Te Kopara 71
[3] Te Kopara, Number 71, Gisborne, 30 November, 1919.
‘Iti te Kopara, kai takirikiri ana i runga i te Kahikatea.’
Although the Bellbird is small, he plucks at the Kahikatea. [cf Nga Pepeha 908]
THE MAORI SOLDIERS’ BATTALION.
I was not a soldier, but here I am writing about the soldiers. Why do I want to record the stories about the Maori Battalion? Some people - educated people - thought that young Maori should not take part in the war because we are a very small people among all the nations of the world. I am one who did not agree with this argument, and I think that we who did not agree were right.
The reason why it was said that those young Maori should be stopped from going to the war was the small Maori population. But it is far better that the few surviving in the world should be a noble few than that the many who survive should be an ignominious many. Had we not taken part in this war we would have been embarrassed and shamefaced in these days in the presence of those of us who did send some to die while we lived on. Timi Kara said that the Maori People went to war not just to defeat the enemy but because when the time came and the nations were called to fight for the right the small voice of the Maori was heard answering the call.
Although Tu’s War Party was small it was ‘a small greenstone treasure.’ It exalted the name of the Maori People to be an honoured name. a good name, a name for bravery. They were certainly the grandchildren of their ancestors. My desire is to record the stories of the Maori Contingent, leaving it to others to set them down in a more coherent way.
When all the English soldiers paraded in Egypt it was observed that the Maori soldiers, the 500, were the best contingent for their fitness, their drill and their stature. This was their first honour.
When they arrived at Melita they were bored with doing nothing. They heard news of the attack at Gallipoli and saw their Pakeha friends in the hospitals at Melita. They were eager to take part in the fighting, they pleaded to be allowed to and it was agreed. When they were asked who wanted to stay behind, not one agreed to stay.
They took part in the attack at Gallipoli where their bravery and their eagerness to fight was noted. General Ian Hamilton in words of praise made special mention of how the bravery of the Maori exceeded that
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of the Pakeha soldiers. The hills of Gallipoli echoed with the Maori haka:
[This translation of Ka mate is from Wikipedia.]
'Tis death! 'tis death! (or: I may die) 'Tis life! 'tis life! (or: I may live)
'Tis death! 'tis death! 'Tis life! 'tis life!
This is the hairy man
Who summons the sun and makes it shine
A step upward, another step upward!
A step upward, another... the Sun shines!
There were many individual acts of bravery on the part of Maori at Gallipoli, not noted down by the Pakeha. Everyone has heard of the bravery of the young Maori with the machine-guns; seven died or were wounded. There have been no words of gratitude for this exceptional bravery. That’s how it is: the bravery of the warrior is its own reward.
General Johnstone said that the Gurkhas of India are the most famous fighters, but they are children alongside the Maori. Captain Twistleton said that when it came to fighting with bayonets there were no people like the Maori, and for scouting there were no people like the Maori in the whole world. Colonel Hughes said that when it came to work, no Pakeha were close to the Maori for obedience, for energy, and for heartiness.
The New Zealand soldiers suffered great losses at Gallipoli; they were withdrawn and the Australians were sent to replace them. On the first arrival of the Australians 130 Pakeha New Zealand soldiers were left with the many hundreds to teach them how to fight. Of the 500 Maori, 120 had survived death and wounds, and all 120 were left behind as companions of the 130 to teach the Australians.
Whatever the faults of the Pakeha officers the Maori continued to fight strongly and bravely.
When they arrived in France the Maori were called ‘Pioneers’ – soldiers who dug trenches and erected fences. This was extremely difficult and dangerous work. It was here that most of the young Maori fell. At Gallipoli not a single Maori officer fell. I wrote in the May Te Kopara about the work of the Maori Pioneer Battalion. The Maori were the best Pioneer contingent in the world. General Russell’s tribute to the Maori has been published in the Gazette. That General said that the Maori had svaved the lives of thousands of Pakeha soldiers, and when the soldiers were in their trenches the Maori went on working while being fired upon by the enemy.
