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Letter from Paora Te Apatu to Henare Matua
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Taipitopito | Details
Tau Tohutoro | Reference NoHM00006Rā | Date1874/03/05Mai I Te Wāhi | PlaceTe WairoaRae-o-ToetoeTurangaNukutauruaNuhakaWhakakiWairoaMahiaKihituKahuitaraMai I Te Tangata | FromTe WairoaKi Te Tangata | ToPaora Te Apatu Ngā Tāngata | Names in letter Rapaera Te ApuRaharuhi RukupoPaora KateAnaru MateteTe Matenga TamaiouriaKarepaRuatapuHoeta KaihueTe RarimaWatene ToromataTuwhara Tikomo KihiKaupapa | SubjectWhakatau Take; GrievanceReta; Correspondence
Tūhonotanga | Related
Wāhi | PlaceTe WairoaRae-o-ToetoeTurangaNukutauruaNuhakaWhakakiWairoaMahiaKihituKahuitaraKohikohinga | CollectionTuhinga ā-ringa
Tu-hinga / Whakamāoritanga | Transcript / Translation
Tu-hinga | TranscriptTranscript: te Wairoa Maehe 5 1874. Ki a Henare Matua, e hoa tena koe ki a ora tonu koe. Hei whakahaere i te Iwi nui tonu ki a nuku atu ou tau i te ora roa. Ma te atua tatou katoa e Tiaki, ka huri te aroha.
1. E hoa tenei te kupu, kia rongo koe, me nga komiti katoa.
2. Ko tetahi hui nui a matou i tu ki te Raeotoetoe, ko te take o taua hui, he whakapae na te Iwi nui tonu, ki tetahi tangata ko
3. Rapaera teapu, te ingoa o taua tangata. Ko tana mahi, he makutu. Ko nga tangata i whakapaea ai ia, 17 nga tangata,
4. i mate i a ia. Ko aua tupapaku, kua oti te whakawa e nga komiti o Tai Rawhiti, a, tutuki noa mai, kia matou no Turanga,
5. etahi o aua tupapaku, ko Raharuhi Rukupo ma, no Nukutaurua etahi, no Nuhaka etahi, no te Whakaki etahi, tae noa mai ki te
6. Wairoa, ko nga tangata o Turanga i tae mai ki taua whakawakanga
7. e 40. Ko Paora Kate, nga Rangatira, ko a Anaru Matete, ko te Matenga Tamaioria, ko Kaarepa, Ruatapu, me etahi atu, ko nga tangata o taua
8. hui e 400, katahi, ka whakawakia taua Hara, a kaoti, katahi ka wawahia nga komiti, e 4 nga karaihe, kotahi na Turanga, 1 na Nukutaurua, na Nuhaka, 1 na te Whakaki, tae mai ki te Wairoa, katahi ko Mahia, a ka oti. Ko te otinga tenei ka ruia e nga komiti
9. kia whakamatea, ka rite hoki te komiti i te pononga o tana mahi,
Page 2:
Kotahi rawa te mea i whakaorangia ai e nga komiti, a te Apu.
10. Na te Ture Pakeha, kaati koi ana ta matou i whakaatuatu ai, kia koe ki nga komiti katoa kia kimihia mai tetahi ritenga mo taua tangata, e huna nei i te tangata, ko a matou ritenga, i kite ai, e rua tahi
11. ko te whakamate, katahi ko te maka atu ki etahi motu, ka rua
12. i te 6 o nga ra o Maehe 1874 ka tae mai matou ki Kihitu, ka whakawakia,a hoeta Kaihue mo tana makututanga i a te Rarima raua ko te mokopuna a te Watene Toromata, whakawakia ana taua kaumatua, a,
13. pono ana tana mahi, ko te mea i he ai ia, na tetahi tangata i whaki, he tika tonu, taana makututanga i a ia te Rarima, kaati mau ana taua kaumatua i te komiti
14. ko te tikanga mo taua kaumatua. peratia ana ano, me te Ture, i whakaaturia mo te Apu, E hoa heoi ano a matou korero kia koe. Ko tenei maau e mahi atu e hoa
15. ki te kitea e koe tetahi whakaaro maau e whakaatu mai, ki a au, ki te Iwi nui tonu, ka mutu, na to tuakana itirawa, na Paora te Apatu
Transcript 2:
Page 3:
E hoa tenei hoki tetahi kupu korero ki a koe, ko tene kaainga ko te Wairoa, kua mate. Ko te mate tenei ko te whenua, kua riro i te Pakeha, ko te kaainga i putihatia kia koe ko Tuwhara Tikomo Kihi, kua tuhituhi ona tangata i te 21 tau kua tangohia te moni e £1300.0.0 pauna. Ko Kahuitara hoki tetahi whenua kua mate, he hoko whenua tonu tena nama No. 1, No. 2. Ko ona utu o taua whenua e £1500.0.0 pauna, kaore e rongo ki te ki atu me waiho te whenua hei oranga mo te tangata.
