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Kōrero: Wahawaha, Rāpata

Whārangi 1: Haurongo

Ngā whakaahua me ngā rauemi katoa o tēnei kōrero

Wahawaha, Rāpata

?–1897

Nō Ngāti Porou; he hōia, he tangata mahi pāmu, he kaitōrangapū, he āteha

I tuhia tēnei haurongo e Steven Oliver, ā, i tāngia tuatahitia ki Ngā Tāngata Taumata Rau i te 1990. I whakahoutia i te o Hepetema, 2013. He mea whakamāori nā Ngā Tangata Taumata Rau.

Nō Te Aowera hapū o Ngāti Porou tērā toa a Rāpata Wahawaha, ā, i whānau mai i Te Puia i Akuaku rānei, i roto i te riu o Waiapu. Ko tētahi kōrero i heipū tōna whānautanga ki te urutomo tuarua a Ngāpuhi, i te tau 1820. Nāna tonu te kōrero e kōhungahunga ana anō a ia, i te taenga mai o te Rongopai ki Te Tai Rāwhiti. Ka hāngai anō ki te tau 1820. Ko Hīpora Koroua tōna pāpā, ko tōna kōkā ko Te Hapamana Te Whao. Ko tōna tipuna taiea ko Pākira, he toa amorangi nō ngā pakanga o te wā i kīia ai a Ngāti Porou he iwi.

E mōhiotia ana e taitamariki tonu ana ia ka mauhereheretia, i te matenga o Ngāti Porou i a Rongowhakaata i ā rāua whawhai tohetohe whenua i te tau 1828. Ka noho a Wahawaha hei pononga mā Rāpata Whakapuhia. Nō reira tōna īngoa a Rāpata. Ko tētahi o ngā putanga o te īngoa nei i muri mai, ko Rōpata. Nā te mea koia nei te whakahua a te Kōtimana rā a Te Mākarini (Donald McLean), ka pai hoki ki ngā taringa o Rāpata; kua kore e maharatia ake tōna whakataurekarekatanga.

Nā Tama-i-whakanehua-i-te-rangi i tono kia whakahokia mai a Rāpata Wahawaha ki tōna iwi. Tae rawa ake ki te tau 1839 i te moenga i tana wahine tuatahi, kua hoki kē mai a ia ki roto o Ngāti Porou. Kāore he kōrero i tua atu mō te wahine tuatahi nei. Heoi anō nō te tau 1849 ka moea e Rāpata a Hārata Te Ihi i Tūranga (Gisborne). I tōna pakeketanga ka parematatia e ia a Rongowhakaata.

Nō ngā pakanga whakawehewehe a Ngāti Porou i a rātau anō i te tekau tau mai i 1860, kātahi anō ka rongona he kōrero mō Rāpata. Ka tū tētahi hui nui ki Pāwhakairo i Te Matau-a-Māui (Hawke's Bay), i tae atu he kanohi mō Te Tai Rāwhiti ki te kōrero ngātahi ki a Tāmihana Te Rauparaha. Ko te kaupapa ko te Kīngitanga. I te tau 1862, ka hūtia e Tamatatai ngā haki a te Kīngitanga ki Waiomatatini. Nō Waiapu tonu a Tamatatai ēngari i hoki mai i Waikato. Ko te whakautu a Mōkena Kōhere he huhuti i te haki a te Kuini o Ingarangi ki Rangitukia. I te tīmatanga o ngā whawhai i 1863, ka kuhu wētahi o Ngāti Porou ki te hokowhitu a te Kīngitanga. Heoi i te Maehe o 1864, ka aukatia mai e Te Arawa tētahi waitaua kaitā tonu o Ngāti Porou, kia kauaka e haere mā reira ki Waikato. Otirā, i waimarie wētahi o ngā toa o tētahi atu ope taua o Te Tai Rāwhiti, ka puta mā roto o Tauranga.

