The Te Rawhiti Newsletter—Fortnightly 1

Volume 1
Pipiwharauroa The Herald of Spring
Issue 3
24 October 2008

Omakiwi Pine trees

The trees at Omakiwi are to be logged. This will take place over time. The trees are to be logged around Rautawa (the
cemetery at Omakiwi) first and the sections will be sold eventually. The road line and legal access to Rautawa is to be
discussed. The land is owned by the Goodfellow family and Bruce and Marion Goodfellow came to the meeting with the two
men-Peter Pullen and Grant Rowen- who will be managing the logging operation. They are to meet with Patukeha on the 16th
to GPS the sites of significance recorded and unrecorded. Ask Blandy and Paul if you want to know more. This is the biggest
operation for Te Rawhiti and is one of the reasons the road sealing was not continued from the junction to Rawhiti-which is
good.

We will be pleased that the trees are going because the pine oil has suffocated the kaimoana on the rocks below them for
years. Research has shown that pinus radiata is not helpful for marine environments. The government encouraged the
growing of pines in the 60’s and 70’s to use unused land and as an investment. We were keen to plant them on the Cape Brett
peninsula and thankfully, a preliminary study was completed and said that the soil was not suitable and the places where they
could be planted were spread out which meant long roads to get in to them. All of this they calculated meant not enough
profit for them to log. We were disappointed at the time but not when we heard about the effects of pine oil in the 90’s.

The Gazettement of Kaitiaki and the Mahinga Mataitai.

Te Tiriti Moana o Taumarere
The Runanga o Taumarere met on Saturday and their support was shown in the signing of ‘Te Tiriti Moana o Taumarere’.
Ngati Hine have given verbal support and we are await their signing of the agreement. The Ngatiwai discussions have
reached a stalemate but is not impossible.
We have still to meet further with Ngati Rehia who support the Plan but who are busy gazetting their mahinga mataitai over
in the north Bay of Islands.
Robert Willoughby, Marara Hook, Paul Henare met with Tracey Kingi from Min Fish Policy Planner to discuss the state of
the research and discussing the future of the fish plan and research on Wednesday and Thursday October 22 and 23 in Russell
at the Kororareka Marae Society Marae room.

Recipe - Karaka Berries

Submitted by: Hine Puru

This recipe hails from Nuhaka.

Now for whanau who are not sure of the karaka berry please do not try using this recipe but add to old family keepsakes

1 bucketful of ripe karaka berries,

a large boiler or copper,

Put berries in boiler, cover with cold water boil 3 hours until berries are soft. Test with knife as inside shell should be soft.
Take out and wash and put out into sugar bag and leave in clean water for 3 - 4 days,
NB: It is important that they be put into clean water for 3 days before eating. This was a popular nut processed by our people.
January and February select the berries that are on the ground.

LOTS OF PROTEIN
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School Days

Te Rawhiti Native School 1906-1964

Christina Hakaraia

I attended Te Rawhiti School in1959. Those days we walked over the Hills from Whiorau. My teacher in those times where
Mr Peter Alcock. Hemi Hau and Robin Shephard. The whanau that attended at that time were the Hepis, Rewhas, Te Nanas
and Titores and maybe others. Most of our time we used to go swimming. Eating the oysters off the rocks with maori bread,
that was our lunch. We used to row out and meet the cream boat that dropped off all the mail and the tourists used to throw us
lollies. When Robin came into the area as our teacher it was good as we had a trip to Auckland for a week which was part of
our experience coming to the big smoke. Man did we look forward to it as most of us had never been out of Rawhiti. We had
uniforms made for us and we looked smart.
When our school closed I was the youngest pupil. We then moved to Ngaiotonga School, by that time the road was through.
When there were tangi on we as children where not allowed to go. We were told to say home with someone. One time I went
to a tangi with my grandmother. I was 3. The first thing she said don’t you run around in front of the whare, that’s a no no.
Mind you she spoke in Maori.
Today I look forward to going home whenever I can.

Obituary – M Te Tai Hook

John Peter Hepi, aged 19, son of Pouaka (Boxer) Hepi and mokopuna of Naini Rewha Hepi.

Haere e te tamaiti/mokopuna, kua huri atu koe ki tua o te Arai, kua tutaki koe I o tatou tini maatua tuupuna I te po, haere atu
ki a ratou ma, waihotia mai to whanau ki muri tangi mokemoke ai, haere atu ki te Torona o Ihoa.

Another sad occasion with the passing of “JP” as he was known. JP was a young man in the prime of his life.
It is so important for you young ones to have yourselves checked out regularly.

Tikanga - M Te Tai Hook

Korowai
In February, 1991, a korowai was presented to the marae. This kahu was woven by Huia Kire, Sophie Kire Akuhata and
Tanekaha Tautukutuku Huiriri of Taheke/Waima. A powhiri was held when the kuia and kaumatua from that area and Otaua
brought their taonga for presentation, the kaupapa for this kahu being “hei hipoki I nga tupapaku.” (to cover the casket of the
deceased). It has been used for many of our dear ones who have lain here at our marae, but I would mention that the wishes
of the bereaved whanau are still respected should they wish to use their own. (Excerpt from Triennial Meeting Minutes held
19 September, 1992)

All korowai are very special and it is the highest honour bestowed upon the deceased from the people. All tangi I have
attended throughout the North Island, have had a korowai covering the casket. For this reason nothing is placed on top of the
korowai, like flowers, photos, clothing, badges, trinkets etc.