Page 4:
E hoa te mahi a enei iwi, he kai waipiro anake te mahi, he noho tonu i te whatitoka o te whare o te Pakeha ia ra, ia ra.Whakamāoritanga | TranslationTe Wairoa, March 5, 1874
To Henare Matua - friend, greetings. May you continue to live well. May your leadership carry the people forward, and may your years be lengthened upon the earth. May the Almighty protect us all. I now offer my affectionate acknowledgements.
1. Friend, I send this word for your hearing, and for the ears of all the committees.
2. A great assembly was held at Rae-o-Toetoe, in response to a charge laid by the wider community against one man.
3. That man is Rapaera Te Apu. His offence was makutu - witchcraft. It was said that he caused the death of seventeen people.
4. The deceased were known and named, and the matter has already been examined by the committees of the East Coast. The investigation has reached us here in Turanga,
5. for some of the dead were connected to the house of Raharuhi Rukupo and others - with links to Nukutaurua, Nuhaka, Whakaki, and down to
6. Wairoa. The delegation from Turanga
7. numbered forty. Their leaders were Paora Kate, Anaru Matete, Te Matenga Tamaiouria, Karepa, Ruatapu, and others. The total number of people at
8. the gathering was near four hundred. When the trial of the offence was complete, the committees divided into four houses: one each for Turanga, Nukutaurua, Nuhaka, and Whakaki through to Wairoa and Mahia. So it was settled.
The ruling was unanimous:
9. That he should die, for the committees held his actions to be evil and abhorrent.
Page 2:
There was but one matter which stayed their hand: the person's name - Te Apu.
10. In respect of Pakeha law, we have refrained from carrying out that which we would have otherwise shown to you and to all the committees - namely, the taking of this man's life, for the secret killing of others. To our minds, only two pathways lie ahead:
11. One - execution. The other - exile to distant islands. These are the two courses.
12. On the 6th of March 1874, we travelled to Kihitu, where Hoeta Kaihue was brought to trial for using makutu against Te Rarima and the grandchild of Watene Toromata. This elder was accused,
13. and his wrongdoing was proven. The matter was laid bare by another witness. It was found true - that he had employed makutu upon Te Rarima. And so, this elder was held by the committee.
14. His case followed the same procedure as that which had been established for Te Apu. Friend, these are our words to you. It is now for you to consider what should be done.
15. If you have any thoughts of your own to send to me and to the wider people, that shall bring the matter to its end.
From your elder brother,
Paora Te Apatu
Transcript 2:
Page 3:
Friend, I write to you again. This place,Te Wairoa, is lost. The problem is the land, which has been taken by the Pakeha. The homestead once set aside for you,Tuwhara Tikomo Kihi, has been signed away. The people have put their marks to it, and £1300 has been taken in payment. Kahuitara too has gone, sold as Land Blocks No. 1 and No. 2. The sum for that land was £1500. They do not heed the call to leave land as sustenance for the people.
Page 4:
Friend, the way of these people is now only to drink spirits. They sit day after day on the thresholds of the Pakeha’s houses.
1. E hoa tenei te kupu, kia rongo koe, me nga komiti katoa.
2. Ko tetahi hui nui a matou i tu ki te Raeotoetoe, ko te take o taua hui, he whakapae na te Iwi nui tonu, ki tetahi tangata ko
3. Rapaera teapu, te ingoa o taua tangata. Ko tana mahi, he makutu. Ko nga tangata i whakapaea ai ia, 17 nga tangata,
4. i mate i a ia. Ko aua tupapaku, kua oti te whakawa e nga komiti o Tai Rawhiti, a, tutuki noa mai, kia matou no Turanga,
5. etahi o aua tupapaku, ko Raharuhi Rukupo ma, no Nukutaurua etahi, no Nuhaka etahi, no te Whakaki etahi, tae noa mai ki te
6. Wairoa, ko nga tangata o Turanga i tae mai ki taua whakawakanga
7. e 40. Ko Paora Kate, nga Rangatira, ko a Anaru Matete, ko te Matenga Tamaioria, ko Kaarepa, Ruatapu, me etahi atu, ko nga tangata o taua
8. hui e 400, katahi, ka whakawakia taua Hara, a kaoti, katahi ka wawahia nga komiti, e 4 nga karaihe, kotahi na Turanga, 1 na Nukutaurua, na Nuhaka, 1 na te Whakaki, tae mai ki te Wairoa, katahi ko Mahia, a ka oti. Ko te otinga tenei ka ruia e nga komiti
9. kia whakamatea, ka rite hoki te komiti i te pononga o tana mahi,
Page 2:
Kotahi rawa te mea i whakaorangia ai e nga komiti, a te Apu.