Nō te taenga mai o ngā karere Pai Mārire, o Kereopa Te Rau rāua ko Pātara Raukatauri i te tau 1865, ka tīmata te kawe a riri ki Te Tai Rāwhiti. He tini o Rongowhakaata me Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki i tahuri atu; tata riro katoa te rohe o Tūranganui-a-Kiwa (Poverty Bay) i a rāua. I taua wā anō i te takiwā ki te raki, ka tīmata a Ngāti Porou ki te whawhai ki a rātau anō. Ko wētahi i pukuaroha atu ki te Pai Mārire. Ko wētahi i ngākaurua. Ko wētahi anō tino kore rawa atu i pai ki tēnei hāhi hou. Ka nohonoho te hunga tauwhāinga ki ō rātau nei pā. He pā hou tonu wētahi. Noho atu, noho mai.

Ko Rāpata tonu tētahi o ngā reimana amorangi o te pīhopatanga o Waiapu i taua wā. I te whakatuwheratanga i te whare karakia i Popoti i te tau 1865, ka kawea mai e Mohi Tūrei te kōrero kua tae mai te Hauhau ki Pukemaire i te riu o Waiapu. Ka whakatika a Rāpata me tana whakatoke e 40 te kaha. Ko te nuinga nō Te Aowera. Ahakoa i riro i te Hauhau a Mangaone me Tikitiki, i hau ngā rongo o Rāpata i tana riri tautapatapatanga i te kawau pū o te Hauhau i Tikitiki. Nō te matenga o Hēnare Nihoniho i Mangaone ka noho ko Rāpata hei amorangi mō Te Aowera.

Nā te tini o te toa, o te pū me te kariri hoki, ka riro i te Hauhau te huanga o ngā pakanga tuatahi nei. Ka inoi atu ngā rangatira kūpapa o Ngāti Porou ki a Te Mākarini kia tukuna mai he taputapu whawhai. Ū ana he kaipuke ki te ngutuawa o Waiapu. Tū ana, ko Meiha Pereiha (James Fraser) me te 100 hōia tūao nō Te Matau-a-Māui. Ka ora te pā o Mōkena Kōhere a Te Hātepe. Mehemea kāore te kāwanatanga i aro mai, tērā pea kua riro te rohe o Ngāti Porou hei kōhanga mō te Pai Mārire.

I muri mai i te hinganga o ngā Hauhau i Te Hātepe, ka pāhorotia e Pereiha rāua ko Mōkena tō rātau pā i kō tata atu, arā, i Pākairomiromi. Pērā anō te pā i Te Horo, i hinga ki a Rāpata. Kātahi a Rāpata ka whanatu ki te whakaoraora i Te Māwhai, te pā i hangaia e Hēnare Pōtae ki Tokomaru. Ka āia atu te Hauhau, ā, taro ake ka horo ō rātau pā tū tata mai, a Tautini me Pukepapa. Ka riro te tāhuna, ka puhipuhia e Rāpata ngā herehere Hauhau o Te Aowera. I mua i te hokinga ki te riu o Waiapu ka whakapāpā haere atu a Rāpata me ana toa ki Ūawa (Tolaga Bay). I Tahutahupō ka patua e rātau 12 ngā Hauhau. I te āpititanga i te pā o te Hauhau i Pukemaire, i whakakotahi ngā hōia a Rāpata ki te 50 o ngā pirihimana ngāherehere (Forest Rangers). Ahakoa i taiaritia, ka whakatahia te pā e te Hauhau, ka rere ki Hungahungatoroa ki te raki. Ka piki a Rāpata rāua ko Meiha Te Piiki (R. N. Biggs) i te paritū i runga ake o te pā, ka puhipuhia iho, ka hauraro te Hauhau.

