Te Pipiwharauroa 15

Te Pipiwharauroa 15

No.15 
1899/05/01

(Maori Version at NZETC)

[1] He Kupu Whakamarama

[2] He Kupu Whakamarama, Nelson, May, 1899 Editor: Rev. F A Bennett

TE PIPIWHARAUROA

Because many requests have arrived at the editor of the ‘Pipi’ to enlarge our paper, this is now the layout of the paper for the future. Friends, what are you going to do to ensure that the bird will fly to your area? It needs seeds to bear fruit if our bird is to grow fat. Do not forget the great treasure left to us by our ancestors, love. This bird has no means of surviving but you. If you stop feeding it, then perhaps it will die. And then your pet may never appear again. At present its voice is heard throughout Aotearoa and Te Waipounamu. Let us have it in mind this year that more and more of the families embrace this treasure of the people.

The arrangements for our paper. There is no fixed price for our paper. The person gives what he thinks. Even if it is only one shilling, that is alright. And if one wishes to send ten pounds or perhaps more, that is alright too. Send your names and the name of the Post Office so that the bird can reach you. 

It costs three pounds (£3) to print eight hundred copies of the paper each month. Enough. You’ve seen that the total cost of the paper each month is four pounds (£4) – about fifty pounds a year. The ‘Pipi’ doesn’t have a heap of money. It will live by the goodwill of people.

Some ways by which the Pipiwharauroa will survive.

1. If each man or woman sends what money they can.

2. If a thoughtful person should speak about the role of the ‘Pipi’ at gatherings and then collect the offerings.

3. If ministers and others who lead services arrange a special day for a collection from the congregation to support our treasure.

4. If a day is arranged for people to work perhaps for the Pakeha. A portion of their pay can be designated as a love-offering to the Pipiwharauroa. (This is something the Pakeha do.)

5. A good way for the women to help would be to make Maori artefacts (kits, poi, piupiu, napkin rings) or other of the many things done by women. These things could be sent to me at Nelson to sell here or you could sell them yourselves, giving a portion of the shillings to feed the bird. (The Maori of Motueka and Wairau are good at this.)

6. A portion of the tithe for God could be sent for this work.

7. Let us pray that God will send his blessing upon this work that it may serve for the welfare of the Maori people.

 Enough. These are some ways, but it is for you to decide what to do. May God guide our hearts.

From your pet,

Te Pipiwharauroa.

AN IMPORTANT QUESTION

There is a book which is being widely mentioned by Pakeha and also by the newspapers. The name of that book is ‘In His Steps.’ It was written by a minister in America. It has sold thousands of copies. Here is a summary of the book. A destitute man entered a beautiful church. At the conclusion of the sermon, he stood and asked the congregation this question: ‘Is the way to follow Jesus to sing hymns and to pray as you are doing now?’ [3] When he had finished his speech he fell down and died. A week later the minister preached on that man’s words. ‘What is the way to follow Jesus?’ He said that as he saw it their way of doing things was not Christ’s. At the end of the service, some of the men of that church bound themselves by an oath to work at understanding what it meant to do what Christ wants. Their oath was for a year. The question they asked was, ‘What would Jesus do?’ It was not long before they realised that they would have to forsake many things if they wished to do the will of Jesus.

The minister asked himself, ‘What would Jesus do were he the minister of my church?’ The man realised that Jesus would not preach some of his sermons. Most of his sermons were designed to please the ears of his hearers and make people praise him and talk about the excellence of his preaching. Afterwards his preaching was different. He spoke of sin and repentance and holiness just as he imagined Jesus to have preached. He worked hard in his parish. He was not lazy or stuck up but went into the worst parts of the town to talk persuasively to the drunkards.

The Editor of the newspaper stopped printing bad things in his paper. He asked himself, ‘What would Jesus do if he were the editor of my newspaper?’ He realised that Jesus would not soil the columns of the paper with things that were not edifying.

And most of those men asked themselves this question, ‘What would Jesus do were he in my line of work?’ They were ashamed at most of the things they did.

Friends, it is a good thing for us to ask ourselves this question: ‘What would Jesus do?’ By so doing we will learn where our faith is right and where it is wrong. Let the minister ask, ‘What would Jesus do were he the minister of this parish?’ Let the chief ask, ‘Would Jesus do what I do were he leading this tribe, were he setting an example to my people, were he the chief of this people?’ Let the member of Parliament ask, ‘How would it be were Jesus in my place in Parliament?’ Let the agriculturalist, the farmer, the store-keeper, or whatever kind of worker ask, ‘Would Jesus be doing this were he me?’ Let the people in the courts and other decision-making places ask, ‘Would Jesus be saying this were he in my place?’

