Letter from Hoani Tiwini (John Stevens) to Henare Matua

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Tu-hinga / Whakamāoritanga | Transcript / Translation

Tu-hinga | TranscriptTranscript: Waipukurau
Hanuere 3 1872
Kia Henare Matua.
E hoa tena koe.
I haere mai au i Rangitikei he kaiwhakamaori ma korua ko Henare Rata hei whiwhi i nga take me nga kupu ma te whakawa komihana ma Pepuere taua whakawa ka tu. Na kia Kaha tatou ki te kimi tikanga mo o tatou take. Me kimihia hoki ko tehea take tatou te tuku atu ai kia whakawangia i te tuatahi me whakakahore tatou nga take noaiho ara nga take e kore e taea tatou te whakamana ki te aroaro o te whakawa.

Kia mau tatou ki nga wahi e nui te utu o te whenua ara ki nga wahi hoki e taea tatou te whakahe te hokonga a nga Pakeha me nga Kaiwhakamaori. E ki ana hoki a Henare Raaaka koe e haere ki Turanga inaianei engari me noho koe he hoa ma maua. Ko te take e kore e taea i a maua au ki te kimi i nga kupu me nga mahi mo te wha-,

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kawa, na mehemea ka mutu to tangi ki Otene me haere mai koi ki konei kia kimihia korua ko Henare te ara tika ma ta korua mahi.

I rongo a Henare ko te mahe a Te Kawanatanga me etehi atu Pakeha i a ratou te whenua he patipati atu ki nga komihana he whakaroa noaiho te takiwa o te whakawa ehara to ratou i te take tuturu na ko to tatou mahi e kimi i te tika e whakatika hoki i nga mahe he. Kua ki atu a Henare ki nga tangata maore o Te Aute o Te Pakipaki me etahi atu kainga kia kauak ratou e tuku o ratou take kia Te Raaka kai whakamaore nei, ko te take e he ana ki te pera, engari me tuku mai kia maua ko Henare. Me ki atu e koe ki nga tangata o Porangahau e whai kupu ana kia koe kia tukuna mai o ratou take kia maua ko Henare Ku ki atu a Wiramu Neana kia Henare akuanei ratau tohe toke a muri na me etahi atu mo te papawhenua ara ko Te Hapuku.

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Ki te mahara a Henare na tetahi tangata e tohu kia tau he ingoa kino ki nga Maori.

Tuhia mai e koe te whakautu o tenei reta kia Henare ko te take tenei tona kaiwhakamaori he whakamarama au kupu ki a ia.

He oti ano na to hoa pono
na Hoani Tiwini
John Stevens

Waipukurau
Hoani Tiwini.Whakamāoritanga | TranslationWaipukurau
January 3, 1872
To Henare Matua. Friend, greetings to you. I came from Rangitikei as an interpreter for you and Henry Russell to gather the claims and statements for the commission hearing to be held in February. Let us be strong in seeking proper procedures for our claims. We should also determine which claims we should submit for judgment first, and we should reject trivial claims, that is, claims that we cannot substantiate before the court.

Let us hold onto the places where the land is of great value, and also to the places where we can challenge the purchases made by Pakeha and interpreters. Henry Russell is also saying that you should not go to Turanga now, but you should stay as a companion for us two. The reason is that we cannot find all the claims and the work for the hearing,

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so when you finish your mourning for Otene, you should come here promptly so that you and Henry can find the right pathway for your work.

Henry heard that the actions of the Government and that of some other Pakeha regarding their land involved flattering the commissioners, merely to delay the time of the hearing - their claims are not genuine. Our work, however, is to seek the truth and correct wrongful actions. Henry has told the Maori people of Te Aute, Te Pakipaki, and other places not to submit their claims to Locke, who is the interpreter, because it is wrong to do so. Instead, they should submit them to Henry and me. You should tell the people of Porangahau who have words for you to send their claims to Henry and me. Wiremu Neana has told Henry that they will soon be disputing afterwards, along with others, regarding the land block, that is, Te Hapuku’s land.

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According to Henry, he thinks someone is trying to give Maori a bad name.

Write your reply to this letter to Henry as I am his interpreter and will explain your words to him.

That is all from your faithful friend, Hoani Tiwini (John Stevens).

Waipukurau
Hoani Tiwini.

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Letter from Hoani Tiwini (John Stevens) to Henare Matua

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Letter from Hoani Tiwini (John Stevens) to Henare Matua