Ka tono a Mōkena kia tohua ngā Hauhau o Ngāti Porou kātahi ka karangatia ā-hapū kia putaputa mai. Kātahi kameinga kia oati ka noho pūmau rātau ki a Kuini Wikitōria (Victoria). Ko ngā Hauhau o iwi kē i mau hereheretia i roto o Ngāti Porou, i rērere wētahi ki te ngahere, i pūhia wētahi. Ko te haurarotanga i Hungahungatoroa te whakahenumitanga o te Hauhau i roto o Waiapu. Nō reira mai te tautokotanga a Ngāti Porou whānui tonu i te kāwanatanga.

Heoi e kaha tonu ana te mana o te Hauhau i roto o Tūranganui-a-Kiwa. I te marama o Oketopa 1865, ka ārahina e Rāpata rāua ko Mōkena e 300 o Ngāti Porou ki reira. Kua tīmata i nāianei ngā pakanga a Te Tai Rāwhiti ki roto i ngā iwi o Tūranganuia-Kiwa. I Waerenga-a-Hika ka awhitia te pā o ngā Hauhau e Ngāti Porou rātau ko ngā hōia a te kāwanatanga. Ka puta mai tētahi tōpūtanga o te Hauhau i te pā ki te huaki i ngā kaiawhi. Ka kōkiri mai me te kawe haere i a rātau haki whawhai, he mā. Kātahi ka mauria mai he pū repo, ka taiparatia te pā, ka horo. Ko ngā herehere o Rongowhakaata o Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki i tereputia ki Wharekauri, arā ko te īngoa ake ki ngā Moriori, ko Rēkohu (Chatham Islands). Nō muri mai ka hopukina ko Te Kooti.

Ka neke pērā te whawhai ki te tonga ki Wairoa. I te 4 o Hānuere 1866, ka ū a Rāpata rātau ko tana ope kūpapa o Ngāti Porou ki reira. He āwhina i ngā rangatira kūpapa o Ngāti Kahungunu i a Kōpū Parapara rāua ko Īhaka Whaanga te kaupapa. Ka taui te Hauhau ki uta ki Waikaremoana. Ka whāia e Ngāti Kahungunu, ehara, ka kauaeroatia ko rātau ki Te Kōpane. Tata tonu ka mate. Kātahi ka tahuna e Rāpata te ngahere ka whati te Hauhau i ō rātau hunanga. Ka whāia anō, ā, ka mau hereheretia ko te maha noa atu. Ko te hiahia o Rāpata kia tohungia ngā Hauhau o Ngāti Kahungunu anake. Ko ngā mea o Ngāti Porou, o Tūhoe, o Rongowhakaata, me patupatu. Kāore a Ngāti Kahungunu i whakaae. Puhipuhia ana te katoa. Tae rawa mai ki te hōtoke o 1866 kua tau te rangimārie ki te rohe o Te Tai Rāwhiti ki Tūranga. Heoti, e noho māhorahora tonu ana ngā kaiārahi o ngā Hauhau a te Waru Tamatea rāua ko Eru Tamaikowha. Tē taea anō hoki te mana o Te Urewera e ngā hokowhitu a te kāwanatanga.

I te rerenga mai o Te Kooti me tana apataki i Wharekauri, ka ū ki Whareongaonga i te 10 o Hūrae 1868, ka tū anō te pakanga ki Te Tai Rāwhiti. Ka rangahaua rātau ki te tuawhenua e ngā hōia tūao Māori, rātau ko ngā Pākehā me ngā pirihimana mau pū (Armed Constabulary) i raro i a Rūtene Kānara George Whitmore. Kore rawa i mau. Ka hoki anō a Rāpata me tana 200 o Ngāti Porou ki Te Wairoa, ā, mai i reira ki Puketapu, i raro i a Meiha Charles Lambert. Rongo rawa atu kua riro kē a Te Kooti, ko tō rātau hokinga atu tēnā ki Te Wairoa. Ko tā Rāpata me rangahau a Te Kooti. E ai hoki ki ngā pūrongorongo, e takatū ana a ia ki te tuki i a Tūranganui. Tino tika. I te pō o 9–10 o Noema ka huakina. E 54 pea ngā tāngata i patua e Te Kooti mā. He Pākehā wētahi. Neke atu i te 20 he Māori. Kotahi wiki e puritia ana e ia taua takiwā kātahi ka whakatahi i ana parakete me ana herehere ki Mākāretu. Ka whakapakaritia hei pā whawhai. Ka āpititia e te ope a Rāpata rātau ko wētahi atu o Ngāti Porou me ngā hōia hoki a te kāwanatanga. Ka peia a Te Kooti me tana apataki kia taui ki te pā o Ngātapa i te tuawhenua o Tūranga.

