Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Vol. 37, No. 19. July 31, 1974
Tuhoe—then and now
Tuhoe—then and now
Last Thursday, the lounge in the Student union became a marae for an hour or so when John Rangihau, an elder of the Tuhoe tribe, (in the Eastern Bay of Plenty and the Urewera Ranges) spoke to a receptive audience on social changes in Tuhoe. The meeting began with welcoming speeches by three members of Te Reo Maori Society who ended their speech with waiata, traditional songs supported by other group members. John Rangihau then spoke to the large number present who included members of the Te Reo Maori Society, the Department of Anthropology and Maori, and many other students.
John Rangihau traced the tribe's history from the end of the last century when the death of Te Kooti forced the Tuhoe people to look for a new leader. The emergence of Rua had great impact on them. Rua the prophet, the man with many wives, was a respected and revered leader, not just because he talked of the Ringatu religion, but because he carried into action some of the things his people had wanted to do, but had been unable to. Pakeha values and habits had started to creep into the culture as the people moved from their hinterland fortress to the coastal areas. Rua stemmed this tide.
Between three and five thousand people lived in his community at Maungapohatu. They had their own highly developed society with prosperous farming, good health facilities, a bank and a police force selected from their own people.
In 1916 Rua was taken to jail. His people were forced to sell their assets to pay legal and other expenses. With their leader gone and their assets dwelling the people began to drift away.
When Rua came out of jail, he did not seem opposed any more to the large scale selling of the Tuhoe land. Possibly this was part of his "pardon agreement".
The sale of land had a great effect on the Tuhoe people. They went through the doldrums of the 20s, the land schemes of the 30s and by the 40s things were at a standstill. The economic pressures after the war had the greatest impact on the people.
The small dairy farmer could no longer survive and the lands were virtually left overnight. The farms were deserted and dilapidated and morale lowered. There was no reason for the move except to "get out and get work". There was no planned relocation. Those who remained at home simply couldn't maintain all the home maraes, which had previously been thriving communities.
The people were seemingly without leadership. They began to draw their strength from the whole group rather than individual elders. This, Rangihau believes has been the greatest social change that has taken place. People of all ages were involved in making decisions. Previously a young man couldn't speak on the marae if his father was still alive or if he had an older brother. Now they have what they call a Young Planning Committee to participate in running Tuhoe matters. Young men and women responded to this challenge. The old began to listen to the young and put the ideas into action.
More recently, another effort has been made to bring the young people in the region together, with cultural festivals. Last year 1700 people attended — this year 4000. Next year more than 6000 are expected. Similar Tuhoe cultural groups have started in Gisborne, Hawkes Bay and Tokoroa which compose their own action songs and haka. They learn their own people's culture before borrowing from others.
"What is this doing?"
"I believe it is giving some meaning to this whole question of identification."
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Rua Kenana
Rangihau described the recent history of the Tuhoe tribe, from the days when they were the 'Children of the mist' as Elsdon Best described them to today when they are divided between town and country. He covered the transition from a tribe led from the top by prophets to the democratic, all-involving reconstruction going on today.
What John Rangihau didn't talk about was the large role he has played himself, in helping to lead the Tuhoe people in the often difficult bi-cultural society, and in helping both young and old, Maori and Pakeha, to regain and retain the positive force of Maoritanga.