Motakiora, now known as Ben Lamond, the high hill above the railway
houses at Te Kumi road known then as Tokipuhuki or “blunt axe.” Later
Kuramonehu indicated her wish to see her people in the Mokau District. Her
husband agreed. She stayed away for a period and on her return her husband
noticed that she was not affectionate of attentive, as he would have hoped she
would be. She appeared to be more interested in a handsome young man of her
people. Tautini, who came with her. Rora became suspicious and angry. He took
his wife to task and in fear she admitted her offence. His anger could not be
contained and walking calmly towards the young man he clubbed him down.
There was immediate
excitement and the young man’s people decided to leave rather than attack the
slayer. They did not travel very far but decided to camp and send a messenger
for reinforcements. Under cover of darkness and with the help of Kuramonehu
from within the Pa, Motakiora was invaded and Rora was killed. During the
commotion a messenger left to warn Maniapoto of the attack and that his son had
been killed. Maniapoto immediately raised a war party. They did not attack the
Pa until they were certain that the enemy had settled down for their breakfast
meal. Then they crept in quietly and took them by surprise.
A number had been
killed before Maniapoto called a halt to the fighting. A court was held to the
reason why Rora was killed and on the facts presented, Maniapoto and his
younger brothers agreed that there was some justification for putting him to
death. Peace was declared between the two peoples and this was welded further
by later marriages.
Today, Motakiora
stands like a sentinel over the “gateway “ to Te Kuiti. Denuded of the giant
totara, rimu, and other native trees, her crown bare of the once protective
palisades, green grass now covers her like mantle, adorned with tress of
foreign species here and there breaking the monotony and affording pitiful
shade and shelter – her former glory gone forever.
The impact of the
Pakeha way of life was slowly becoming an established fact. Peace and
Christianity later to be shattered by news of war in Taranaki and later
A marked
revolutionary change took place in the way of life of the people and also in
their agricultural pursuits as contact with
Europeans became
closer. With the declaration of peace between King Tawhiao and Major Gilbert
Mair, bought another change to the valley. The Crown Surveyor was given a task
to enter the territory of the Maniapoto to define a
suitable and attractive railway line between
Because of the
significant cultural changes caused by the pressure of European settlement and
armed invasion Taupiri o te rangi and particulary Kohanui Pa settlements became
a focal point of refuge for the Waikato and Manaipoto peoples. Inter-tribal
conferences dealing with the wellbeing of the people were held here. How to
combat the ever –widening spread of European influence in the land was a common
subject of discussion. Because of the narrow gorge and the central point of
assembly, the locality derived its symbolic name of “Te Kuiti-tanga o nga
whakaaro o te iwi” – the narrowing down or the concentrated thoughts of the
people. Thus Te Kuiti was born.
Kia hora te marino
Kia whakapapa pounamu te moana
Kia tere te karohirohi.
May the calm be widespread
May the sea glisten like the greenstone
And may the shimmer of summer ever dance across your pathway
(ancestral proverb)
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