Te Kopara 77

Te Kopara 77

(Maori Version at Papers Past.)

[3] Te Kopara, Number 77, Gisborne, 30 June, 1920.

‘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 RENEWAL.

A minister preached; his text was The Gospel According to Saint Matthew 5.16: ‘Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.’ It was a good sermon, making everything clear. One story especially appealed to the congregation. This is the part:

A girl in the Sunday School was taught to trust in the Lord for the forgiveness of sins, for peace, and for joy, and to put all her effort into doing everything well, whether great or small – and if she did so she would shine for Jesus Christ.

That girl went to work in a big house. She had many fellow servants there. She was the smallest; the Cook was the most important.

One of the girl’s jobs was to clean her master’s shoes. She put all her efforts into making those shoes shine and she did this every day. Then the cook told her not to take so much trouble with cleaning the shoes but if they looked alright that would be sufficient. The girl answered, ‘I was taught by my teacher at Sunday School that if I did all my work very well then I would shine for Jesus Christ.’ And she continued to shine the shoes. But the cook returned to her work, her face glowing, and with a new idea inside her. She was a good woman and obedient to God, and she began to do all her work better. Soon after, the woman whose house it was came down to the kitchen and thanked the cook for the exceptional quality of the food she was cooking. Then the cook told her mistress saying that it was the little housemaid who had inspired her to improve what she did by saying that if she put all her effort into whatever she did, small or great, she would shine for Jesus Christ.

The mistress returned to her room upstairs, her face aglow, and with a new thought in her heart. She was a Sunday School teacher but she loved

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dancing and the pleasures of this world. But now she put her energy into teaching the children of her class, thinking or the needs of each child, and inviting them to come to her home sometimes. As a result of this her children liked to follow her teaching – and many new children joined her class.

The minister of the parish visited her and praised her for the number of children in her class and the good work they were doing. Then this woman told him about the housemaid and what she said when she was polishing the shoes, ‘through good works she will shine for Jesus Christ.’

The minister went away, his face glowing, and also with new thoughts in his heart. The minister’s main pre-occupation was football and sport, and he did not give much thought to prayer and preaching the Gospel, but, as a result of that conversation with the woman, he really began to work well amongst his congregation to make them a people committed to God. His Church came alive and was made new. The people of the town observed this and they too were stirred up. This was the outcome of the minister devoting himself to his work and as a result he shone for Jesus Christ. But the real beginning was with the servant girl working faithfully to shine for Jesus Christ. My friends who read this, let us be stirred up to put all our effort into doing well our work, whether small or great. And perhaps as a result there will be a revival, a renewal amongst us that will bring glory to God and blessing to our fellow men and women.

‘Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.’

F E Heron.

THE LAND OF THE JEWS.

The Jews in all places are rejoicing at hearing that their land has come under English administration. The Jews of Russia, Belgium and Poland embraced one another and ran to their synagogues on hearing the news.

{For ‘Flu take Woods’ Great Peppermint Cure, 1/9, 2/9 a bottle.}

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THE ROTORUA HUI.

R[eweti] T K[ohere]

There were many reasons why so many people came to Rotorua. I must carefully list those reasons, but most of the reason will not be in the list.

The first was to see and to welcome the Prince of Wales, the King’s son and the third grandchild of Queen Victoria. All the tribes who came to Rotorua and saw the Prince saw a handsome and kind man. Many Maori shook hands with him, some brave women kissed his hand, but I am not aware of anyone touching noses with him – I have not heard of it. On the great day of 29th April at the conclusion of the entertainments the Prince walked about amongst the people.

Secondly, people came to see Rotorua. This was a great reason for those who had not seen Rotorua before. But people would see Rotorua better if they came at a different time. Many people from this hui also got on the boats, the trains and the trams to see Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city.

Thirdly, people came to see the Country’s tribes. Perhaps 6000 Maori stayed in the camp and some tribes stayed outside. The hapu of Taranaki came to this hui, and Taranaki is a people that is at odds with all the Government’s proposals. Waikato was the tribe that did not come in large numbers, but Taingakawa and Te Rawhiti and some others did come. All the tribes were mixed together; one only knew who was who from the dialects. The people who were really mixed up were the young people – the boys and the girls. Some of them were so mixed up that they could only be separated by death. At this hui I saw old friends from the last thirty years.

