Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air
See below for English translation
Ka ono pea ngā tino poupou e eke ai te wairua o te kōrero pūrākau aroha ki tōna taumata. Tuatahi ake me wahine maia pēnei i a Hinemoa, me tāne pūrotu pēnei i a Tūtanekai. Atu i ēnei poupou me whai wāhi ai e te ngākau kia uru mai te manawa pā, te powhiwhi, he takatāpui otīā kia rangimarie hoki te hiku o te tātai kōrero. E hoa mā, kai a tātau te iwi taketake o tēnei whenua ēnei korero ataahua.
He kōrero tuku iho, he whakapapa,otīā he waiata he aha noa atu. Pēnei me tā tātau tātai kōrero mō tēnei rā. He waiata aroha nā Ngāti Tamateatutahi. He hapū nō Ngāti Pikiao.
He rangatira a Te Hiwi nō Tamateatutahi. Kai te hikuwai o Te Rotoiti tēnei hapū e noho ana. Kai tētehi hui ka tūtakitaki i a Te Hiwi a Matahera. He wahine rangatira a Matahera nō Ngāti Makino. Ko tētehi o o rātau wāhi noho ko Otamarāka.Inā hoki te momona o tō rātau whenua kapi kau ana i ngā mania me ngā hiwi mai i Te Awa o Te Atua hoki whakatewhiti mai ki Kaituna, Anā hoki mai i Otamarākau heke whakatetonga ki te marangai o te roto moana o Te Rotoiti.
Nā wai rā, ka moe tahi rāua tokorua. E ai ki te Pākehā kua mārena ngā rangatira nei.
Ka nui tō rāua aroha ki a rāua tahi, he hoa noho, he hoa kōrero, he hoa haere. Kātahi ka neke rāua ki Tauwhare he whenua ki te pūtake o Matawhaura maunga e pā tata nei ki te moana o Te Rotoehu. Ka piki te rā, ka tō te rā, kātahi ka tae te hau rongo ki te iwi o Matahera ki ngā rangatira o Ngāti Makino, kua moe tāne a Matahera. Kāore tētehi o rātau e rata ki tēnei rongo kōrero.
Ka whakaara taua muru e rātau, ka takahia te nukuroa o te whenua. Nō te taenga o Ngāti Makino ki Tauwhare, ka puta a Te Hiwi me ētehi ka whoatu he taonga hai tāngangao i te kaha o te taua muru. Engari ko Matahera te tino take e haka nei te iwi. Ka hoki te taua muru ki Otamarākau me tō rātau kurupounamu ko Matahera. Ko Te Hiwi i whakarerea.
E whakamomori ana a Te Hiwi engari e kore e taea e ia te paku aha. Kāore e kōrerongia ana te roa o tana whakamomori i Tauwhare, ka wehe rāua ko Te Hokirua, he whānaunga tata nōna, ka haere rāua tokorua ki Waihi takiwā o Maketu. E tukituki whenua ana, e ruku kaimoana ana, engari e kore e taea e ia te tuku i a Matahera i tana ngākau, nōna e whakamomori ana ka titongia e ia tēnei waiata aroha.
Ka ū he kūne ki tātahi ki uta, ka eke ia ki runga i te kūne, ka puta ki te moana,ā, ngaro noa atu. Nā Te Hokirua te waiata ki te hapū o Ngāti Tamateatutahi.
He waiata aroha nā Te Hiwi mō Matahera. Ko Tangihia mai rā te tangi ki te makau, te waiata. E waiatangia tonungia ana e te hapū o Ngāti Tamateatutahi me Ngāti Pikiao whānui tonu he ahakoa te kaupapa, nā reira e ora tonu nei te wairua o ēnei tūpuna tokorua.
A number of key ingredients are necessary for a love story.
It has to have a strong heroine, someone like Hinemoa. It also needs an irresistible hero; take Tūtanekai, for example. There must be tension, complications, a dear friend, and a happy ending.
Māoridom is rich with such stories, all of which are based on fact. Such stories are interwoven with the land immortalised in whakapapa and perpetuated through the many artistic mediums of our people, of which waiata is one such form.
This story happened and came from deep within the heart of Te Rotoiti, a companion lake to Rotoehu, Rotomā and Rotorua.
The area where the incident happened is located towards the east of the lake, where the descendants of Ngāti Tamateatutahi prosper.
There was a time when a chief named Te Hiwi fell in love with a woman from Ngāti Makino.
The Ngati Makino frequented the shores of Te Rotoiti and occupied a great extent of land running along the coastline from Maketu towards Te Awa o Te Atua and then inland from the coast towards Matawhaura and west towards the Kaituna.
Her name was Matahera. Before long, these two lovers, after a period of courting, became husband and wife in the eyes of the Māori.
As a couple incredibly in love, they decided to start their own family; and moved to an area still known as Tauwhare, near Te Rotoehu.
When the people of Matahera heard what had happened, they were so infuriated that a large group of Ngati Makino promptly made their way to Tauwhare.
On arrival at Tauwhare, they collected their kinswoman Matahera and returned to Otamarakau.
Te Hiwi was beside himself with grief; and in a state of depression, he uplifted his belongings and departed to Waihi near Maketu.
It is not known how long Te Hiwi stayed at Waihi, Maketu; however, in his time here, he was comforted by a close relation named Hokirua.
Te Hiwi made his way aboard a Pakeha schooner as he had no physical way of mending his shattered heart. He would leave the shores of Waihi, Maketu and Aotearoa altogether, never to return.
It is not known if he died at sea or settled in another country. However, while staying with Hokirua, he composed a song that the Ngāti Tamateatutahi and the broader Ngāti Pikiao people still sing.
Hokirua, having farewelled his friend and relation, returned the waiata aroha to the tribe.
The name is Tangihia mai ra, te tangi ki te makau; sing a regretful song for the beloved.
Sadly, it’s not known what became of Matahera. Whether she re-married and had children, embarked on a similar journey to Te Hiwi or heard the song composed by her husband.