Māori Nation Sings Praise For Kāhui Maunga Visionaries

Monday, 3 March 2025, 9:48 pm
Article: Craig Ashworth - Local Democracy Reporting

A two-day bombardment of Taranaki whānau in 1860 sparked the establishment of Parihaka Pā.

Shelling from the British Empire’s naval artillery left survivors at Warea in no doubt that a new approach was needed.

Parihaka’s site was selected partly because of bluffs – pari – which concealed the sounds of haka the people used to strengthen and unite in the face of the onslaught: thus Pari-haka.

No longer hidden, the non-violent resistance that formed as haka meshed with the Bible is now globally renowned – and the Māori nation last week sang the praises of Parihaka’s founders at Te Matatini o te Kāhui Maunga.

Tohu Kākahi and Te Whiti o Rongomai weren’t the only visionaries celebrated by te iwi Māori at the national kapa haka championships in Ngāmotu’s Pukekura Park.

Te Kāhui Maunga covers Taranaki to Whanganui, inland to Rangitīkei and up to Ruapēhu, and the area’s succession of poropiti – prophetic leaders – were lauded for strategies they laid down.

The mood contrasted starkly to last year’s qualifying rounds, when the fresh slew of Government polices eroding Māori rights and interests fuelled a fury that was obvious onstage.

Honoured with waiata, haka and poi were Pai Mārire founder Te Ua Haumēne, Ngāruahine tohunga and general Riwha Tītokowaru, Rātana Church founder Tahupōtiki Wiremu Rātana and the poropiti with her own following who foretold him, Mere Rikiriki.

Aroha Broughton-Pue won the hearts of the crowd in the guise of Mere Rikiriki – and was first-equal as Te Matatini’s Manukura Wahine (champion women’s leader).

Her Waitara-based kapa Ngā Purapura o te Tai Hauāuru didn’t focus on the Government but she said their stand was political in a very Māori manner.

“We were focused on what our tūpuna, our poropiti actually said.”

“It was relighting and resurfacing some of the kōrero the poropiti left for us, to look closely and use those words as a way forward in this day and age.

Broughton-Pue said poropiti were well-schooled in the Bible but their foundation was indigenous thinking.

“There were kura huna (closely-held, multi-layered knowledge) that came from te ao tawhito (the ancient world) that they utilised, and which we also used.”

Her whānau includes preeminent scholars and historians of Te Kāhui Maunga.

Aroha and her father Rauru Broughton composed the Ngā Purapura performance and he was a commentator on Te Matatini’s nationwide iwi-radio broadcast by Te Korimako o Taranaki.

He said Māori had some 70 atua (ancestral deities) and readily added a god proclaiming peace and goodwill.

“Not only do we survive but so do our enemies – because there were a lot of people perishing at that time, a lot of death.

“It's about looking after the human race.”

He said the Bible provided an analysis of empire.

“These poropiti learned about the Jews and how they were treated. They saw they were very similar, the things that had affected the Jews were affecting them.”

“Their main focus was the wellbeing of their people and we’re still looking at positive wellbeing today.”

Tamzyn-Rose Pue is a senior member of Ngā Purapura and also co-chairs New Plymouth District Council’s iwi committee Te Huinga Taumatua.

“There's been kōrero regarding Toitū te Tiriti, the Treaty of Waitangi Principles Bill, all those contentious political aspects.

“But our focus hasn’t been throwing shade at the Government, they have a great time doing that to each other. We'll leave them to their devices.”

Pue said Māori had instead responded to the late Kīngi Tūheitia’s call for kotahitanga – unity.

“United, we’re a force to be reckoned with. And every one of our prophets emphasised the importance of kotahitanga.”

Teams sang of their hononga (connections) to Te Kāhui Maunga prophets and sang of their own poropiti, like Rua Kēnana of Tūhoe.

“There's so much strength and rongoā, medicine, within those words that are absolutely proven to work for our people.”

Broughton-Pue’s uncle Ruka Broughton was another expert on the live commentary.

“We’ve come back to the core being of us, 24-7, every day here at Te Matatini. That's a political statement in itself.

“It’s tino rangatiratanga and mana motuhake in practice.”

“What the government has is money and what we have as a people is mana… I'd like to thank David Seymour for mobilizing the strength of the Māori world.”

Te Matatini has Government funding of $49 million over three years and multiple Crown agencies including Taranaki councils backed the festival.

Sponsors included iwi agencies like Te Korowai o Ngāruahine, whose tumu whakarae (chief executive) Te Aorangi Dillon appreciated the “massive effort” visiting kapa made to learn about the poropiti.

“We're very much unique, we have our own ways of doing things.

“But when it comes to whakapono, the way we believe… and the direct instructions that were left by those poropiti, we're all very similar.”

The ongoing mission was to achieve peace despite a history of violent dispossession.

“Kia mau ki te rongomau – koirā te āhuatanga o ēra kōrereo, āna.

“How can you try and beat peace? You can't.”

LDR is local body reporting funded by RNZ and NZ on Air

© Scoop Media

Local Democracy Reporting

Content from the Local Democracy Reporting (LDR) service is published by Scoop as a registered New Zealand Media Outlet LDR Partner.