Fourthly, people came to see the haka and the poi. The big day was to have been the 28th but because of the rain it was moved to the 29th. The idea was to have spent two days entertaining the Prince but I think that having just one day was better- the haka and the poi were fresh and the men and women retained their energy. The Pakeha said that 15,000 people attended the big Maori day. The haka and the poi were outstanding, better even than on the day of the Duke’s visit in 1901. In that year there were three approved haka groups and two of those were very [?rahirahi - ?large ?slim]; and in that year there were three poi groups. This year there many companies, many groups, and they were large. When the companies were called to attention it was awesome. In 1901 there was only one appearance of the companies; this year each tribe performed its own haka. They made their entrance as a charge which is why they were separated. But the two groups of the Tai Rawhiti made a single charge and it is said that when one of those performed their haka the earth shook. But I must say that some of the haka were not good enough to be brought onto the marae. Some of the arm movements had not been practised -

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they were not authentically Maori but were like the improvisations of school children.

One of the main things that brought people to Rotorua was not having to pay for the boats, the coaches, the railways, or the food. I wondered at the people who stayed without a good reason for staying. Only a very small part of the race-course was not covered with tents – small tents, large tents. The dining halls and the stalls were roofed with corrugated iron or tarpaulins and the sides were covered with raupo. Only those who came to Rotorua can appreciate the huge amount of work and organization involved. And I don’t think anyone would dismiss or belittle my extolling of the name of Apirana Ngata. It was obvious that he had the running of the hui and the camp, he took part in the arranging of the ships and the trains, of the food, of the haka, and he dealt with problems relating to the camp as well as being pestered by his own Ngatiporou people. From my arrival in Rotorua I was vaguely aware of grumbling. One complaint was about the food, another about the charges made by one of the dining halls. Those who grumbled about the food were wrong-headed. There was plenty of food – potatoes, meat, bread, butter – and it was well prepared. Some people wanted it to be like the food at small hui – hui to collect money. The food at the 1901 hui was not like it was at this one – there were no tables there, no forks, no knives. I say that without Apirana Ngata and Taranaki Te Uamairangi this hui would not have gone so well. These are men who are used to being at the centre of running huge gatherings. It is appropriate that all the people thank Apirana Ngata and his committee members, not forgetting the Government Ministers.

The second wonderful thing I noticed was the large number of girls and boys, and how beautiful the children were. In the evenings they filled the dancing marquee, the YMCA tent, and the stalls. They behaved well, they enjoyed themselves, and they were caring. I did not see any disturbances in the camp, nor did I see anyone the worse for drinking. The bad behaviour and the fighting took place in the public houses in town.

I must also mention the excellent service on the first Sunday – Anzac Day – when we commemorated our young men lying in the earth. Te Wainohu spoke well, the playing of the bugle was moving, as was the covering of the cross with flowers and Maori garments. Our hearts were deeply touched by the hymn which Te Wainohu sang with the young men:

Au e Ihu, tirohia,
Arohaina iho ra.

Look upon me, Jesus,

With love.

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THE GOVERNORS-GENERAL OF AOTEAROA.

It is thought that Lord Jellicoe, the new Governor-General of New Zealand, will arrive towards the end of September. Lord Liverpool will return to England towards the end of June or in the first week of July.

ABSOLUTE CLARITY AND DEEP DARKNESS.

Please publish the following article to complement the letter from Reweti Kohere in Te Kopara 74 about absolute clarity and deep darkness, and loyalty to Queen Victoria. My son, there is something frightening about this attitude. It is through loyalty to Queen Victoria that you find yourself in deep darkness. But I would say this to you, if you are loyal to the Lord you find yourself in deep darkness, while I, and Wharekauri [the Chatham Islands], being loyal to the right customs of our ancestors passed down through our parents to the present generation, you in your loyalty would plunge into deep darkness. Now we have heard that Te Whiti-o-Rongomai spoke often on the marae of Parihaka, saying, ‘Don’t let your lands be subjected to the judgements of the court and do not go to the court, because if you go to the court about your lands there will never be a conclusion.’ One piece of land has gone before the court this year. Next year there is to be another hearing. And so it goes on; there is no end to the ‘absolute clarity and deep darkness.’ I would say that, whoever the judge may be or whoever the Maori may be in the Land Court, the two sides will not get what they want. In no way! But if one of the litigants is troubled [raru] and the judge makes his decision, will what is awarded be absolutely clear? And will not the troubled [raru] person find himself in the sorrow of deep darkness? I say to you all that both are in the same situation. That is, if the judge makes a decision in Gisborne. Both are in the same situation. However if the two settle the situation regarding their land outside the courthouse – you there and me here – yes, yes, the two together come to a conclusion, then both have absolute clarity. And moreover how is the absolute clarity of a judgement going to settle this situation? It cannot. And it is not being true to the Maori way, which is to love one’s adversary and the land, to bring those two things into the courthouse of the Land Court. Now, I am a descendant of some of the original Maori of Aotearoa, known to Pakeha as New Zealand. My parents were from Nuhaka, that was where they belonged. Those parents sought a court decision on the land, but my mother died before the hearing.