10. Na te Ture Pakeha, kaati koi ana ta matou i whakaatuatu ai, kia koe ki nga komiti katoa kia kimihia mai tetahi ritenga mo taua tangata, e huna nei i te tangata, ko a matou ritenga, i kite ai, e rua tahi
11. ko te whakamate, katahi ko te maka atu ki etahi motu, ka rua
12. i te 6 o nga ra o Maehe 1874 ka tae mai matou ki Kihitu, ka whakawakia,a hoeta Kaihue mo tana makututanga i a te Rarima raua ko te mokopuna a te Watene Toromata, whakawakia ana taua kaumatua, a,
13. pono ana tana mahi, ko te mea i he ai ia, na tetahi tangata i whaki, he tika tonu, taana makututanga i a ia te Rarima, kaati mau ana taua kaumatua i te komiti
14. ko te tikanga mo taua kaumatua. peratia ana ano, me te Ture, i whakaaturia mo te Apu, E hoa heoi ano a matou korero kia koe. Ko tenei maau e mahi atu e hoa
15. ki te kitea e koe tetahi whakaaro maau e whakaatu mai, ki a au, ki te Iwi nui tonu, ka mutu, na to tuakana itirawa, na Paora te Apatu
Transcript 2:
Page 3:
E hoa tenei hoki tetahi kupu korero ki a koe, ko tene kaainga ko te Wairoa, kua mate. Ko te mate tenei ko te whenua, kua riro i te Pakeha, ko te kaainga i putihatia kia koe ko Tuwhara Tikomo Kihi, kua tuhituhi ona tangata i te 21 tau kua tangohia te moni e £1300.0.0 pauna. Ko Kahuitara hoki tetahi whenua kua mate, he hoko whenua tonu tena nama No. 1, No. 2. Ko ona utu o taua whenua e £1500.0.0 pauna, kaore e rongo ki te ki atu me waiho te whenua hei oranga mo te tangata.
Page 4:
E hoa te mahi a enei iwi, he kai waipiro anake te mahi, he noho tonu i te whatitoka o te whare o te Pakeha ia ra, ia ra.Whakamāoritanga | TranslationTe Wairoa, March 5, 1874
To Henare Matua - friend, greetings. May you continue to live well. May your leadership carry the people forward, and may your years be lengthened upon the earth. May the Almighty protect us all. I now offer my affectionate acknowledgements.
1. Friend, I send this word for your hearing, and for the ears of all the committees.
2. A great assembly was held at Rae-o-Toetoe, in response to a charge laid by the wider community against one man.
3. That man is Rapaera Te Apu. His offence was makutu - witchcraft. It was said that he caused the death of seventeen people.
4. The deceased were known and named, and the matter has already been examined by the committees of the East Coast. The investigation has reached us here in Turanga,
5. for some of the dead were connected to the house of Raharuhi Rukupo and others - with links to Nukutaurua, Nuhaka, Whakaki, and down to
6. Wairoa. The delegation from Turanga
7. numbered forty. Their leaders were Paora Kate, Anaru Matete, Te Matenga Tamaiouria, Karepa, Ruatapu, and others. The total number of people at
8. the gathering was near four hundred. When the trial of the offence was complete, the committees divided into four houses: one each for Turanga, Nukutaurua, Nuhaka, and Whakaki through to Wairoa and Mahia. So it was settled.
The ruling was unanimous:
9. That he should die, for the committees held his actions to be evil and abhorrent.
Page 2:
There was but one matter which stayed their hand: the person's name - Te Apu.
10. In respect of Pakeha law, we have refrained from carrying out that which we would have otherwise shown to you and to all the committees - namely, the taking of this man's life, for the secret killing of others. To our minds, only two pathways lie ahead:
11. One - execution. The other - exile to distant islands. These are the two courses.
12. On the 6th of March 1874, we travelled to Kihitu, where Hoeta Kaihue was brought to trial for using makutu against Te Rarima and the grandchild of Watene Toromata. This elder was accused,
13. and his wrongdoing was proven. The matter was laid bare by another witness. It was found true - that he had employed makutu upon Te Rarima. And so, this elder was held by the committee.
14. His case followed the same procedure as that which had been established for Te Apu. Friend, these are our words to you. It is now for you to consider what should be done.
15. If you have any thoughts of your own to send to me and to the wider people, that shall bring the matter to its end.
From your elder brother,
Paora Te Apatu
Transcript 2:
Page 3:
Friend, I write to you again. This place,Te Wairoa, is lost. The problem is the land, which has been taken by the Pakeha. The homestead once set aside for you,Tuwhara Tikomo Kihi, has been signed away. The people have put their marks to it, and £1300 has been taken in payment. Kahuitara too has gone, sold as Land Blocks No. 1 and No. 2. The sum for that land was £1500. They do not heed the call to leave land as sustenance for the people.
Page 4:
Friend, the way of these people is now only to drink spirits. They sit day after day on the thresholds of the Pakeha’s houses.
Letter from Paora Te Apatu to Henare Matua. Ngāti Kere Archives, accessed 09/04/2026, https://ngatikere.recollectcms.com/nodes/view/653