He kura whenua, he kura reo, he kura tangata : relationships over time between the land, the language, and the people : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa, Turitea Campus, Massey University, Manawatū, Aotearoa

Abstract

Taipitopito Kei tua o te kupu tā he kura whenua, he kura reo, he kura tangata is the fundamental inspiration of this research. The phrase implies beyond the written word, there lies another realm, another experience, another perspective. This research will explore the relationships over time between the land, he kura whenua, the language, he kura reo, and the people, he kura tāngata within the narratives pertaining to the lands and waterways, the language on the land and the tūpuna connected to the land blocks, Rākau-tātahi, Ōtāwhao, Whenuahou and Waikōpiro, in the Tamatea Central Hawke’s Bay tribal district, incorporating the townships of Takapau, Waipukurau, Waipawa, Porangahau and surrounding areas.

The ultimate wish in pursuing this area of research is provide access to the historical account of how the hapū of the Rākautātahi, Takapau regions are connected to the land and each other. Through providing a detailed account of the ancestors movements, their settling of the lands, the daily activities and the intimate connection reflected in the kupu and the origins of place names left on the land, the present generation and future generations will forever be connected to the land and the language used by the ancestors to strengthen individual and collective identity fulfilling the fundamental aim of this thesis, he kura whenua, he kura reo, he kura tangata.

The relationship between the land the language and the people is the primary focus of this research drawing on traditional Indigenous lore and natural order: from time immemorial Māori have believed, as with many Indigenous peoples, that they belong to the whenua rather than the colonised concept of the whenua which belonged to them. Reference to written law feeding the public domain and constraint of sovereign order will be applied for comparison and contrast through the unique narratives articulated by tūpuna from 1883 – 1892—when the four land blocks in this research were investigated—within the proceedings of the Native Land Court, Te Kōti Whenua Māori borne out of statutes, Native Lands Act of 1862 and given authoritative power under the Native Lands Act on 30 October 1865.

The moods of the land, the river, and its tributaries, conveyed by the stories and the perspectives of tūpuna underlie this research. For centuries narratives were conveyed orally by tūpuna, from generation to generation through the lens of traditional Indigenous lore and of the natural order to strengthen understandings that all living things are connected; within that understanding Māori possessed an inseparable collective connection to the land, the waterways, and the stories.

Rereata Makiha (2021) refers to a whakatauākī by Tūkakī Waititi sharing the same reasoning as tūpuna regarding inseparable collective connection to the land, the waterways, and their respective stories, “Kāhore he aha i hangatia, i ahu noa mai rānei kia noho wehe i tēnei ao, ahakoa matangaro ka mōhiotia te mauri” Nothing was ever created or emerged in this world to live in isolation, even a hidden face can be detected by its impact on something. This research dives into narratives expressed during times of peace and times of conflict, quintessentially revealing a mindset that once walked side by side with the Gods and communicated to all living things as a brother or a sister, a guardian or parent. This is the story of the hapū of Tamatea-Heretaunga district and their lived experiences with the land. The research draws largely on the evidence provided by tūpuna in Native Land Court cases from 1883 through to 1892.

Fundamentally, this research embodies the adage that, “the land is in the language and the language is in the land”, kei te whenua te reo, kei te reo te whenua, a phrase borne out of initial discussions with Professor Cynthia White, Pro Vice Chancellor, College of Humanities and Social Sciences about my research which can be articulated together with the phrase, “the land remembers” Logan (1975). To this I add the following thought, “tukua te whenua kia kōrero”, let the land speak, a statement I made to a group of tourist operators 23/06/19 when explaining the Te Waha-o-te-Kurī educational kiosk based at the eastern end of the Manawatū gorge, at Ferry Reserve. This thesis answers the following question, “What was the relationship over time between the land, the language and the people within the specific land blocks bordering Te Awa Pokere-a-Tama-kuku and its tributaries?”