Ko ngā kaiārahi i te tomokanga tuatahi o Ngātapa i te 5 o Tīhema 1868 ko Rāpata, ko Hōtene Porourangi, ko Rūtene George Preece. Ko ngā maioro pekerangi anake i taea e rātau. Ko Rāpata rātau ko ana hōia ruarua nei i whawhai tonu i te roanga o te pō. I te ata ka taui rātau nā te mea kāore rātau i āwhinatia e te ope Ngāti Porou a Hōtene Porourangi, te ope rānei a Ngāti Kahungunu. Mō ana mahinga hautoa i tēnei whawhai ka whakawhiwhia a Rāpata ki te rīpeka o Niu Tīreni (New Zealand Cross). Ka hikitia tōna tūranga hōia ki te meiha. I a rāua ko Preece e taui ana ki Tūranga, ka tūtaki atu ki a Kānara Whitmore me tana taua pirihimana mau pū o Te Arawa, o Whanganui e rangatū ana i a Te Kooti. Kāore a Rāpata i pai ki te haere tahi me Whitmore. Ko tana hiahia kē, he hoki ki Waiapu ki te taritari ope mō tana hokowhitu o Ngāti Porou. Ka whakaae a Whitmore. I kōrerohia anō e Rāpata me huaki a Ngāti Kahungunu nā rātou i tū kē i Ngātapa. Nā te torutoru o ngā hōia a Whitmore ki te tuki i a Ngātapa, ka haere a ia ki Mākāretu whanga ai kia hoki mai a Rāpata.

I te māuiui o Rāpata, nō te 31 o Tīhema rā anō ka hoki mai. Ka haere rāua ko Kāpene Poata (Thomas Porter) me tā rāua ope taua o Te Arawa ki te kokoti i te puna wai o Ngātapa. I te pō o te 4 o Hānuere i te horonga o ngā maioro, ka whakarērea a Ngātapa. Ka whāia. E hia rau nei i mau herehere. Kotahi rau e rua tekau o ngā tāne i pūhia ka pangaia i te pari. Ko te kōrero mō Rāpata Wahawaha, i ngā āhuatanga o tōna wā, he tangata ngākau tōkeke a ia. Ko ngā tāne mau pū anake i pūhia e Rāpata.

Ka puta rā a Te Kooti ki Te Urewera, ka kawea he apataki hou māna, ka huakina e ia a Whakatāne me Mōhaka. Ka whakataua e Whitmore me ruru a Te Urewera,kia kore ai e whai wāhi whakaruru, wāhi whakarato taonga, wāhi taritari ope rānei a Te Kooti me ngā mōrehu kaiārahi i te Hauhau. E mōhiotia ana anō he wāhi whakaruru tērā nō Kereopa, i whakapaengia rā nāna i kōhuru a Te Wākana (C. S. Völkner) i te tau 1865. Ka kaupapatia e Whitmore kia toru ngā poupoutahi e ūngutu ki Te Urewera, ina urutomohia. Kotahi i raro i a Kānara Whitmore, ko tētahi i a Rūtene John St John. Nā rātau i tukituki ngā kāenga me ngā mahinga kai a Tūhoe. Ko te tuatoru i whakapiri atu ai a Rāpata me Ngāti Porou, ko te poupoutahi ko Kānara Jasper Herrick te kaiārahi. I ahu rātau mā Waikaremoana ki te whakarau i te hunga e peia haeretia ana e wērā o ngā poupoutahi. Tūtakitaki rawa atu rātau ki Ruatāhuna. Nō te 6 o Mei 1869 ka horo te pā o Tūhoe a Te Hārema i a Whitmore. Ko tēnei te urutomonga tuatahitanga o Tūhoe i momoho.