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Now, I inherited from them some places that belonged to my mother; some parts I did not inherit. That land was Mangapoike. Only parts of it were given to me. But I did not get even a part of Mangapoike. As a result I experienced deep darkness. The part given to me meant that I was cut off from the land on which I grew up. I dismissed the land given me as a stain upon my name. Here is a shortened version of the genealogy in which my name appears:

Kahungunu

Kahukuranui

Rakaihikuroa

Taraia

Te Raupare

Ngako

Ngarangimumutu

Te Aohuakina

Haerengarangi

Te Ropuhina ----------------Te Ropuhina

Tureia Te Rehu

Te Matenga Tukareaho Tamihana Taruke

Karepa Mataira Ahenata

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Te Hau Mataira

Men and women, doesn’t this genealogy prove that Te Hau Mataira should inherit part of the Mangapoike land? Now, you readers of Te Kopara, as I see it, there is no sadness of deep darkness like this in the Maori world, it is deepest gloom, there is no more intense blackness than this – to be placed by the parents at the bottom of the land list – and how does one get to the top of the genealogy? And how is it to be made absolutely clear – my standing on the land on which I was born? I am a descendant of Kahungunu and of those parents there. I am consigned now to be a stranger, an alien, a wanderer on the earth. Therefore I lift up my eyes to the hills from whence cometh my help. The Lord is my help, the creator of heaven and earth.[Psalm 121] By getting absolute clarity a person inherits deep darkness, and likewise the stranger, by getting deep darkness inherits absolute clarity. This is certainly clear over Wharekauri.

Te Hau Mataira.

Te Kareotemoana,

Chatham Islands, 27th April,1920.

{Children with bad colds should take Woods’ Great Peppermint Cure. 1/9, 2/9 a bottle.}

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A GIFT FROM THE PRINCE.

Before the Prince left New Zealand he presented Sir Timi Kara with a walking stick as a souvenir of their meeting in Rotorua. The following letter received by Sir Timi Kara tells that the gift is on its way:

Government House,

Wellington,

New Zealand.

8th May, 1920.

Dear Sir Timi,

I have been instructed by the Prince to send to you a walking stick, engraved on the handle. This is in memory of the welcome given him by the Maori People at Rotorua. I am sending the walking stick to Gisborne today.

Yours faithfully,

C N Hamilton, Secretary.

A silver plaque is attached to handle bearing these words: ‘From Edward, P.’

A LETTER RECEIVED.

To the Editor of Te Kopara.

Greetings. Please load onto Te Kopara my greetings so that they will fly to Te Kare-o-te-moana and reach T H Mataira on Wharekauri.

My friend, Mataira, best wishes to you in the mercies of God. Our ancestors navigated from Paraweranui, from Tahumakakanui, from Te Ihinga-moana, from Te Wharenga-moana, from Haruatai, from Tai-whakahuka, and crossing to this country their canoes travelled around this island. Therefore there sprang up in my heart hope and love on reading your article in Te Kopara No. 74, in which first you paid tribute to the Bird and said that we should feed our Bird and fill its stomach so that it will grow up and also be strong so that it can visit our marae, to arouse our hearts, to stir us up to think about his work, to make our ears listen to what he is about, and to make our eyes see what he is doing. Therefore I salute you for this reason for this is the paper in which we can publish our articles about matters concerning Maori and from which we hear accounts of the new world. Secondly, this Bird has a Maori name. I salute you for saying that we should return to using our own language, the language of the Maori, the language which is not widely known. Now I want to tell you about my Church here, the Church which came from the island on which you live. There are laid out the words that I am not able to speak about. But I shall speak about one saying: ‘I am your God who is coming, and I will return you to the land which I promised before to your forebears and I will bring

