Kāhu ki Rotorua: Voice from the past speaks of Ruawahia

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English translation below

Te Hū o Rotomahana

Kāore e arikarika tēnei mea te kōrero, ko te kai hoki a te rangatira e ai ki tā rātou kī he kōrero.

Ko te wiki tēnei i hū ai a Tarawera. He kotahi rau e toru tekau mā ono ngā tau kua hori whaihoki kai te tangihia tonungia ngā mate e Tūhourangi-Ngāti Wāhiao, Ngāti Rangitihi otīā ngā uri o Ngai Te Arawa tonu.

Today marks 136 years since the eruption of Tarawera Maunga.

E hoki ana ngā mahara ki a Mauriora Kīngi tāna ki ahau ko te pakarūtanga o Tarawera ki ētehi, ko te hū o Tarawera ki ētehi engari tāna ki ahau ko te hū o Rotomāhana kē i reira e rua ngā tūāpapa whakamīharo, ko te tarata pūwherowhero me te tarata mā i reira hoki e rua ngā roto pakupaku ko Rotomakariri ko Rotomahana nō te pakarūtanga ka pōkea e te pūehu, e te oneone e te paru. Ka mau i a au taua whakahuatanga mōroki noa nei.

Ko Tarawera te ingoa whānui o ngā maunga, engari e toru kē ngā wehewehenga.

Ko Wahanga, ko Ruawāhia kai waenga ko Tarawera. Me ngā hītoria kai a Tūhourangi ake. Ko tāku noa he rau atu i taku kapa itiiiti nei.

Ka whia kē ngā takoha i tae ki a Tūhourangi hai tāpae atu i te aitua kai te haere mai – kīhai a Tuhourangi i aro ki ngā tohu nei. Tae a Te Kooti ki roto o Te Arawa otīā ki roto o Tūhourangi. Ka tae mai ia me āna kauwhau.

10th of June, 136 years ago, Tarawera erupted.

Ko te kaupapa kia whakaarongia ngā koura o ngā kanohi kai ngā poupou, tuarua kia whakaarongia ki te hū o Tarawera anō nei i kitea kētia e ia. Kātahi ka whakapuakina e ia āna kupu whakatupato – ka ngaro kotou i te whenua hou. Tēnei whenua katoa, ka whenua houngia. Kātahi ia ka wehe.

Kāore e tino mōhio me i whakapuakina kētia e ia āna kauwhau i mua i a Tūhoto Ariki kāore rānei. Kua pakeke kē ki ō mātou taringa ngā kōrero a Tūhotoariki he āhua rite tahi ki a Te Kooti. Kua kītea e Tūhoto te mahi kino a te unu me te rāweke i ngā poupou o te tupuna whare, he ahakoa tana kaha ki te whakatūpato i tana iwi.

Kīhai tētehi i aro mai. Kia ahatia. Ko tētehi anō tohu ko te waka. Ka puta te waka, he waka wairua ki runga o Tarawera moana, me te pōhēhē nui he waka tangata nō te ngarohanga atu kātahi ka mōhio he waka wairua kē.

Nō muri mai ka mārama ki te tikanga o te waka. Ko ngā tūpuna i tanumia ai ki te tihi o te maunga, i pūehungia, ko ngā iwi e noho ana i ngā paiaka o te māunga i tāpukengia ai ki te paru me te oneone.

Ka ngaro ngā kāinga, ka ngāro ngā wāhine, ka ngaro ngā tamariki. E mau tonu nei i a tātou te pepehā a ngā kaumātua. Whatungarongaro te tangata, rarangi maunga tū tonu tū tou.

10th of June, 136 years ago, Tarawera erupted. It is only appropriate to acknowledge the passing of the descendants of Tūhourangi Ngāti Wahiao, Ngāti Rangitihi and those who lost their lives.

Mauriora Kīngi comes to mind at this time, explaining to me that some refer to the incident as the eruption of Tarawera and those, like Mauriora who referred to the event as the eruption of Rotomahana.

The area was famous for its sinter terraces and two small lakes, Rotomakariri and Rotomahana. However, they are buried and lost under the earth ejected from the mountains, remembered in song, chant, and stories of the local iwi.

Aerial view of Lake Rotomahana with Mount Tarawera in the background.

Therefore, Tarawera is the name generally applied to the entire mountain. However, there are three individual peaks. Wahanga, Ruawāhia and Tarawera. The richer history of the eruption and side stories are for the people of Tūhourangi to share.

