Politics at the poukai

KINGI Tūheitia Potatau Te Wherowhero VII arrived at Te Kūiti Pa on Sunday for the second and more political day of the weekend’s poukai ceremony.

A public apology by Te Whatu Ora to the king was one item on the agenda.

It concerned the use of a quotation from Kingi Tāwhaio, which was not attributed to him.

Te Nehenehenui chair Bella Takiari-Brame said the apology was “done with absolute integrity and sensitivity,” by the CEOs of Te Whatu Ora and Te Aka Whaiora, Riana Manuel and Margie Apa.

The two also presented the king with a bouquet.

A bigger controversy in te ao Māori was not resolved at that time, but did not go unmentioned.

Recently, at the national kapa haka festival Te Matatini, young Ngāti Whatua men greeted the king “disrespectfully,” Maniapoto kaumatua Kingi Turner said.

The men also passed comment about land ownership issues, creating concern among their own people as well as in the Kīngitanga, he said.

Keith Ikin, previous chair of the Maniapoto Māori Trust Board, said the incident had been mentioned.

“They did touch on it, on both sides,” Keith said, meaning the home people, who sit beside the meeting house, as well as the manuhiri – the guests or visitors.

“In their speeches they were talking about the need to find a way forward, and find the commonality and the relationship [between Ngāti Whātua and Waikato].”

Keith said the forum may not have been the moment for an apology by the people concerned.

“They’ll do it later.”

Overall, the poukai discourse was around the ongoing and historical relationships between the Kīngitanga and Maniapoto.

Uncle Kingi Turner said the occasion allowed an opportunity for Maniapoto to share kōrero around recent events – such as the 150th anniversary of the meeting house, at which the king had not been able to be present.

Planning was another important focus.

Maniapoto would draw on the connection with Waikato to obtain useful support around living in post-settlement times, he said.

“We’ve had the settlement of the claims, the plan now is to sort out how best to go forward for our area here in the King Country. And also: how do we do that?

“We can take lessons from Waikato, who have already been down this pathway, depend upon them when we need to for advice about how best to go forward,” Kingi Turner said.

It also allowed people to connect with their monarch, he said.

“It allows King Tūheitia to actually circulate around, and to mingle once again with his people.”

As well as resolving challenges in the present, the poukai provided a link to the past, he said.

“Maniapoto and Waikato have always worked in tandem with each other.

“And of course, we in Maniapoto have given support to Waikato when needed in days gone by, especially during pre-European times, and the [counterpart] has actually happened also: Waikato coming to give us a hand.

“Our links of course to the Kīngitanga go right back to when the first Māori King, who of course became Pōtatau when he was crowned; his name was Te Wherowhero before that.

“He sought shelter here and he sought safety here when there was a hostile group of people came down to the Waikato. Maniapoto and Rereahu and Apakura gave shelter to Te Wherowhero or King Pōtatau in the pā.

“And ever since then, there have been occasions when we’ve had to do that again.”

Namely, when Pōtatau’s son, Kingi Tāwhiao, took refuge in Te Kūiti after the battle of Ōrākau.

He had been sheltered in the King Country specifically, uncle Kingi said, because of an edict to colonial troops: “They could not come into here otherwise war would start again.”

King Tāwhiao remained in exile in Te Kūiti for around 20 years, alongside a number of his Waikato people.

It was during these times the poukai tradition began: as an occasion to care for the destitute.

“[It was] to shelter and to give support to the orphaned, to the poor and the bereft, that’s essentially what the poukai was all about. Because a lot of our people were living in very hard times,” uncle Kingi said.

Orator with the Kīngitanga, Rahui Papa from Ōtorohanga, said the king’s party acknowledged Maniapoto’s strong support through one-and-a-half centuries.

“The Kīngitanga has more than 160 years of a relationship. It was Ngāti Maniapoto that were the strong backbone of the establishment of the Kīngitanga. Waikato and Maniapoto have always been whanaunga; whanau.

Rahui said the Kīngitanga appreciated the ability to be physically present.

“It’s absolutely fantastic, especially after the last two years when we couldn’t attend in person because of Covid. But now we’re getting back to some normality.

“It’s about the relationship.

“In the 1850s and 60s were the great men, Rewi Maniapoto, Wahanui, and all of those guys – they were the strong shoulders of King Pōtatau and King Tāwhiao.”

Rahui said the king’s whakapapa meant that the gathering at Te Kūiti Pa was a “homecoming, or a family reunion style feeling. It’s his whanau.”

The king himself did not speak at the poukai.

Waitomo mayor John Robertson said he felt “just great” about being at the ceremony.

“This is the third poukai I’ve been to ... they’re really happy and joyful events, and get good conversation going. The relationship between Maniapoto and Waikato-Tainui is so strong, and the history is so strong. The day was wonderful, quite special.”

Te Nehenehenui chairperson Bella Takiari-Brame said hosting the poukai was “a real honour” which allowed Te Nehenehenui a space to connect with the king and the whare ariki (royal family).  

There had been a great deal of mahi going into the occasion, she said.

“It takes a lot of planning. And the team at Te Kūiti Pa are amazing. Having done Te Rangi Waituhi, the 150th... they do this every other week for our people.”

Bella said the poukai linked Maniapoto, who lived outside the district, with happenings on their home turf, and provided exposure to Māori language oratory.

“[It represents an opportunity] for people to come home and find out what’s going on, and to be reminded [of] all our history and exchange the kōrero.

“For those that don’t know the reo, they can absorb the beauty of our language,” Bella said.

Ripeka Price attended the poukai with friends Mandi Barnsdall and Glenys Ackerman.

“We belong to Mōkau Kohunui in Piopio, we have come here to support Ngāti Rora and support the kaupapa of the poukai.

“We three, we like to come to uphold the mauri of Mōkau Kohunui, Ngāti Waiora. There are many marae here; many hapu who have come along to support Ngāti Rora.

“The kaupapa of the poukai is the main event of the Kīngitanga.”

As well as providing a forum for reinforcing old ties, the poukai ceremony had a practical purpose.

“Te reo, tikanga, health and education,” were three of the important causes supported by the poukai, she said.