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Letter from Paora Te Apatu Ihakara to Henare Matua & Harawira Te Tatere
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Taipitopito | Details
Tau Tohutoro | Reference NoHM00005Rā | Date1874/03/06Mai I Te Wāhi | PlaceTe WairoaMai I Te Tangata | FromPaora Te ApatuIhakaraKi Te Tangata | ToHenare MatuaHarawira Te TaTereNgā Tāngata | Names in letter Ngati Kurupakiakate ApatuKaupapa | SubjectRipoata; ReportWhakatau Take; GrievanceReta; CorrespondenceWhakaahuatanga | DescriptionA letter encouraging the receiver to holdfast to their mana, not to harbour feelings of ill will, sadness, anger, dejection due to the arrival of Pakeha and government authority over every single space that was once only for them. Also talks about landmarks, papatupu.
Tūhonotanga | Related
Kohikohinga | CollectionHenare Matua Collection
Tu-hinga / Whakamāoritanga | Transcript / Translation
Tu-hinga | TranscriptTranscript: No te Uhi Wairoa. Maehe 6th 1874
Kia Henare Matua. E hoa tena ra koe me nga iwi nui tonu i muri i a koe.
E hoa kia mau mai te roa o te mana nga o tau kupu ki runga i a matau i nga iwi pouri i nga iwi puhoi me nga iwi whakatetea tenei hoki matou te kumea nei e nga roma whaka naua o te ao nei
Heoi te mihi atu
tenei o au kupu kia Paora te Apatu ki a kite iho a hau kua mihi iho hoki otira e hoa ehara i te mihi iti mai nei he mihi nui noa atu tenei hoki kei te whai kupu ake ano ki te iwi nui E hoa ma kia manawanui ki nga mea whaka pouri no te mea he marama i te timatanga he ahua reka he hari ka pai ahau ka nui te mana i au te taonga ka nui te moni i au ki muri iho kua kite he pou ri tanga ia tenei ina hoki ina kei te kite haere tonu ia nei tatau i enei painga me enei ki no nga kaati kaore tatau e tino kii ana he mate tenei kei to tatou taenga rawa, taunga ki te rori noho ai, katahi kei te tikinga mai i to kuri ki roto i to whare pupuhi ai, rongo ai, ka rua kei te pananga i to Hoiho ki te Rori haere ai, ka toru kei te noho anga ko te mana o Kawana ki runga
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ki ou whenua Papatupu ki ou taunga ika ki au tunga Rahui Otira i au mea katoa. Hei reira tatau, katahi ano ka aue ka tangi. Na e hoa ma he kupu ake hoki tenei naaku kia tatau ki te haere ia nei tatau i tenei huarahi kimi ai i a tatou mate, tera tatau e tutaki ki to tatou whanaunga ia Henare Matua. E tu ana kahore ona kakahu, kahore ana putea, kahore he tauera i tona hope, kahore he kohatu i roto i tona ringa, kahore he hu i ana waewa, otira ki te whai hu i ona waewae ko te herenga ona hu e kore e taea te wewete. Na koia nei aku kupu korero i oku tuunga katoa i nga ruma korero, 6. I te Uhi wahi o te Wairoa, i Kihitu wahi o te Wairoa, i te Korotere wahi o te Whakaki, i patonga wahi o Nuhaka, i te pahou wahi o te Mahia, i te Wainui, wahi o Nukutaurua hoki mai ano kite Uhi tu ai, heoi aku kupu atu kia koe tenei tahi.
E koro E te Harawira te Tatere, tena ra koe me te iwi nui tonu. E koro kia mau mai ki to ora, kia mau, kia mau, kia mau ki te au kaha i to waka ia Takitimu ahakoa pakaru kohao e pai ana. Tena me puru e koutou ko iramutu ki te Tohunga tenei hoki to iramutu a te Apatu te tu nei i waenganui a matau tae atu ana ki te Mahia ta ana kupu. Heoi tena ra koe.