At the beginning of the war their were many native peoples in France – Indians and other dark-skinned people. After a time all those native people were withdrawn leaving only the Maori of New Zealand. When he came to Te Araroa Major Te Rangihiroa said that a major reason for the withdrawal of those peoples was that they were distressed by the noise and the firing of the guns: the only native people who were strong and courageous were the few Maori of New Zealand.
Turning to sports, here the Maori showed their superiority. At wood-chopping every nation was beaten by the Maori.
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At rugby the Maori team defeated the Welsh team that had beaten the New Zealand All Blacks. In the physical tests taken by officers – semaphore, running, climbing fences – the Maori beat the Pakeha. When the Germans were fleeing it was a Maori who was first to enter a town which had been a strong German emplacement, but he did it without authorization. That Maori were not awarded many medals was the fault of the officers, but they did get every medal for bravery except for the Victoria Cross, although people say that Te Reiwhati should have received that medal. But what I have written shows that there is no reason to be ashamed of our young men. The Pakeha say that this is an outstanding record of which we can boast in these days and which our descendants can boast of to the many generations to some.
R[eweti] T K[ohere]
THE YEARS, MONTHS, DAYS AND NIGHTS THAT ARE GOOD OR BAD FOR GETTING FOOD ACCORDING TO MAORI ACCOUNTS.
The Years
1. A Windy Year – There is much wind.
2. An Inclement Year – A year of food.
3. A [Takuroa] Year - The food will ripen late.
4. A Boy Child Year – A hard year.
5. A Girl Child Year – A soft year.
The Months.
1. January – The Eighth of [Kaitatea] the 8th month of the Maori year.
2. February – The Ninth of [Riuihi-i-te-rangi] the 9th Month of the Maori year.
3. March – The Tenth of [Poututerangi] the 10th month of the Maori year.
4. April – The Eleventh of [Paengawhawha] the 11th month of the Maori year.
5. May – The Twelfth of [Hakiharatua] the 12th month of the Maori year.
6. June – The First of [Piripiri] the 1st month of the Maori year.
7. July – The Second of [Takurua - Winter] the 2nd month of the Maori year.
8. August – The Third of [Here-turi-koka] the 3rd month of the Maori year.
9. September – The Fourth of [Mahuru - Spring] the 4th month of the Maori year.
10. October – The Fifth of [Kopu] the 5th month of the Maori year.
11. November – The Sixth of [Whiti-a-Naunau] the 6th month of the Maori year.
12. December – The Seventh of [Ha-ki-hea] the 7th month of the Maori year.
[These are the names of the lunar months and some differ from those currently used. – Barry Olsen]
{Children’s coughs and colds are cured with Woods’ Great Peppermint Cure.}
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The Seasons of the Year.
There are four seasons of the year. In those seasons of the year one knows the good and the bad times, that is, when to burn the clearing, when to plant, when to cultivate, and when to dig up crops. During those seasons there are also different things to be done with sea foods.
Whitianaunau
Hakitea Summer
Kaitatea
Ruuhi-i-te-rangi
Poututerangi Autumn – harvest time
Paenga-whawha
Hakiharatua
Pipiri Winter
Takurua
Hereturikoka
Mahuru Spring – planting time
Kopu
The Days and Nights of the Month when Maori work at producing food.
Tamatea (moon on nights 6 to 9)
Turu (moon on day 16 – full moon)
Tangaroa (moon on nights 23 to26)
Whiro (moon on the 1st day)
Whiro – A bad day, the moon is new.
Tirea (the moon on the 2nd day) - A bad day, only a little of the moon is visible.
Hoata (the moon on the 3rd day) – A good day, more of the moon can be seen.
Ouenuku (the moon on the 4th day) In the morning when the sun is at the meridian all is well. Give orders for the work to be done. A night for eeling.
Okoro (the moon on the 5th day) – A good day from mid-day until sunset. A night for eeling.
Tamatea Ngaua 9the moon on the 6th day) – The open sea is strong.
Tamateaz Kani (the moon on the 7th day) – A bad day. There are strong currents at sea.
Tamatea Kaiariki (the moon on the 8th day) – A calm day.
Tamatea Aio (the moon on the 9th day) – This is a good Tamatea day.