Friend, if Christ were you, what would he do? Would he despise the Sabbath, or go to the horse races, or dances, or play cards, indulging in the unfruitful pleasures of the flesh? This question is the rule whereby we can know whether were are on the right path of faith or have deviated from it. If our works are rejected by this question, be brave and forsake that work. God will provide good things for you in this life and in the world to come. ‘If your right hand sin, cut it off and cast it away. It is better that you should lose one part rather than that the whole of your body be cast into hell' [Matthew 5.30]. 

ANCIENT PROVERBS OF THE MAORI

1. Takee raumati, whakapiri ngahuru.
Absent in summer but close by in harvest time. [cf Nga Pepeha 2190]

The purport of this proverb is that in summer the lazy person is not to be found at the side of the man who tends the garden, but in the autumn when the food is harvested the lazy person clings on.

2. Hohonu kaki, papaku uaua.
Deep throat, shallow muscles.  [cf Nga Pepeha 387] 

When it comes to eating he has a deep throat; when it comes to cultivating food his muscles are not strong.

3. Ehara ta te tangata kai he kai titongi kaki, kaore ki tana kai, tino kai, tino makona.

Food provided by another merely tickles one’s throat; it never equals that gained by one's own exertions, which is the best and the most satisfying. [cf Nga Pepeha 94]

If food is provided by another person then a man will not eat heartily, but food he has produced himself will satisfy the throat.

4. He kai kowhai, hurihia ketia. 
When food is sought one turns the other way. [cf Nga Pepeha 452] 

This concerns insufficient food. If you see a group coming then turn your back to the group and let them go away.

5. He ihu kuri he tangata haere. 
A dog’s nose, a travelling man. [cf Nga Pepeha 400] 

This concerns a traveller who arrives at a strange village and even though he is not welcomed to the village he turns aside to it.

6. Kia whakaoho koe i taku moe, ko te whatuturei a Rua. 
‘If you wake me from my sleep let it be for the [cake made from the berries of the hinau or sexual intercourse (Best)]. [cf Nga Pepeha 1344]

This concerns the hinau. One of the elders is sleeping. Someone wakes him up to eat some bird or game. He wakes. He thinks his friend has woken him to have some hinau. He then utters this saying.

7. He karanga kai, kaore e karangatia a Paeko. He karanga riri, ka karangatia a Paeko.

[4] 

 Paeko is not called to have food, but Paeko is called when there is a battle. [cf Nga Pepeha 455 & 1101 

This is Paeko’s proverb. If there is fighting then Paeko is summoned. If there is food he is not summoned.

8. Tu ana Rae-roa, noho ana Rae-poto.
While you are standing there’s food but by the time you sit food is scarce.  [cf Nga Pepeha 2556 & Williams p.320 raeroa]

This concerns eating. By the time some folk arrive the food is consumed. This proverb is for the one who has no food.

Wharepapa Whatanui sent all these sayings. His home is Te Whaiti, Tuhoe. Thank you, sir, for these gifts from our ancestors that you have sent. Look for some more as a contribution to our paper. We are very sorrow for the state of your people about whom you have written to us. Be strong in pointing out the paths of life. Your great sorrow prevents you from seeing what a great treasure you have in your school. Send the children to school. Put an end to the practice of all sleeping together in the sleeping house. Write to us again of how that hapu fares in the days to come. May the Lord be close to you. From your friend, The Editor.

Your concerns about the paper have now been addressed. As to the important items about the world that impact on our spirits and hearts and bodies, we do take them up but some are not printed.

THE EDITOR OF TE PIPIWHARAUROA

I don’t think that my brother in the Faith and my fellow editor, the Rev Fred A Bennett, wishes to reveal to the readers of Te Pipiwharauroa personal things, so I am taking it on myself to tell you, our elders and our friends, of his marriage. This May he and Hana Paaka were married. You know that Bennett is of Te Arawa. When he was small he was taken by the Bishop of Nelson and he was brought up by Pakeha. He was taught at the Bishop’s school and when he had completed the Pakeha ministry course he was ordained as a minister. His first parish was a Pakeha parish. Now God blessed his ministry. However, though the Pakeha valued him greatly, his heart yearned for his mother’s people. When he had completed his ministry in the Pakeha parish he gave his energies to teaching the Maori of the Bishopric of Nelson. However his heart was not at rest. He wished to cross to this island where most Maori were. It was some while before he returned. He wished to establish his work at Riwai Hiwinuiki. Hana is the daughter of Huta Paaka and Pare of Motueka. Huta belongs partly to Taranaki, that is, Ngati Awa. Hana attended Hukarere School. But I had better turn from writing of my friend lest he throws out my writing. One last word: ‘My friend, greetings. May God strengthen your heart and body to seek life for your people, the remnant. Welcome! Welcome to Te Ika-a-Maui, you and your wife. May your eyes see the state of the tribes of this island, what is good and what is bad, what is right and what is awry, faithfulness to the Faith and the fallings away from the path of life, the oneness of thoughts and the straying of desires. Welcome, come over Raukawa. So welcome to Aotearoa. 