I te anuanutanga o te hōtoke ka whakarērea ngā maunga e te hokowhitu a Whitmore. Ko Te Kooti i ahu mā Taupō ki te Rohe Pōtae. He tauranga whakamutunga tēnei nāna ki te kumekume tāngata mai, hei haumi mōna. Nō te korenga i tutuki o ana tūmanako, ka hinga hoki i a Te Arawa, ko te hokinga tēnā o Te Kooti ki Te Urewera. E whā ngā waitaua a Rāpata ki te rangahau i a ia. Ko te tuatahi, nā rāua ko Te Keepa Te Rangihiwinui, te ngārahu o te Ope Hōia Māori o Whanganui (Wanganui Native Contingent), i whakahaere. Nō te Pēpuere o 1870 ka hiki. Ka haoa e Rāpata te pā o Tūhoe a Tore-a-tai i Maungapōhatu. Ko tēnei te hinganga tuatahitanga o taua pā. I te 23 o Maehe ka pāhorotia te pā o Te Kooti i Maraetahi i te pito whakauta o te tāwhārua o Waiōeka. Nā Te Keepa te pāhoro tuatahi, nā Rāpata i whai atu i muri, ka riro. Ko tēnei te wawao whakamutunga pēnei a Te Kooti. Ko ngā mau herehere o Te Whakatōhea o ngā marau a Te Kooti i te takiwā ki Ōpōtiki, i tukuna kia haere. Ka houhia te rongo i waenga i a Te Keepa rāua ko Eru Tamaikowha, tētahi o ngā kaiārahi o ngā Hauhau. I Āperira ka hoki a Te Keepa ki Whanganui. Ko Rāpata i ngā maunga āwhio o Ōpōtiki e rapa ana i ngā putunga kariri a Te Kooti. Nō muri ka hoki ki Waiapu. He hauraro te mahi a Tūhoe i te roanga o te tau 1870. I te whakapaunga o taua tau ka hauraro a Te Waru Tamatea. Kua mutu i nāianei te whakawehi a Te Kooti i te kāwanatanga. Ka noho rerenga rātau ko tana apataki.

Nō Hānuere o 1871 ka hoki anō a Rāpata rāua ko Tawa (Gilbert Mair) me ā rāua kūpapa o Te Arawa ki te whaiwhai haere i a Te Kooti. Kua waihotia hoki mā ngā ope Māori tērā mahi. Kua whakamutua te utu i a rātau. Kua mahi mō te kore noa iho. Ka tahuri ki te muru i ngā rawa a Tūhoe hei utu mō rātau. I Hūrae ka rokohanga atu e Tawa me tana taua o Te Arawa, te puni a Te Kooti i Waipaoa. Ēngari kua whakangaro kē atu a ia. Ka takahi atu a Ngāti Porou i tana makatea. I te ata hāpara o te 1 o Hepetema ka rawhia tana puni i Te Hāpua (ko Ruahapū rānei) e tū tata atu ana ki Te Whāiti. Ka pakaru atu a Te Kooti mā te kōkai kiri rākau o tana hōpuni me te karanga anō: 'Ko Ngāti Porou! Whakarauora i a koutou!' Ka rere ki te ngahere. Tokorima ana apataki me tētahi o ana wāhine i puta. Ka rere ki te Rohe Pōtae whakaruru ai.

