Te Kauri Links to Taranaki
This is the shorten version about how our particular marae has a sacred rapport with specific families in Taranaki. Their are many different types of explainations about the Tainui link to Taranaki. Most connections is through direct whakapapa for example their was the first link of Kakati to Hineururangi, secondly, the infamous link well known to Maoridom was the union between Whatihua and Ruaputahanga.
Now, we have our own unique link to the people of Ngati Whawhakia / Te Ngaungau and the blood descendants of Te Kauri marae.
In 1821 a War party from Waikato was trapped in North Taranaki, a messenger called Manukorihi escaped and made it back to Waikato to alert Te Wherowhero that was residing at Kaitotehe. He immediately departed with a large armed force to help his fellow kinsmen in need, whilst they were in North Taranaki at a place called Okoki, three close kinsman of Te Wherowhero were killed as a result of an ambush and a quick retreat from Ngati Tama, Ngati Mutunga,Te Ati awa and Ngati Toa under the great warrior Te Rauparaha. The three killed were Te Hiakai, Mama and Hore. Te Wherowhero and his force retreated after suffering their loss at Te Motunui. It was reputed that Te Wherowhero fought a hand to hand battle armed with only a "Ko" (a garden digging tool).
Te Wherowhero was qouted as saying;
“Kua whakatuuria e koutou te ngaru, e kore e taea ko te pari”.
(You have stopped the wave but you’ll never stop the tide).In 1831 Te Wherowhero returned back to Taranaki to avenge those that were killed at the battle of Te Motunui. At the mouth of the Kapuni river at a place called Orangituapeka a battle was fought called Nga-ngutu-Maioro the Tainui Army numbered 2,500 fully armed men fought a battle for 9 days that witnessed their defeat and surrended to a smaller but defiant force of 350 from Taranaki. It was this last and final battle that Te Wherowhero settled for peace and vowed that he would never again returned to Taranaki to fight.Te Wherowhero with other Taranaki Rangatira and Tohunga formulated a sacred and everlasting peace.
From the fires of agression and ferocity, from the realms of battle and unprecedented slaughter, from the act of cannibalism and the law of instant slavery, evolved a calm and solem peace between two great rivals. Te Wherowhero constructed a unity that would had never been seen if it wasn't for the bravery of Taranaki, Te Wherowhero said after the battle of Nga-ngutu-Maioro;He maungarongo tenei maku! kua mutu! kua mutu! Katahi ano taku raakau, ka hoki ake nei au! E kore e ara mai te rau o taku patu, he maungarongo teenei, kua hoki au inaianei e kore au i hoki mai, Ko to oneone, kua mau ano i a koe, i runga ano i to kaha! Ki te whawhai ki a au, kore rawa nei nga tangata i whawhai ana, kua mutu! Kua mutu aake, katahi ka whawhati taku ringaringa i te ra i whiti ana.Ka hoki nei e Waikato e kore ano i hoki mai, kore rawa! Ko Taranaki kei a Taranaki!”
This is my final peace making (to you Taranaki), no more! No more! for the first time my weapon has returned unbloodied, I am now returning and will never raise my weapon in your direction, because, you Taranaki have been prowess in defense of your lands, let no man from this day forward take up arms against you, for all war has ceased in this province forever, for my right arm has been broken under the shinning sun, let us Waikato return back to whence we have come from and never return to these parts of the country again, Taranaki belongs to Taranaki !
Many years later after the battle in 1831, Te Wherowhero did return to Taranaki in 1848 to a place called Mawhitiwhiti, that hui was remembered for a koroua called Aperahama that rose to scold Te Wherowhero, The great warrior King sat silent and did not respond, yet it could have been instant war. This was quite evident that Te Wherowhero maintained his promise since the last time at Orangituapeka.
On the eve before Potatau ascended the throne in 1860, he shared with his son;
“E tama ki te moe oku kanohi. Whakarongo tera tetehi manu kei roto i hauhunga, I rongo koe te tangi a te manu?” Whaia nga manu, nga manu e rua, nga manu mohio ki Te Taihauaauru, Ko Te Mumuhau me Takereto (Te Whiti raaua ko Tohu), e noho ana raaua ki Repanga (Parihaka) kei aa raaua te maaramatanga”.
On 12th August 1864 the aire and second Maori King Matutaera arrived in Taranaki at a place called Ahipaipa. The purpose of his first visit to Taranaki was to fulfil the peace pact of his father that was made at Orangituapeka in 1831 at the mouth of the Kapuni river, he was told to go directly to the place where his elders had fallen in battle and then to Ahipaipa. During this year King Matutaera received the Pai Marire karakia from the prophet Te Ua Haumene at the same time the prophet said to the King "Tawhia ki te rangi heke ki te whenua! Kia tawhia ki te ao," Me Tawhiao!! so the King was called Tawhiao. In the month of November Tawhiao went to Parihaka, whilst he was there he announced to the the two prophets Te Whiti o Rongomai and Tohu Kakahi that he will send his emissaries during the year of tranquility. Tawhiao also left a number of different 'tongi' in Taranaki. In 1867 the King ascended a high peak in Taharoa their he offered a karakia to God and asked God to send the Te Kaumarua or (twelve people) he said;
“E te Atua..! Kua tukuna e au taku Te Kaumarua! Tukuna tau..!
(Oh God I have sent my 12 send to me yours..)
the place on the top of this maunga or exact spot where he stood to offer the karakia was so named Te Kaumarua.
In 1867, 12 people whose families were known to the King were selected and sent to live in Taranaki. The 12 departed from Kawhia and were told that they were never to return to their home of origin(Tainui region) they were to stay and live amongst the people of Parihaka and Taranaki. When the Te Kaumarua arrived at Parihaka, they were divided into two groups of six, the first group of six went to live with Te Whiti o Rongomai and the second group of six went to live with Tohu Kakahi. The group of six that stayed with Tohu were instructed to go South and assist in the ploughing, these six departed for the NgaRuahine tribal boundaries. In accordance to our records these six went to a settlement called Taikatu a stronghold of Titokowaru and the birth place of this mighty chief.One of the twelve that was selected according to our oral and written records passed down to the whanau was Te Tarawhiti/ Henare Tarawhiti the younger brother of Heta Kereru Tarawhiti.He was 41 yrs old when he left Waikato. Henare had a son called Nuku Tipene Tarawhiti, this koroua "Nuku" was the founder of the Nuku Tarawhiti whanau residing throughout the Taranaki area today. Pai Marire!!
We must be constantly reminded why did Tawhiao go to Taranaki???Tawhiao went to honour the peace pact formed by his father and NOTHING ELSE He arrived at a time of great turmoil in his life, there in Taranaki he found the peace and compassion and therefore reinforced that sacred pact by implementing his own intiative which was the form of the Te Kaumarua.
He unified this group with a vision that he also shared while in Taranaki and that was a wairua that he foresore in the form of a Kete with two handles, this is called "Te Kiwai o te Kete". It was stipulated by Tawhiao that one handle of the kete is held by Waikato and the other handle of the kete is held by Taranaki, the handle held by Waikato was the Kingitanga or the Ture tangata the handle held by Taranaki was the Poropititanga and the Atuatanga or the Ture Wairua.
The foundations of our whanau link has derived from the ashes of war that has now become a wider bond between both regions that is very sacred and should always be preserved with ultimate respect.
Hence the story of our link to Te Kauri Marae.
Page last updated 13 Oct 2008