Tamatea Whakapa (the moon on the ? day) – Also a good day. A time to look for and to set pots for eels.
Huna (the moon on the 10th day) –A bad day when food is difficult to find.
Ari (the moon on the 11th day) – A good day. Eels can be speared.
Maure (the moon on the 12th day) – A good day from morning until evening.
Mawharu (the moon on the 12th or 13th day) A good day for netting crayfish.
Ohua (the moon on the 14th day) – A very good day.
Hotu (the moon on the 15th day) - A bad day. The sea is rough. A night for eeling.
Atua (the moon on the 15th day) – A very bad day with a glowing dawn.
Turu (the moon on the 16th day – full moon) - A very good day with morning and evening tides flowing over.
Raka-nui (the moon on the 17th day) – A good day. [Ka rau nunui te marama.]
Rakau-ma-tohi (the moon on the 18th day) – A good day. [Ka tohea te marama.]
Takirau (the moon on the 19th day) – In the morning it will be a good day to gather shell-fish (winkles). Plant kumara in the morning.
Oike (the moon on the 20th day) – A good day from noon until sunset.
Korekore Te Whiwhia (the moon on the 21st day) – A bad day.
Korekore Te Rawea (the moon on the 22nd day) – A bad day.
Korekore Hahani (the moon on the 23rd day) – A gentle day.
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Korekore Piri-ki-nga-Tangaroa. (the moon on the 24th day) – A good day from mid-day until sunset. From midnight until dawn the eels are feeding.
Tangaroa-a-mua (the moon on the 25th day) - A good day for fishing.
Tangaroa-a-roto (the moon on the 26th day) – A very good day when there has been mist on land.
Otane (the moon on the 27th day) – A good day. A night for eeling.
Orongonui (the moon on the 28th day) – A good day. This is a night when eels migrate.
Mauri (the moon on the 29th day) – A good day from morning to noon. It is becoming very dark.
Omutu (the moon on the 30th day) – A bad day.
Mutuwhenua (the moon on the 30th day, sic) – A very bad day. The moon has gone.
[Williams gives variations and alternatives to these names. –Barry Olsen]
Paraire Tomoana.
LETTERS RECEIVED.
To Tutere Wi Repa.
It is because I enjoyed your story in Te Kopara that I am writing to you. This was the second account of the Te Whetumatarau Pa to appear in Te Kopara. This matter of which you wrote goes back to Hawaiki. It was about killing and eating people. When our ancestors came to this island they continued to do these things. The parent turned against the child and the child against the parent Hence this proverb:
‘Ko taka kai kino waikeke kai kino.’
?Badly tied bait catches bad food.
Everyone was against everyone else. Perhaps I and Te Aupouri are the tribe that has survived the situation you have described in the world. Despite everything we are doing well. You have also said that this is a new world. We have turned away from the old world and the things that were done in those days. The words of Isaiah the prophet have been fulfilled: ‘The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the young lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them …. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den. They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.’ [Isaiah 11.6,8-9] It is clear what this statement is about. When the faith arrived in this country, and the law, what Isaiah the prophet said was fulfilled. These man-eating creatures will be led by little children. Therefore what you say is good. Stretch out your arm so that we can shake hands. Best wishes in the Lord.
Hapi Takimoana.
Te Kao,
October 27, 1919.
{Woods’ Great Peppermint Cure is good for all chest problems.}
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THE COMBINED HERETAUNGA HUI FOR THE MAORI SOLDIERS’ FUND.
The Combined Committee of Heretaunga met at Waimarama on 16th August to deal with matters relating to the Soldiers’ Fund. The following motions were passed:
(1) Because the young soldiers of the Maori People of the Tai Rawhiti have been waiting for a long time to receive part of the money from the Fund and have still not received a penny, this meeting of the hapu of Heretaunga asks the Managing Committee to raise a mortgage on part of the capital of the Fund to make available £25,000 for the soldiers at this time.
(2) Because the Hapu who contributed this money have not received explanations, and because they have been waiting for a long time for the reports showing the ways in which the money in the Fund, including the year’s interest, is being used, we request the Managing Committee to instruct the Secretary and the Trustees, to issue a report to them every quarter.