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you back there.’ Now, they arrived in 1868. For three years they were in confinement. Then there was reconciliation when in 1871 the Governor’s man, Fraser, came to see Te Kooti. His promise was the prayer of Christ, ‘Our Father in heaven.’ To which the answer was, ‘Yes, mercy and truth have met, righteousness and peace have kissed one another. Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, and righteousness will look down from the sky.’ [Psalm 85.10-11] Afterwards Francis arrived making the same promise. Te Kooti answered, ‘Glory to God in the highest, peace on earth, goodwill towards men.’ [Luke 2.14] Now peace was permanently established between the Governor and Te Kooti and his Church. Then they travelled around all the marae in the country spreading the word they had learned in prison – like your message to return to using your language – not to return to cannibalism or to worshipping idols. Not only with the language but with the holiness which he gave at the creation of the earth. We in the Maori world have not yet attained the unity of the Spirit. There are many lasting divisions in the Maori world. Be that as it may, continue sending our gossiping to the marae of the country for there are some there who will help, because I believe that those who belong to the new Church make up a half. Half remain but are split up into many Churches. I am not the right person to thank you for all you said in Te Kopara Numbers 74 & 75. In conclusion I urge you to return to your mother and to your language. I finish by referring to the words quoted above. If only the Maori would fulfill them. It is not difficult once one undertakes them. Enough! Farewell to you who are listening.

Te Whaiti Watene.

Waimaha.

A GERMAN PRIEST FROM THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH.

When the recent war was still going on, Father [Heeka], a Roman Catholic priest was captured and sent to the Internment Camp set up for all the Germans in Australia. No reason was known at that time, except for his being German, for his being put in that camp. But the heads of the Church of Rome made every effort to prevent him being arrested but were unsuccessful. Near the time arranged for him to be returned to Germany his cause was taken up. The people of the Church of Rome petitioned for him not to be returned. A delegation took their concerns to the Prime Minister, W M Hughes, in Melbourne, and thousands of people gathered in the park as an army of support for those presenting their case.

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When the Church of Rome first made their request that that priest not be returned there was anger on the part of one section of the nation and there were criticisms of the request in the newspapers, saying that it was not right to soften the punishment due to the Germans no matter who was involved, and that the priest should not be allowed to stay simply because the Church of Rome did not want him to be returned.

At the time when the people gathered to bring the concern of the Church of Rome to the Prime Minister, there were speeches on the matter urging that that priest should not be returned to Germany. The speakers were all eminent people; one was a member of Parliament, and there was the leading Lawyer. There were 150,000 people present. They passed their motion that the priest not be returned. At that gathering was a party of soldiers and sailors who had returned from the war. When the motion was passed they stormed the platform on which the speakers were standing and those men were thrown off.

Eventually the real reason for the arrest of that priest became known – he had spoken against England in the recent war. People from his own church reported what he had said.

There are heated disagreements between the two sides on this subject.

A MESSAGE OF FAREWELL TO THE PRINCE.

This is the telegram of farewell sent by Mr Herries, Minister of Maori Affairs, and Pomare to the Prince of Wales:

‘Our hope, that of the Maori People, is that you will have a good and pleasant voyage over the Moana-nui-a-Kiwa [Pacific]. We will not forget the flight of the ‘White Heron of a single flight’ amongst us. May Tangaroa smooth the waves, may Tawhirimatea still the winds, so that you arrive safely home. Our great hope is that you will fly again to Aotearoa in the years to come. We belong together. Farewell.’

This is the reply from Colonel Crick [?Kiriki], the Prince’s Secretary:

‘The Prince is very grateful for your telegram of farewell from the Maori People of Aotearoa. The Prince will not forget the welcome you gave him and your loyalty. He will continue to hold you in his heart, and he hopes that one day he will return to Aotearoa. Goodbye.’

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FOOD FOR TE KOPARA.

Name / Address / Payment / Subscription Ends

May & June

Pita Nepia / Nuhaka / 5/- / May 1921

N T Taurere / Kaihu / 5/- / May 1921

Teira Maihi / Tangoio, HB / 5/- / January 1921

Hone Ngatoto / Kahukura / 5/- / January 1925

C Ellis / Hunterville / 5/- / March 1921

Rawiri Te Ruru / Te Ahuahu / 5/- / January 1920

Wharepapa Perepi / Waipiro Bay / 5/- / May 1921

Wiremu Hohepa / Tokaanu / £1 / June 1924

RULES OF THE PAPER.

1. Te Kopara is published monthly.

2. The subscription for the paper is five shillings (5/-) a year paid by postal note or stamps.

3. Anyone wishing to take Te Kopara should send the money with the covering letter to

Te Kopara,

Te Rau Press,

6 Berry Street,

Gisborne.

4. All items you want printed in Te Kopara should be sent to the Editor,

Rev F A Bennett,

Kohupatiki,

Clive, Hawkes Bay.

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.

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.