From your loving friend, 
Rewiti T Kohere. 
Te Rau, Turanganui-a-Kiwa, Te Ika-a-Maui.

SOME WONDERFUL MACHINES

Yes, how extraordinary is the invention of the Pakeha. As we think about it it seems that there is no end to his inventiveness. It goes on and on. ‘Learning is advanced by the meanderings of many.’ It is as if the prophesy of Daniel is being fulfilled in our day. So should the Pakeha disappear, the breath of life will have been passed on to humanity.

When I was in Sydney last year I went to an exhibition hall to see some wonderful machines. There were many things going on in that hall but the things that struck me were the phonograph, the cinematograph and the X-ray. Most Maori will have heard of the phonograph, the machine that captures the speech of a person. Someone can speak or sing into that thing and his speech or song will be played back again [5] just like his own voice. This machine is invaluable for recording the voices and the sayings of families, against the time of deaths when they will be able to leave behind their words telling of the things of life. This is a concrete expression of the rightness of these words, ‘By this thing, he being dead yet speaketh.’ (Hebrews 11.4)

The cinematograph is a camera, but a moving one. Men and beast were seen going and running. One good picture I saw was of a burning house. The team of firefighters was seen arriving ringing the bells. The house was seen burning as was the rescuing of those inside. Many films were watched and telling of them would not be brief.

The X-ray is a machine for looking at a person’s bones. Soft thing cannot be seen, only those that are firm. I held the machine in my right hand and looked at my left hand. I could only see the bones. The machine is meant for looking at broken bones in the feet or hands. By that means the doctor is able to know the nature of the break. If a needle enters a person’s foot and the doctor does not know where it is he can see it with this machine. If the foot looked at is in a boot then what is seen are the nails in the boot, the bones and the toenails of the foot. Such are the extraordinary capabilities of the X-ray.

Everyone knows about the telegraph and the telephone, the Pakeha’s means of carrying messages by wire. But now the Pakeha has discovered a machine to carry messages like the telegraph but without wires, the messages flying through space. How clever is the Pakeha!

The phonograph was invented by and American by the name of Edison. Now his son is working on a wonderful machine that reveals a man’s thoughts, good and bad. The Pakeha’s achievements are awesome. What will he end up doing? Yes, this is a very wonderful machine if he is able to finish it, but it will be dreaded by people. Who would wish to have his thoughts revealed to the world? Even though a person may love his friend there are some thoughts that he would not want his friend to know. It is better that some thoughts are obliterated.. But, my friends, although our friends and even our mothers do not know the thoughts of our hearts, our hearts are like the book spoken of by God. God says, ‘Behold, I know the things that come from your spirits.’ (Ezekiel 11.5) We ought to be embarrassed, ashamed, and fearful. A person’s thoughts are forces for good or evil in his spirit. The very wise man Solomon said, ‘Behold, as he (i.e. a man) thinks in his heart, so is he.’ (Proverbs 23.7) If a man continually thinks evil things then that man is evil; but, if he thinks good things, especially about the love of God, then he does well. Out of the evil thoughts of people come cursing and bad speech from his mouth; these things come from the overflowing of his heart. Christ said, ‘Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.’ (Matthew 12.34) This causes sadness in my heart – the refusal of Maori to fear saying wicked things. I keep hearing Maori speaking lewdly in the presence of children or of women. Some men don’t have qualms about the presence of a woman; they go on jeering and they say filthy things for amusement. My friends, stop this behaviour. Respect women. Don’t let us learn the evil speech of low-born Pakeha. Young lads, do not be like them and use swearing to enhance the sound of the unintelligible Pakeha language. People who are fluent in the Pakeha language do not swear. What is the medicine for this sickness, for an evil heart and filthy language? Offer your hearts as a dwelling-place for Christ and his Holy Spirit, so that he will drive out such thoughts. He will shelter and sanctify the heart so that it will become as we say in our prayer: ‘Almighty God, every heart is open to you. You know its desires. Secret things are not hidden from you. Breathe upon us your Spirit to cleanse the thoughts of our hearts, that we may truly love you and rightly magnify your name, [6] through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.’