(3) If the amount in the Fund has diminished through the mistaken actions of the Committee then this Hui asks that all the land and the livestock in the possession of the Committee be sold while some of the Fund remains, and it be divided amongst the soldiers while they are still alive, lest things go on for so long that there is nothing left - no men, no fund.
(4) We have been told that the accounts are in Wellington being inspected by the Government Auditor. If they are approved they should be sent to Te Kopara. Te Kopara and the hapu who raised the money have been waiting now for three months for some notification of the state of the management, what has been easy and what has been difficult. A year has now passed and people have not received any explanations. This aspect of the Committee’s work is not right. Whether the report is good or bad it is better that an explanation be made to the tribes, and at the same time to the soldiers. The soldiers are urging the people of Heretaunga to explain to them what is happening about this money which was collected for them to share.
We make this clear request to the Secretary and the Managing Committee to explain to the tribes the situation regarding the £50,000 collected for the benefit of the soldiers.
A STATUE.
The image of Hindenburg, Germany’s leading general - a wooden image was set up during the recent war. It has now been pulled down to be used as firewood.
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TE AUTE COLLEGE.
The new Head of Te Aute College is Mr E Loten. He is 35. He has a wife and three children. He taught for four years in New South Wales. He spent two years teaching at the training school for teachers of agriculture under the Hawkes Bay Board. He has been 7½ years as director of technical and agricultural education in the Hawkes Bay Schools Office.
The decision of the Te Aute Board that this is the man to direct the work of Te Aute College reveals to us that the old policy under which Te Aute was run has been left behind and that the Board has listened to the urgent voices of the new world. For many years we have heard the advising voices of wise men saying that Te Aute should focus on agriculture since that is the path that most Maori children will follow. There is no-one in New Zealand who knows more about agricultural education than Loten. Along with agriculture there is dairying, raising chickens, sheep farming and other ways in which the land provides a living. Although a man may have only ten acres that man will be able to teach his children to get a good living for themselves from those ten acres.
The various paths of learning will continue to be offered, the things taught in past years will not be abandoned, but there will be more thought about the outcome of the teaching given by the schools. The potential of the child will be carefully studied. Those with scholastic abilities will be assigned the appropriate teachers. Children for whom it is found that it would be a waste of time their pursuing a scholastic education will be set apart to learn occupations that will provide them with a living.
Loten will seek to provide activities for the children at Te Aute so that when someone finishes his time at school he can find work when he returns home.
In the future 300 acres of land at Te Aute will be worked by the pupils to grow a variety of seeds, to find what nutrients are in the soil, and to find the appropriate manure for various kinds of soil. This is not being done to provide an income for the school, no, it is part of the education of the children. There are Government officials to pass and to issue the appropriate certificates to those pupils who pass the exams.
The Bishop of Waiapu is going to England in January. He has been given the task of finding in England a learned man to be a colleague for Loten, to set Loten free
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to do the work described above while the man from England will run the classes to enrich the brains of the pupils. That man will be a minister so that he can run the spiritual side of the work of the College. Now, people, you are informed about these new developments in the life of this treasure bequeathed to you by your forefathers as a place of learning from which will emerge good, well-being and enlightenment for their descendants after them.
THE ISLAND OF FIJI – WHAT IT IS LIKE.
In his report the New Zealand Commissioner, wrote of the rapid development and the growth of the industries of the islands of Fiji. This island of Fiji is not a single island but many islands – two hundred and fifty all in all. People live and work on eighty of those islands. The capital of Fiji is on the island of Viti Levu. The name of that town is Suva and it is where the Governor of the territory called Fiji lives. That town has a harbour where cargo ships and mail ships tie up. The town is the heart of those islands for industries and administration. The number of permanent residents in Fiji in 1916 was 159,321 made up of Europeans, 4552, Fijians, 89,562, Indians, 56,852, Polynesians, 2515, half-castes, 2621, and others, 3218.
