He Timatanga Korero - An Introduction to the Blogs

Kui Merania
(My Great Grandmother)

Ko Taranaki te Mounga
Ko Whanganui te Awa
Ko Maruwharanui te Tangata
He Uri Ahau no Tamatea Teika raua Ko Merania Peri
Ko Pare toku Ingoa - No te Whanau Teika  

Tena Koutou e te Iwi o Ngati Maru ! 

HOW DID THIS START ?  😍

I've been blogging "on and off" for a few years now.  In the past, the purpose of my blogs had been to share information and research findings with my whanau.   Five years ago, the Teika Whanau - became intent on learning more about our Kuia, Merania Wehikore Peri, particularly her whakapapa.  With my research background, I committed to undertake independant research from my base in Hamilton to contribute to the Whanau project.   

Kui Merania had links to Ngati Haua, Ngati Tuwharetoa and of course Ngati Maru.   This gave us a number of choices on which to focus our inquiries.  Yet for some of us, and especially in my own case, Kui Merania's second husband, Titi Tihu had left a clear instruction for us, on her headstone.

Kui Merania's headstone in Taumarunui

The last two lines of the inscription, read "A Maruwaranui, He Uri Rangatira Raua", meaning "Both wives were from the noble stock of Maruwaranui".   Titi paid tribute to both of his wives, Kui Piki and Kui Merania on the headstone, although Kui Merania is the only actual interment here.(1)  But, more to the point is the way that he chose to define his wives as being Ngati Maru.   He could, just as easily described them both as Ngati Haua - because both of them had affilliations there as well.  In fact, given the location of the grave at Taumarunui, pointing out the Haua connection might have been more relevant.(2)  And further more, Titi, had up until this point, not been a "believer" in "headstones".   There seemed to be a definite intention here, a headstone commissioned by him, pointing out the Maru connection.  It seemed he wanted at least some of us, to follow the path back to Ngati Maru.

And so it began ... researching our Kui, in the Ngati Maru research landscape and the sharing of results via the online blogs, before eventually repatriating via a Whanau Reunion at Te Upoko o Te Whenua in 2013. 

Notes
(1) Piki [A]taera Te Pikikotuku (Koro Titi's first wife) died in 1947.  In 1950, Koro Titi married Kui Merania, and they remained together until her death in 1978.  Her first husband, my Great Grandfather Tamatea Teika, died at Purangi in 1933.  He was Titi's Grand-nephew, a descendant of Pea Ngataierua. 

(2) A more indebt account of our Whanau research journey is recorded elsewhere in a partially-completed mss titled 'Merania a Maruwaranui'.   

WHERE DID IT LEAD TO ? 😲

The blogs caught the attention of Karl Burrows (Researcher, Runanga Trustee), of Ngati Maru who contacted me. After some time, Karl contracted me to assist him in the compilation of Ngati Maru's tupuna list (project 1).  
A list of historic Ngati Maru persons who lived between 1880 - 1920, to be used as the basis for Iwi registration.  

In turn, this led to a second contract, commisioned by Holden Hohaia (Chairman of Te Runanga o Ngati Maru) to undertake the Ngati Maru Register Review (project 2).
This involved confirming the descent of all persons on the Ngati Maru Iwi Register to at least one of the tupuna on the tupuna list.  I was then appointed as the inaugural Iwi Registrar, a position now held competently by Leanna Pue.

Concurrent with this position, I undertook the individual biographical research of all 211 tupuna (project 3) on the list.
This resulted in the Tupuna profiles, that listed the immediate family and descendants of each one. 

I later decided to do my thesis (which still remains unfinished - on extention until after the claim) on Ngati Maru.  I  reconstructed Ngati Maru whakapapa (project 4) from Whanau groups back into their Hapu. It was like an exercise of reversing the effects of the individualisation of the Native Land Court.   

This is not about the kumara proclaiming its sweetness, or blowing my own trumpet; but rather to explain, that through these various research projects, I became acutely aware of many aspects of Ngati Maru's history.  My personal research methodology is one of "full-immersion" of the topic.   This led to even more research projects for the Iwi ... 

WHERE AM I NOW ? 😆

A year ago, the Runanga appointed me as the Claim historian and as a Negotiator for Ngati Maru's Historic Treaty Claim.   This is my current position in Ngati Maru and I have recently completed the 'Ngati Maru Sites of Significance Project' (project 5) and 'The Ngati Maru Special Factors Report' (project 6).   

Projects I am working on now, are the 'Ngati Maru Historical Account' (project 7) and 'A report of Ngati Maru's traditional connection with Taranaki Mounga' (project 8).   It's been a very "full on" Year, and it will be for a while yet.

WHY AM I BLOGGING ? 😊

However, claim history is NOT the only kind of History,  there are other findings, derived from my own personal research that fall outside the Claim project briefs.  I do not consider myself to be an authority, but I have researched Ngati Maru for five years, and in the last three years have immersed myself in Maru Historical research every day, and only Maru ... and I do not stop, because there are still things to learn and to know.

Accordingly, there are definitely a few things that I could and should share beyond my whanau and with the wider Iwi.

Although I am currently, the Claim Historian, this is not the position from which I am writing from.   These blogs are simply by Pare Hayward, of the Whanau "TEIKA".  A descendant of Merania and therefore (e ai i te kohatu) a descendant of Maruwharanui. 😉 I'm writing these blogs because of my love of whakapapa, history and for Ngati Maru.

I hope that in some way, these blogs will contribute to the collective body of Ngati Maru historical knowledge.  So in no particular order ... other than inspiration ... here they are ~~~

PAI MARIRE 🙋