WĀHI TAPU | NGĀTI AWA

WĀHI TAPU

TAUWHARE

Kaituhi: RJ Davies | Kairangahau: RJ Davies / Agnes McFarland | Kaiwhakamāori: Ngarimu Daniels

Ko Hape-ki-tumanui-o-te-rangi, te kaihautū o runga i te waka o Rangimātoru, tipuna whakahirahira o Te Hapuoneone, i ū ki Ohiwa i te takiwā o te tau 1350ad. Ka moe te iwi o Hape ki ērā o Te Tini o Toi. Nāwai rā ka hanga a Hape i te pā o Tauwhare hai tohu i tōna anō mana ki te taha hauāuru o Ohiwa, nā te mea kua kokorahotia taua takiwā katoa e Te Whakatohea.

1250ad	Ka pae a Nukutere ki Waiaua – Kei runga, ko ngā tīpua o Te Whakatohea
1300ad	Ka pae a Rangimātoru ki Ohiwa
1350ad	Ka pae a Mataatua ki Whakatāne

1847	Ko Te Keepa Toihau te rangatira o te Pā o Tauwhare
1866	Raupatu – Ka raupatuhia a Ohiwa e te Kawanatanga ka hoko huna atu.
1980	Ka hoki mai te Kawanatanga i ētahi wāhanga o te wahapū.
1988	Ka tohua te pā o Tauwhare hai taonga, hai wāhi whakahirahira.

Ehara i te mea he nui ngā kōrero mō te wā i a Hape hei rangatira o Tauwhare rāua ko Te Keepa e rima rau tau i muri mai. Heoi anō, e ai ki ētahi puna kōrero o te rohe, i nōhia noa ihotia te pā mō te 200 tau noa iho.

Engari e ai ki ngā kōrero kua tuhia, e hia kē nei ngā pakanga mō Tauwhare i pakangatia i roto i ngā tau. Ko tētahi kōrero rongonui nō te tau 1847, mō Mere Aira, tamāhine a Te Keepa. I moe a ia ki a Kape Tautini, he rangatira nō te motu o Ohakana, Whakatohea, e 300 mita atu i te pito whakarunga o Tauwhare, whakawhiti atu i te hawai. I noho ai rāua ki te takutai moana i raro mai i te pā.

“Kāore i roa i muri mai i te whānautanga o tā rāua mātaamua, ka kite a Mere Aira e kārangirangi ana tana tāne. I tētahi rangi, ka puta tana tāne ki te hī ika, engari kāore i hoki mai. Ka tangi aurere a Mere Aira, engari hāunga te taimaha o tana ngākau, e ngau tonu ana te māharahara i roto i a ia.

I tētahi ata ka kitea tētahi tira waka moana e whakatata atu ana. Ka mārama ia. Kua takarita a Whakatohea ki te noho a Ngāti Awa, kua hiahia pana i a rātau ki tua atu o ngā hiwi maunga. Kei riro i a rātau te mana ki taua wāhi. Ko tētahi o ngā toa o taua ope, ko Kape Tautini.

Kāore a Ngāti Awa i rite, ka karapoti rātau i tō rātau rangatira. Ka inoi atu a Mere Aira ki tana pāpā kia kaua e whawhai atu. “Kāore he whiringa”, tā Te Keepa Toihau. “Kāore rawa tātau i te rite, ka mutu kāore e tareka e tātau te tū kaha atu ki a Te Whakatohea. Me inoi atu ki a rātau.” Ka taki huihui a Ngāti Awa ki tētahi tuahiwi i runga ake i te takutai, he tū maruwehi.

Ahakoa tonu, tatū atu ana ngā rangatira o Te Whakatohea ki uta ka tīmata te hāmama o ō rātau waha me te tuku i ngā kōrero hahani, he hokinga mahara ki ngā tūkinotanga ki ō rātau tīpuna me maringitanga o te toto i ngā ringa o Ngāti Awa. E akiaki ana hoki ngā uri o Te Whakatohea e noho ana i te motu o Ohakana i ō rātau whanaunga.

Ka puta a Mere Aira me tā rāua tama. Ka hiki ake ia i a ia ki runga ake i tana māhunga me tana tangi atu “ Ko te tama e pupuri nei ahau, te tohu o ō tāua iwi. He tatau pounamu, he pakanga tonu rānei te otinga. Ki te kore ngā mate e mutu i konei ka whiua atu e ahau taku tama ki runga ki ngā toka” Ka tau a Te Whakatohea ka tau te tatau pounamu ki taua takutai moana tonu.

Ahakoa i tau te riri, i noho tūtakarerewa tonu mō ngā tau e 20 tau. I te tau 1966 ka raupatuhia te wahapū o Ohiwa e te Kawanatanga, e 245, 000 eka te nui. He mea raupatu e rātau mō te matenga o ētahi kaimahi Kawana. Ka panaia te iwi e noho ana i reira, ki wāhi kē atu.

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Mātāpuna:

Te Ara The Encyclopedia of NZ – story:Te Whakatohea

Tauwhare Pā, Ōhiwa – A Tradition 1847*