The occupations on the islands now are: producing sugar, growing bananas, drying coconuts, and gathering sea shells. These are the ways of making money on these islands. The report for 1913 says that the amount raised according to the records was £2,329,908 – the amount received by the revenue was £266,031. Other industries that have started there now are cattle-raising and producing rubber. The residents of those islands are greatly committed to agriculture – Fijians, Indians and Europeans too. Although the indigenous people there have their own customs, their ancestral native customs, in these days they are turning from them. Many are seeking ways of making money and are adopting European ways.
The report on the value of these industries in 1917 says that they were worth £3,079,809 with £335,064 going to the revenue.
Most land on the islands of Fiji is owned by the indigenous people.
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The parts occupied by the Europeans are leased. Laws have been enacted which enable Europeans and others to get leases from the indigenous people but this needs Government permission. In the days ahead these islands will progress. It is a good country to live in, it is healthy, it is warm.
Mohi Eruini.
MORE NEWS.
A Hat.
The hat which Marshal Foch wore at the Battle of the Marne has been auctioned to raise money for disabled officers. There were three bids and it raised three thousand pounds.
Prince of Wales.
The newspapers say that the Prince of Wales received a wonderful welcome when he arrived in Canada. The Prince said that he regretted ‘that he did not have many hands for then they would not have become weak through being shaken.’ Indeed, throughout the month his right hand was weak and it remains so. This is evidence of the great hospitality shown him.
A Very Valuable Stone.
Recently the emerald mines in the north of Egypt not far from the Red Sea have been discovered. It is said that the valuable stones of the Places of the Pharaohs came from here. The equipment for that work and the floors are little different from when they were in use around 1660 BC (i.e. before the birth of Christ); they lie heaped up outside the mines.
A Fire.
On 22nd of this month the house of the elders of the Mormon Church in Nuhaka was burned down. There were two Pakeha elders there at the time. They had lit their fire before going out the back, and the place caught alight. The school master, Mr South, the minister of the parish and their friends were playing tennis when they saw smoke coming out, and they ran to extinguish it. Eventually the Pakeha and the Maori succeeded. Some of the contents were saved but some were completely destroyed.
[For sore throats take Woods’ Great Peppermint cure.}
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FOOD FOR TE KOPARA.
November.
Name / Address / Payment / Subscription Ends
Sister Edith / Mission House, Nuhaka / 5/- / December 1920
Piri Paraone / Frasertown, HB / 5/- / April 1920
Hone Ngata / Rangitukia / £1/5/- / March 1920
Reihana Moari / Kahukura / 5/- / January 1921
Hunia Rae / Cape Runaway / 10/- / January 1921
Daniel Campbell / Omapere, Holianga / 2/6 / June 1919
COMMITTEE OF TE KOPARA.
Editor: Rev F A Bennett, Kohupatiki, Clive, Hawkes Bay.
Hastings Committee: Paraire Tomoana, Taranaki Te Ua, Tuahine Renata, Mohi Te Atahikoia, Hori Tupaea & Ihaia Hutana.
Te Rau Committee: Revs. Matene Keepa, W Tureia Puha, Tamati Te Kanapu, Wi Paraire Rangihuna & W Panapa.
A NOTICE
Those wishing to purchase Prayer Books, Hymn Books or Testaments should send their request to
Miss K Williams,
P O Box 41,
Hukarere, Napier.
These are the prices.
Large, soft cover 3/-
Large, red cover 3/6
Large, hard cover 4/6
Large, superior cover 6/6
Prayer Book with Hymns, soft cover 2/-
Prayer Book with Hymns, red cover 3/-
Prayer Book with Hymns, hard cover 6/6
Prayer Book, New Testament and Hymns, red cover, 4/6
Prayer Book, New Testament and Hymns, superior cover, 7/-
I will pay the postage to send the books to you.
A reminder to you: because of the war everything has gone up in price. Therefore in the case of the books being printed here of whatever kind, those who want them will find that the price has gone up and there is nothing we can do about it. However in coming years perhaps the prices of all of them may return to what they were before.
People wanting to buy a Bible for themselves should write to the Rev F Spencer, Whanganui. He has Bibles and New Testaments of all qualities from soft covers to superior bindings.
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