Ka whakapau te tau 1871, ka huri a Rāpata ki te whakatutuki i te horanga o te rongomau ki a Tūhoe i Te Urewera. Hei whakapōhēhē he tūturu te noho a Ngāti Porou ki reira, ka whakaarahia e ia wētahi pā. Ka kī atu ki te takawaenga ki a Eru Tamaikowha, e hiahia noa ana ia ki te whakarau i te hunga kaiwhana me te hunga kōhuru. Ko te hunga whakaruru me ngā hapū rerenga, e wātea ana ki te hokihoki ki ō rātau kāenga. Kua wherū kē a Tūhoe i ngā pakanga me ngā mahi tukituki. Hei tuku i te rau o te patu ka tukuna e Tūhoe kia mau a Kereopa i ngā hōia. Ka mau a Kereopa, ka whakahuihuingia e Rāpata a Tūhoe ki Ruatāhuna. I tana poroporoaki ka mea atu me whakamutu tā rātau mahi whakahoahoa ki te Hauhau. Kua houhia kētia te rongo o te kāwanatanga ki a rātau. I Tīhema ka whakaratongia e Rāpata he kai mā Tūhoe, he purapura hoki hei whakatō. Kātahi ka kounu i tana hokowhitu mai i Maungapōhatu ki Te Tai Rāwhiti.

Na, kua noho ko ia tētahi o ngā toa o ngā amorangi mō Ngāti Porou. Kore rawa ia i huna i a ia. Mārakerake tana tū i te kauhanga riri. Kaingākau atu a ia ki te whai i te hoariri e oma taui ana. Nā tana mahi whawhai mā te kāwanatanga ka whai takapautia e ia a Rongowhakaata nā rātau rā ia i mau herehere i tōna tamarikitanga. Nāna anō hoki i kore ai ngā whenua o Ngāti Porou i raupatutia.

Ahakoa i haumi a Rāpata ki te kāwanatanga, ahakoa kāore a ia i pai kia noho mana motuhake te Māori; i āna mahi katoa ko te mea nui ko te ārahi i te iwi. I kaingākau tonu ia ki te atawhai i te hunga kāenga me ō rātau rangatira, ahakoa i whawhai mai ki a ia. I tukuna e ia ngā herehere o te wā kāenga. Ko ngā herehere rāwaho anake i pūhia. Rite katoa rātau ko ngā amorangi kūpapa ki te whakamahi i ngā āwhinatanga a te kāwanatanga hai whakapakari i ō rātau iwi, hai āpiti hoki i ngā hoariri o mai rā anō.

Kia hoki ki ngā kōrero mō Te Rangi-i-pāia II, arā he mea kahaki nā Pōmare I i te tau 1820, i tana pāhorotanga i Te Whetū-matarau. Tērā whārona awatea tērā. Ko Ngāpuhi me ana pū ki te rākau a Ngāti Porou. E ai ki ngā kōrero tipuna a Ngāti Porou, nō muri mai i ngā tekau tau o 1860–1870 pea, ko Rāpata Wahawaha tērā. Ka tono ia ki ngā kaiarataki o Ngāpuhi o taua wā, kei te hanatu a ia, arā, kua whai pū hoki a Ngāti Porou. Ko tana wero kei te haere atu a ia me ana hōia me ana pū, hei utu mō Te Whetū-matarau me ētahi atu o ngā pā nā rātau i pāhoro. Na, ko te whakautu mai a Ngāpuhi. 'E, mutu noa nei kei a mātau, ko te Paipera kei te ringa mauī, kāore he patu he pū rānei kei te ringa katau.' Kāti ka tohetohe tonu a Rāpata Wahawaha. Ka rongo te kāwanatanga o taua wā ka tukuna mai he kaipuke ki te aukati i a ia, kia kore ai e puta, ā, ngaro noa iho tana take.