In our whare, the korowai is placed in a reverse position indicating that it is to stay on the Marae. If it is placed as though the
deceased is wearing it, this indicates that it is going down with him/her. This varies in some Ngapuhi marae but they have
their own explanations which I am unable to enlarge upon. (Perhaps Moka and Hine can help us out).
One tangi I attended had the korowai on the casket as though it was being worn and on the day of the funeral after the lid was
closed, it was placed in the reverse position.
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The following are snippets from the Diary of Ihaka Mita Te Tai - M Hook’s father.
Italics are comments from M Hook.

Random entries for the month of September, 1939

Fair day, steady westerly, at home all day.

After breakfast Iti (my sister 15 then) Mita (my brother 11) and Bessie (cousin) walked to Te Kopua for a week’s holiday.
(My aunt and uncle’s place about halfway from turn-off to Bland Bay, approx 24 miles from Te Kauri to there)
Fixed up pigsty in the afternoon.

Fair day, strong westerly. Went to meet cream boat for stores – my onion plants were returned to Russell owing to
insufficient cash.

Sue did big washing and general clean up, later she and Marara went out for pipis.
(from down the mudflat not far from Piripirite wai)

Fair day but blowing strong westerly. No school today. I don’t know why, unless some of the kids misunderstood the
opening day of school after the two weeks’ holiday. Some of the children were seen to go to school, however.

Fine day. Turei (Heke) came to further work on fence at Dairy. (The Dairy is between Te Kauri gates and the Quarry, and is
the area below the barrier fence. This was where our orchard was and one of our mahinga.

Fine day but blowing a strong n/westerly. After helping Turei on fence for a while went out in a boat with Iti to meet
creamboat for stores. 50 cabbage plants from Woodcock.
Sam Maioha going over to Waitao and then on to a meeting notified to take place at Toetoe on Saturday next.
Went over to Tangatapu to see Kiritapu on this her 79 birthday.
(Matu Clendon’s grandmother and my grandaunt)
After breakfast assisted Turei with the Dairy fence for potatoes. Iti and Bess were on weeding. In the afternoon Sue and Bess
with the children went out in a boat netting, caught a few sprats, had a good tea.

Whakatauki

He Pepeha, he whakatauki no Te Tai Tokerau (source Dept Maori Affairs, Whangarei, August, 1987)

E nga rangatira o Ngapuhi, whakarongo mai. Kaua e uhia te Tiriti o Waitangi ki te kara o Ingarangi, Engari me uhi ano ki tou
kara Maori, ke te kahu o tenei motu.
(Ngapuhi chiefs, listen to me. Don’t cover the Treaty of Waitangi with the English flag, but cover it with your own flag, with
the cloak of this island alone

- This was said first by Aperahama Taonui to suggest that Ngapuhi should not adopt Pakeha customs and politics
in favour of their own; many would say that it still has significance today.

Upcoming Events

• 31 October – Youth Meeting, 5.30pm at the Marae. (This meeting was to be held on the 17th but was
postponed)
• 31 October – Launching of the ‘Aratapu’, 1.30pm at Otehei Bay. (The submarine formerly known as ‘The
Nautilus’ has been repainted with kowhaiwhai patterns and is now the waka ‘Aratapu’).
• 1 November – Waitangi Claims - Patukeha and Ngati Kuta working party, 11am at the Marae
• 2 November – Te Rawhiti Marae 439 Trust Annual General Meeting 10am -12pm
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Update after the Hui a Hapu – Blandy Witehira

• Launching of new submarine Otehei Bay

Friday 31st October 2008 1330hrs-1430hrs TBC. Paddlers are wanted for the two waka which will
accompany ‘Aratapu’ in to Otehei. Hone Mihaka will train people who want to do this.

• Community Pest Control Area (CPCA) at Hauai

A North Tech class will be in Rawhiti by the 11th November to do the stage one set up of traps.
Blandy will facilitate stage two which is the long term trap maintenance.

• Urupa & Koiwi

Discussion is underway with DOC regarding the procedures for the return of Koiwi from the
University of Auckland. Once this has been established whanau will be informed of dates, times of
this process. The combined hui decided on Saturday October 11, to have the burial place for koiwi
found on Urupukapuka to be on the hill by the path way.

• Wai 1040 Claim.

Patukeha have now joined the Taiamai Alliance and will meet with the lawyer to discuss the next
step.

Marae Fundraiser
Catherine Pullan
09 6252842
0272433096
Catherine.pullan@minedu.govt.nz
Helen Harte
09 52111837
021755553
Helen-harte@xtra.co.nz

The format of our newsletter has been changed to aid in the emailing process. If you have email and would like to
have your ‘Pipiwharauroa’ sent via the internet, please contact Barb with your email address.

Forward all submissions for the newsletter by the Tuesday 4th November to Barb – 09 4037012, 0274 506079 or
wairoa@xtra.co.nz, for the 7th November edition.

www.terawhitimarae.maori.
nz
www.patukeha.maori.nz
www.ngatikuta.maori.nz