Rewiti Tuhorota Kohere

THE WIDER WORLD

The Pakeha says that this bird, the takahe, will never been seen again. But one has been seen at Te Anau. A Pakeha heard the bird singing and his dog ran and seized the bird. The man had the bird stuffed and sent asking that the government of New Zealand give him £250 for his bird. If the government did not agree he would sell it to others for more money. If this bird is a fake buying it would be a waste of money!

This month a Pakeha arrived on Murihiku. He is travelling around the world on foot only, except that he is crossing seas by boat. That man has been travelling for many months. He has travelled 60,000 mile altogether. He carries neither food nor clothing. When he completes his journey he will write a book about his travels. This man is realising the dreams of his heart!

An organisation has been founded for the prevention of asthma. Twelve branches of this organisation have been set up here in New Zealand. Their first object is to teach people to beware of things that cause asthma. Their publication warns people to beware of the milk of sick cows, to travel in company, and to live in places where there is sunshine. Soon they are petitioning Parliament to pass a law preventing people from working at jobs which present danger of breathing diseases. As the Pakeha says, ‘Prevention is better than cure,’ that is, ‘Better to prevent that to attack the illness.’ The Maori also says:

I tawhiti ano te hoariri e hanga ana i te pa.
Build the pa while the enemy is far away.

 If you put up a barrier then you will not permit sickness to enter the body. And when you are stuck with illness it is senseless to go to Maori tohunga to be deceived.

THE MORMON CHURCH

‘We are not collecting.’

On 17th March some Mormon ministers went to speak with the editor of the ‘Poverty Bay Herald,’ Gisborne, to tell him about their church. Those Mormons said that their church had forbidden polygamy and now their church was making rapid progress amongst the Maori of New Zealand. 4000 Maori have turned to Mormonism. (They did not disclose how many have become tired of Mormonism.) Thirty preachers are addressing Maori, two the Pakeha. Those ministers are not paid but they go out freely, supported by their friends, just as it says in the scriptures, their practice is not ‘to carry purses or bags.’ Those Pakeha said many boastful things about their church and what they said was printed by the ‘Poverty Bay Herald’, perhaps just to fill up the paper. One day soon afterwards a letter from a Maori appeared in the ‘Poverty Bay Herald’. He gave his opinions of what the Mormons had said and he asked several questions which have not been answered by those Mormons. This is a Maori version of that Maori person’s letter.

To the Editor of the Herald:

Sir, In yesterday’s edition of the paper you published your conversation with two Mormons, and in your conversation those Mormons declared to you that their church was spreading in Maori districts, but not one word emerged concerning the turning of the Pakeha to their teaching. Now (they say) they have thirty preachers amongst Maori and 4000 Maori have turned to Mormonism, though the right name for those Maori is proselytes. Your informers were brave to say that two of them were preaching about life to the white people of this colony. This observation does not upset my heart! I, a Maori, think it proper that these two Mormons should tell us how many Pakeha have turned to Mormon worship, and why there are just two of their preachers for 700,000 Pakeha and just 30 for 39,000 Maori. Do they think that immersion, the Book of Mormon and polygamy are better for us Maori than for the Pakeha? (Though they have stopped preaching that one should have ten wives.) Do they think that we Maori are fools? There were some aspects of their church that the two Mormons praised, [7] and I wish to answer them. They boast that they came with nothing, ‘without a collection plate, without a basket’. I shan’t answer these words of the Mormons, but I really think that it would be good for the Maori to have people come to their villages with collection plates and baskets, perhaps like Paul who worked with his hands. It is wrong to strike at the generous hearts of Maori towards other people. That’s what I have to say.

