He Rangatira nō Ngāti Toa Rangatira

Te Rauparaha [1842]

Nā John Alexander Gilfillan tēnei pikitia i waituhi.

Kei te Whare Pukapuka a Alexander Turnbull Library.

Kua tino kaumātua te āhua o Te Rauparaha i tēnei pikitia.

Ko Tainui te waka

Ko Hoturoa te kaihautū

Ko Ngāti Toa Rangatira te iwi

Ko Te Rauparaha te tangata

Ko tōna whakataukī

Ko Mango taringa tahi

He tīmatanga kōrero

He kōrero tēnei mō Te Rauparaha, tētehi o ngā rangatira o tērā rau tau. Nāna i ārahi tōna iwi a Ngāti Toa mai i tō rātou whenua tupu i Kāwhia ki te rohe o Kāpiti i ngā tau 1821–1823. I te hekenga mai ka whakapiri mai a Ngāti Rārua, a Ngāti Koata me ngā iwi o Taranaki ka raupatutia te whenua nei hei kāinga mō rātou katoa. Nō konei ka hau te rongo o Te Rauparaha i te motu, he tino rangatira, he toa. Nō te taenga mai o te Pākehā ki Kāpiti nei, ka āta whakahaerengia e ia te mahi hokohoko i waenga i a rātou kia pai tonu ai te noho a Ngāti Toa ki tēnei whenua.

Nō te tau 1839 ka tatū mai te Pākehā ki te Upoko o Te Ika. Na, ka taupatupatu ngā tikanga Māori ki ngā tikanga Pākehā. I taua wā anō ka tae mai ngā mihingare ki te kauwhau i te Rongopai Karaitiana ki tēnei pito o te motu. Ahakoa he tangata manaaki a Te Rauparaha i te iwi Pākehā, i puta to rātou riri ki a ia, he whenua te take. Ka mōhio a Te Rauparaha he iwi horo whenua te Pākehā. E kore e mutu te apo whenua. Ka tohe kia hokona atu he whenua e Ngāti Toa, engari kīhai i whakaaetia. Ka puta te riri o te Kāwanatanga ki a Ngāti Toa ka tīmata te whawhai. Nā te tino wehi o te Kāwanatanga ka whakahaua e Kāwana Kerei kia hopukina a Te Rauparaha ki te whakaherehere i te tau 1846. Kua tino kaumātua kē ia, ana, tekau mā waru marama e noho herehere ana, ka tukuna i te tau 1848. I te hokinga mai ki Ōtaki, ka huri ōna whakaaro ki te whakatutuki i tāna i tīmata ai. Tū ana a Rangiātea, te whare karakia whakahirahira! I te 27 o ngā rā o Nōema ka mate a Te Rauparaha i te kāinga o tana tama, o Tamihana, i Ōtaki. Ahakoa kore rawa a Te Rauparaha i whakaae kia iriirihia ia e ngā Karaitiana, i tanumia ia ki te urupā o Rangiātea. Heoi, e kī ana ngētehi, i nehua kē ia ki te moutere o Kāpiti.

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