Na to Komiti iti rawa, na Ngati Kurupakiaka, he mea tu atu i raro i te ringa
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o to whanaunga iti rawa.
Ihakara WaiWhakamāoritanga | TranslationTe Uhi, Wairoa March 6, 1874
To Henare Matua - friend, greetings to you, and to the great tribes who stand with you.
Friend, may the power and authority of your word remain with us - the scattered tribes, the weary tribes, and the steadfast tribes - for we are being drawn along in the treacherous currents of this world. So I end my words of respect.
This is to acknowledge the message you conveyed to Paora Te Apatu - words that I too have understood, and which he has confirmed. Friend, it is no small thing to be acknowledged thus, this is a great matter, for your words have become a message to the wider people. Friends, we must be patient in the face of hardship. At first, there is light - sweetness, joy. We are satisfied when the authority is ours, when wealth is within our grasp. But afterwards comes the darkness. Yes, we continue to see both these gains and their consequences. Still, we do not truly recognise the cost - not until we have arrived and taken our place upon the road. Only then is it made plain: first, your dog is brought into the house to be shot and heard; second, your horse is driven to the road and sent away; third, the Governor’s authority is seated upon
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your ancestral lands, your fishing grounds, your reserves - indeed, all your possessions. Then will the cries and weeping begin. Now friends, here is another word of caution. If we continue down this path of welcoming our own downfall, we shall meet our relation Henare Matua stripped bare - without cloak, without purse, without belt at the waist, no stone in hand, and no shoes upon his feet. And even were there shoes, the bindings would be too tightly knotted to be undone. These are the words I have spoken in all my places of speaking: at Te Uhi, Wairoa, at Kihitu, Wairoa, at Korotere, Whakaki, at Patonga, Nuhaka, at Te Pahou, Mahia, at Wainui, Nukutaurua, and again returning to Te Uhi to stand. All these are my words to you.
To Elder Harawira Te Tatere - hold fast to life. Hold fast, hold fast, hold fast to the current of your canoe, Takitimu - though it may be holed and broken, it remains afloat. You must patch the breaches by seeking the hand of one skilled in such tasks. Indeed, your nephew Te Apatu stands here among us, and his words reach even to Mahia.
From your humble Committee,
From Ngati Kurupakiaka,
Established under the hand of
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your devoted kin,
Ihakara Wai
Kia Henare Matua. E hoa tena ra koe me nga iwi nui tonu i muri i a koe.
E hoa kia mau mai te roa o te mana nga o tau kupu ki runga i a matau i nga iwi pouri i nga iwi puhoi me nga iwi whakatetea tenei hoki matou te kumea nei e nga roma whaka naua o te ao nei
Heoi te mihi atu
tenei o au kupu kia Paora te Apatu ki a kite iho a hau kua mihi iho hoki otira e hoa ehara i te mihi iti mai nei he mihi nui noa atu tenei hoki kei te whai kupu ake ano ki te iwi nui E hoa ma kia manawanui ki nga mea whaka pouri no te mea he marama i te timatanga he ahua reka he hari ka pai ahau ka nui te mana i au te taonga ka nui te moni i au ki muri iho kua kite he pou ri tanga ia tenei ina hoki ina kei te kite haere tonu ia nei tatau i enei painga me enei ki no nga kaati kaore tatau e tino kii ana he mate tenei kei to tatou taenga rawa, taunga ki te rori noho ai, katahi kei te tikinga mai i to kuri ki roto i to whare pupuhi ai, rongo ai, ka rua kei te pananga i to Hoiho ki te Rori haere ai, ka toru kei te noho anga ko te mana o Kawana ki runga
Page 2:
ki ou whenua Papatupu ki ou taunga ika ki au tunga Rahui Otira i au mea katoa. Hei reira tatau, katahi ano ka aue ka tangi. Na e hoa ma he kupu ake hoki tenei naaku kia tatau ki te haere ia nei tatau i tenei huarahi kimi ai i a tatou mate, tera tatau e tutaki ki to tatou whanaunga ia Henare Matua. E tu ana kahore ona kakahu, kahore ana putea, kahore he tauera i tona hope, kahore he kohatu i roto i tona ringa, kahore he hu i ana waewa, otira ki te whai hu i ona waewae ko te herenga ona hu e kore e taea te wewete. Na koia nei aku kupu korero i oku tuunga katoa i nga ruma korero, 6. I te Uhi wahi o te Wairoa, i Kihitu wahi o te Wairoa, i te Korotere wahi o te Whakaki, i patonga wahi o Nuhaka, i te pahou wahi o te Mahia, i te Wainui, wahi o Nukutaurua hoki mai ano kite Uhi tu ai, heoi aku kupu atu kia koe tenei tahi.