Ahakoa tonu, ki ōna whakaaro, kāore i rawaka te utunga i a ia mō ana tūnga i ngā pakanga. I rawaka te kī taurangi mai, ēngari he iti i whakatinanatia. Ko ngā whenua pea o Rongowhakaata i raupatutia rā, tētahi o ngā kī taurangi e kōrerohia nei. I te tau 1873, ka whakataungia mā te moni e utu ngā tono a Ngāti Porou mō ngā whenua i roto o Tūranganui-a-Kiwa.

He toa tauwhāinga a Rāpata nō te kaupapa Whakahētanga Hoko Whenua (Repudiation Movement) i Te Tai Rāwhiti. He kaupapa i takea mai i Te Matau-a-Māui, ā, he Hauhau wētahi o rātau. I haumi rātau ki ngā Pākehā e tauwhāinga ana ki ngā Pākehā whai mana, whiwhi whenua. Nā rātau i whakatau kia tohea i te Kōti Whenua Māori, ka waiho mā te ture e whakahoki mai ngā whenua Māori. I te pōtitanga i te mema mō Te Tai Rāwhiti i te tau 1876, ka mahi nukurautia e Rāpata te pōti kia raru ai a Karaitiana Takamoana i a Hōtene Porourangi. Nō Ngāti Kahungunu a Karaitiana, he amorangi nō te kaupapa Whakahētanga Hoko Whenua. Ko Hōtene nō Ngāti Porou. Ka mahi ngā amorangi o Ngāti Porou kia whakatāruatia anō te pōti. E ai ki a rātau e hia rau kē i hōnea. Nā te waipuketanga o Waiapu, kāore ngā tāngata i tae ki ngā wāhi pōti. Taro ake ka noho tonu ko Karaitiana ki tōna nohoanga i te Whare Pāremata.

Mō tōna toa mau i ngā rākau a Tū, ka whakawhiwhia a Rāpata e Kuini Wikitōria ki te hoari whakahirahira i te tau 1878. Ka whakatūria ko ia hei āpiha whakahaere i te kura takahi puni o Ngāti Porou. Ko te utu e £200 i te tau. I raro i ngā ture a te Kōti Whakawā ka tū ia hei āteha, hei kaiāwhina ki te whakauruhi i te ture. I te pōharatanga o te kāwanatanga i te tau 1884, ka whakakorea ngā utu a tau nei. Kāore i ārikarika tōna whakatakariri. Nō muri mai ka utua mai he penihana mōna, £100 ia tau. I te tau 1887 ka whakatūria a ia ki te Kaunihera Ture. He mahi tonu nāna te whakahau i a Ngāti Porou ki te mahi tahi me te kāwanatanga. Arā ki te takatū anō hoki kia kore ai rātau e whakapōhauhautia e ngā putangakētanga o te wā. I ngākaunui atu ia kia tutuki te whai a tana iwi i te mātauranga. Nō te tau 1871 i whakatūria ai te kura ki Waiomatatini. Ki tā James Booth, te kaiwhakawā o tērā takiwā, kāore ngā tamariki e hōnea ana i tērā kura, nā te mea ko Rāpata te tiamana o te komiti whakahaere. Taumaha atu te whaina mō ngā mātua o ngā tamariki e hōnea ana mō te kore noa iho. Ko te take i tahuri ai a Rāpata ki te whakahau i ngā tamariki ki te ako i te reo Pākehā, nā tōna hinapōuri ki tōna kūare ki tērā reo.

Nā Rāpata i whakahau kia hangaia he whare nui ki Waiomatatini. Ko Tāmati Ngākaho te tohunga whakairo. Nō te tau 1888 ka oti. I te kawanga, ka tapaina koPorourangi. Nō tētahi wā i muri mai ka whakahoungia taua tipuna whare, ka nekehia ki te tūnga e kore ai e waipuketia. Kei te mau tonu wētahi o ngā whakairo. E tū tonu mai rā tērā whare whakahirahira. I tōna rau tau ka whakaeke te tini me te mano ki te whakanui i a Porourangi whare.

