A Record of the Life of the Great Te Rauparaha - Tamihana Te Rauparaha (translated and edited by Ross Calman)
I am fascinated by the historical figure Te Rauparaha, one of the greatest of the Maori warrior chiefs who were living around the time of the first European settlers. Te Rauparaha achieved a lot in his life, particularly in the area of warfare, and as such he is a very controversial figure (depending on which iwi you talk to). Born as the youngest child in his family (when younger children were not expected to do as much) Te Rauparaha led his tribe, Ngati Toa, to settle Kapiti Island, and from there launched a series of campaigns which ended up conquering much of the lower North Island and the majority of the South Island! He is most famous now for writing the haka 'Ka Mate' (sung by the All Blacks), but his life has so much more to it than just that!
This manuscript, translated carefully from te Reo (and with extensive editorial notes) by Ross Calman, was written by Te Rauparaha's son Tamihana Te Rauparaha. The earlier years, before Tamihana's birth, are outlined quickly and matter-of-factly, with more details creeping in as Tamihana grows and is able to remember the specifics more accurately. As a result the later campaigns in Te Rauaparaha's life are the ones where we begin to see his clever strategies for success - as well as the times that he managed to escape only by the skin of his teeth. That this is a manuscript rather than a polished work is apparent from the way that Tamihana jumps around in time as he either thinks of an earlier event or, perhaps, has talked to another source. There is also a large percentage of passages that just contain dry names and troop numbers with very little explanation for the uninitiated (though Calman does his best to provide extra context).
Tamihana became a Christian once 'The Faith' ("Te Whakapono" in the Maori manuscript) arrived on Kapiti Island, and it is fascinating to see how abruptly the narrative shifts with this new perspective. The earlier campaigns are driven by utu - often Tamihana notes that a particular battle is untaken to avenge this or that death, and that then things are settled, only to then have that battle be the justification for the beaten enemy to draw up their own campaign - but as soon as Tamihana accepts Christianity he announces to his father that he is taking the gospel to the tribe (Ngai Tahu) that Te Rauparaha was bent on wiping out. More surprisingly, Te Rauparaha, though telling his son not to go, abides by the treaty that has been put in place, though part of that may have to do with another event in Te Rauparaha's life...
Aside from 'Ka Mate' (which isn't mentioned in Tamihana's manuscript, but is mentioned by Calman), Te Rauparaha might also be most well-known contemporarily for being involved in the Wairau Affray, and the death of Arthur Wakefield. Te Rauparaha was wanting to spare the settlers, but his fellow-chief Te Rangihaeata killed them as utu for his wife, who had died in the fighting. I didn't know that this happened while Tamihana was preaching to the Ngai Tahu. Nor did I know that Te Rauparaha credited God with his survival and turned to the Faith himself: "This was Te Rauparaha's message to the whānau and to the nephew [Te Rangihaeata]: 'My son, this is where we part ways. I am turning to the Faith this very day. God spared me during this outbreak of violence, I stood there - I did not lie on the ground - as the bullets flew all around me. There was also the disregard shown to my order to spare the Pākehā, Te Rangihaeata did not show consideration to me.' So, Te Rauparaha turned away from Te Rangihaeata's practices." (page 277). From this point Te Rauparaha is no longer involved in warfare, and even manages to forgive his Pakeha captors when he is later imprisoned unjustly!
The manuscript is fascinating, if difficult, and Calman's extensive notes help a great deal. So too does his thorough introduction, covering the lives of both Te Rauparaha and Tamihana Te Raupahara, as well as the history of previous attempts at translating the manuscript. Calman is himself a descendent of Te Rauparaha, and his love for the subject shows. As a fan of Te Rauparaha I enjoyed this a lot. I also think that this would be a great primary source for a historical novel based on the life of this important New Zealander.
Completed 31 December 2023.
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