E koro E te Harawira te Tatere, tena ra koe me te iwi nui tonu. E koro kia mau mai ki to ora, kia mau, kia mau, kia mau ki te au kaha i to waka ia Takitimu ahakoa pakaru kohao e pai ana. Tena me puru e koutou ko iramutu ki te Tohunga tenei hoki to iramutu a te Apatu te tu nei i waenganui a matau tae atu ana ki te Mahia ta ana kupu. Heoi tena ra koe.
Na to Komiti iti rawa, na Ngati Kurupakiaka, he mea tu atu i raro i te ringa
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o to whanaunga iti rawa.
Ihakara WaiWhakamāoritanga | TranslationTe Uhi, Wairoa March 6, 1874
To Henare Matua - friend, greetings to you, and to the great tribes who stand with you.
Friend, may the power and authority of your word remain with us - the scattered tribes, the weary tribes, and the steadfast tribes - for we are being drawn along in the treacherous currents of this world. So I end my words of respect.
This is to acknowledge the message you conveyed to Paora Te Apatu - words that I too have understood, and which he has confirmed. Friend, it is no small thing to be acknowledged thus, this is a great matter, for your words have become a message to the wider people. Friends, we must be patient in the face of hardship. At first, there is light - sweetness, joy. We are satisfied when the authority is ours, when wealth is within our grasp. But afterwards comes the darkness. Yes, we continue to see both these gains and their consequences. Still, we do not truly recognise the cost - not until we have arrived and taken our place upon the road. Only then is it made plain: first, your dog is brought into the house to be shot and heard; second, your horse is driven to the road and sent away; third, the Governor’s authority is seated upon
Page 2:
your ancestral lands, your fishing grounds, your reserves - indeed, all your possessions. Then will the cries and weeping begin. Now friends, here is another word of caution. If we continue down this path of welcoming our own downfall, we shall meet our relation Henare Matua stripped bare - without cloak, without purse, without belt at the waist, no stone in hand, and no shoes upon his feet. And even were there shoes, the bindings would be too tightly knotted to be undone. These are the words I have spoken in all my places of speaking: at Te Uhi, Wairoa, at Kihitu, Wairoa, at Korotere, Whakaki, at Patonga, Nuhaka, at Te Pahou, Mahia, at Wainui, Nukutaurua, and again returning to Te Uhi to stand. All these are my words to you.
To Elder Harawira Te Tatere - hold fast to life. Hold fast, hold fast, hold fast to the current of your canoe, Takitimu - though it may be holed and broken, it remains afloat. You must patch the breaches by seeking the hand of one skilled in such tasks. Indeed, your nephew Te Apatu stands here among us, and his words reach even to Mahia.
From your humble Committee,
From Ngati Kurupakiaka,
Established under the hand of
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your devoted kin,
Ihakara Wai
Kaiwhakahaere | Admin
Ingoa Kōnae | File NameHM00005
Letter from Paora Te Apatu Ihakara to Henare Matua & Harawira Te Tatere. Ngāti Kere Archives, accessed 09/04/2026, https://ngatikere.recollectcms.com/nodes/view/129