I will share the most familiar stories retold on the marae and in the classrooms.

It is told that three opportunities presented themself to Tūhourangi that may have pre-warned the people of the eruption.

These, however, were overlooked by the tribe at the time:

The infamous warrior prophet Te Kooti arrived in the Rotorua area as he was known to have done. On one particular visit, he made off to the Tūhourangi people, where he had two messages in his sermon.

He encouraged the people to seriously re-think incorporating the shillings into the aesthetics of the poupou, replacing the traditional abalone shell.

Lastly, think about the eruption.

He spoke as if he had seen the explosion as if it was happening. Then, before leaving, he said, "this entire area will be replaced with new land – the landscape will be made a new".

And then he departed.

It's not known when exactly he shared his sermon if it was before or following the warning of the Māori tōhunga; Tūhotoariki, however, for those very familiar with the history of Tarawera, know that the tōhunga also presented a similar warning of the eruption.

He saw the harmful effects of alcohol and how the old ways were being disrespected, and he attempted to warn his people that to ignore his warning would result in great disaster.

Rotomahana.

However, he was only jeered at, and his council was no longer valued. For he was now old and no longer respected by the people.

Then a waka was seen upon the waters of Tarawera.

Not known at the time to have been a waka wairua – for it was assumed that it was of the old type, a fully manned war vessel loaded with warriors departing for battle, the waka itself was seen by Māori and European heading in the direction of Tarawera and then it disappeared.

For a while, these strange occurrences bewildered the people, and their meaning was not to be known until it was too late, for great was the devastation that was the eruption of 1886.

So many communities were lost, and many perished men, women and children. So as we gaze upon the peaks of Wahanga, Ruawāhia and Tarawera, the words of the elders come forward; they say that man, woman and child pass; however, the mountain peaks are eternal.

Classic waiata captures the pain of Tuhourangi

Tera te auahi ka patua i Tarawera kai raro iti iho
Yonder is the volcanic haze that destroyed (those) at Tarawera, and just below
Ko Ngati Taoi i moe ra i te whenua, haere ra e te iwi
Lie Ngati Taoi entombed by ash and scoria, farewell to you all
Ki te po-uriuri ki te po tangotango ki te iwi ki te po
(Farewell) to the realm of death, to the darkness, where reside your ancestors
Arohirohi ana taku nei titiro ki te puke i te Kumete
I feel giddy as I look toward the hill Te Kumete
Kai raro iti iho ko te tini a te kura, i a Tuhourangi
For just below are buried the myriad of precious ones of Tuhourangi
Whakapukepuke ai nga ngaru o Tarawera, ko te rite i aku kamo
The waves of Tarawera were tumultuous, likewise my eyes are a-flood with tears
Ka whati mai te ngaru, ka oho ra te marino, ko te rite i te iwi
The wave of volcanic debris broke, causing disharmony, likewise the people were in shock
E hora noa mai ra te rae ki Moura, haere ra e te iwi
(Ash and mud) are spread across the promontory at Moura, goodbye my people
Ki wiwi ki wawa, ki raro ki te reinga – ko wai au ka kite?
Who knows where you have gone, to the north to Te Reinga – will I ever see you again?
Kai kinikini ai te mamae i taku kiri, ki te iwi ka wehe
Pain pinches my body, for the people who were killed
Whakarehurehu ana taku nei titiro ki Whakapoukorero
The mountain Whakapoukorero fades from my sight
Kai raro iti iho ko Ngati Rangitihi, toku hoa moenga
Just below were Ngati Rangitihi, my companions and relations
Na Ngatoroirangi i taki mai te mana o te atua ka hau kai te whenua
T'was Ngatoroirangi who called upon the mana of his god (to imprison Tamahoi), whose fame spread throughout the land
Hurahia (e) nga tohunga, ka maranga kai runga, ka ru ko te whenua
(Later) priests uncovered and awoke the denizen who caused the quake
Te riri o te atua i whiua ki te tangata, i whiua ki te whenua
It was thus the anger of the god who destroyed the people, and the land
E hora noa mai ra i te pouriuri, i te po tangotango
(The people) lie scattered in the world of darkness, in the world of the dead Waiho nei te aroha, waiho nei te mamae, ka kai kino i taku kiri
Leaving anguish and pain, to gnaw unceasingly within
I maringi a wai te roimata i aku kamo, ki te iwi ka wehe
And the tears drop copiously from my eyes, for those who have departed this life.