He tangata ngangahau a Rāpata ki te pāmu hipi, ki te mahi tahi hoki me te kāwanatanga ki te hoepapa i ngā mate kararehe. I te tau 1879, ka patua katoatia ana hipi kia kore ai e urutā te mate hakihaki hipi. Ka utua a ia e te kāwanatanga mō tērā taumahatanga. Heoti, nō te taenga ki te tau 1894 e 2,400 ana hipi. Nāna anō hoki tērā mahi te hokohoko me te rīhi whenua. Ko ia te āpiha hoko whenua mā te kāwanatanga. I te tau 1876, i te huinga mai o ngā tāngata e 2,000, ka kauhautia e ia kia tukuna ki te Kōti Whenua Māori te mana hoko, rīhi rānei i ō rātau whenua. Mā tēnei e noho pūmau tonu ai te whenua ki a rātau. Kia ngata ai hoki te hiahia o te tangata whai, ka mahi whānuitia e Ngāti Porou te tikanga tuku whenua ki te kaitango rīhi. I te tau 1911 ka pau te kaha o wētahi o ngā rīhi nunui, kāore i whakahoungia. Ka whakahokia mai ngā whenua ki ngā whānau.

I te tau 1880, ka tautohetohe whenua Te Aitanga-a-Mate me Te Whānau-a-Ruataupare. Tata tonu ka pakanga pūtia, ēngari i whakawherea e Rāpata kia tukuna mā te Kōti Whenua Māori e whakatau. E mōhiotia ana te pai o ngā whakahaere a te Kōti Whenua Māori i Waiapu, me te rawe hoki o te whakatakoto i ngā take kua wānangatia kua whakataungia kētia e te Rūnanga ā-Iwi.

Nō te tau 1883 te murunga a te kāwanatanga i ngā hara o Te Kooti. I te takanga ki te tau 1889, ka whakatika ia ki te torotoro i te hunga i Tūranganui-a-Kiwa. Rite tonu te whakaepaepa a ngā Māori o Te Tai Rāwhiti me tauiwi. He maha hoki rātau e noho whanaunga ana ki ngā ngohi o ngā tukinga a Te Kooti. I te 21 o Pēpuere, ka tae a Rāpata me tana taua o Ngāti Porou ki Tūranga. Nā te pirimia, nā Harry Atkinson i whakarite mā Rāpata rāua ko Kānara Poata e ārahi he waitaua aukati i a Te Kooti kia kaua e tomo atu ki roto i Te Tai Rāwhiti. Pērā anō ki Te Urewera. I Waiotahe ka whakaangaangatia e te kaititiro pirihimana, e Joseph Goodall a Te Kooti. E tautohe tonu ana rāua ka puta atu a Ngāti Porou. Ka ngohe kau a Te Kooti i te hopunga a te ture i a ia; ka kī atu ki tana iwi kia noho puku. Ko Rāpata kāore kē i reira. Ko te āhua nei nā tōna māuiui ka mau atu a ia ki Ōpōtiki.

Nō te 1 o Hūrae 1897 ka hemo a Rāpata ki Tūranga. Nā te puni hōia a ia i tuku atu ki tōna pā pōhatu i Pūputa i te whārua o Waiomatatini. Ko tēnei tana ōhākī ki tōna iwi, arā, kia pono ki te Kuini, kia pūmau ki te Hāhi, kia whakahauhautia te wairua whakararata, whakahoahoa ki te Pākehā, ā, tiakina kia noho pūmau te kotahitanga o te iwi.

Me pēnei te tohu i te whārangi:

Steven Oliver. 'Wahawaha, Rāpata', Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, first published in 1990, updated o Hepetema, 2013. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/mi/biographies/1w1/wahawaha-rapata (accessed 29 March 2024)