I would add some words about how wrong the Mormons are about the collection and when they say that their ministers are not paid. It was the same with the ministers of the Church of England formerly. They were not fed by the Maori. That is because in those days the Maori church was in its infancy. In these days it is mature and supports itself. While a child is small its mother feeds it but as it grows up it feeds itself. In former times the parent Church in England supported our ministers, now it is right that they are supported by us, even though every year we receive much sustenance from the parent Church. I shall not deny that money is collected in Utah to support the Mormon ministers. But the work of the Mormons is mischievous. The Bible does not declare that collections are wrong. We find generosity mentioned in the Old Testament and in the New. When Jesus saw the Jews collecting money he did not condemn it or call for it to be stopped. However he greatly respected the poor widow’s gift of a farthing. See also Luke 22.35, 86. And what of Paul? He instructed the churches of Galatia and Corinth to collect for the saints on the first day of the week (I Cor. 16.1-2). See also 1 Cor.9.7-13, Galatians 6.6, 1 Timothy 6.18-19. Why are the Mormons so intent on taunting our Church about the collections for the support of our teachers? It is right that the burden should be borne by all the people. The error of the Mormons is staying in one house until that person is exhausted by working to find and provide food for his tohunga. My friends, my beloved people, let our hearts respond warmly to the challenge of Williams to increase the funds to support our ministers and so to set them free for spiritual work only. Our Lord says: There is greater joy in giving than in receiving.' [Acts 20.35]

Sent in by R.T.K.

THE LETTER FROM APIRANA NGATA MA LL B Part 1

To the Editors of Te Pipiwharauroa:

Greetings to you both. I am going to attempt to respond now to your request to tell the story of my travels amongst Maori, and to tell the good news of the Te Aute College Students’ Association. It is right that some such account should appear in this, our newspaper, telling of the concerns of the Maori people addressed by this Messenger.

On March 21st I travelled from Auckland to Opotiki because I had been appointed as a travelling representative of our Association in all the districts of the East Coast first and then to other districts. I reached Opotiki on 23rd as the Governor arrived. On 24th I went to Torere to the large gathering there. I emulated a jockey. I went to gatherings first simply to explain the reasons for my travels where there were chiefs and the wise men of the East Coast. I was in the right place insofar as all the chiefs from Turanga, as far as Waiapu, and even from Whakatohea, were gathered together at this hui. For three days at this hui I set down the principles underlying our endeavours. I began with the arrival of the Pakeha in these islands with his dogs and his many things, right down to the present time, and all the people understood the purposes of the Te Aute Students’ Association, that holding to the strands of Maori wisdom we should seize the ideas of the Pakeha. It was observed that this was indeed the time for this work, the new year. This is indeed the time for the spokesman to appeal to the Maori People, when we are at a turning point and must look to the future and the problems facing us. Many compliments were paid to me. I embody for the Maori at this time the fresh good news of life for the body, for the homes, for the land. I observed [8] that the Maori people of this coast were not slow to listen but welcomed always my words and if they saw that this was a path they could agree upon they agreed upon it.

On March 29th I arrived at Te Pahou, Whakatane, to the great gathering of Ngatiawa to which were invited Ngati Porou, Te Whanau-a-Apanui, Ngaitai and the people of Turanga. The chiefs from there all gathered together. Our party gathered and 200 of us arrived at the marae of Ngatiawa. There were almost 700 at the hui from Whakatohea, Tuhoe, all of Ngatiawa and some from Te Arawa. I spoke on two days. I said what I said at Torere and there were many different compliments from all the chiefs.

I spoke on the basis of my involvement with Ngati Porou, the people who set in train the ideals of our Association. There were some chiefs there belonging to other associations and they verbally agreed that our young people’s association was different. We began with the Queen, and addressed the many causes of the plight of the Maori. These were the things we sought to understand in the context of the laws. Soon perhaps the day will come when we will link up with them and together apply all our insights to our activities. Let me pay tribute to the excellence of these two hui. No alcohol was seen there and there was no trouble. These hui brought the visitors to know the people of the marae, one group to another and eventually people were saying that Tai Rawhiti was one people from Matata to Nukutaurua. Although there were many small internal differences as regards ways of worship, this was a united people when it came to the problems and the way to overcome them. There I disclosed what I was about and people saw clearly its immensity, the length, the height, the depth.

May God give strength and a patient heart to bring about the completion of our proclamation of this our good news. I finish this account here. Hakaraia Pakewa told me of some aspects of that at Torere, and Timutimu and Aperahama spoke of the gathering at Pahou. £191 1s 4d was the collection at Torere; £160 10s 6d at Pahou. There were also collections for the Church. I am now travelling in the district of [Missing]. When I finish I will send another letter.

From your friend, 
Apirana T Ngata.

LAST WORDS

The newspaper of Te Aute College is being printed by Te Raukahikatea Press. The name of the paper is ‘Te Tui’. It contains much attractive writing. It is in English. One chapter is in Maori. – The Way to Te Aute. There are articles about sport, football, military training, and athletics, and about religious activities, the work of their Association, and other items. There is one paragraph about the doings of past students of Te Aute who have left their school.

My fellow editor, Reweti T Kohere has been urged by his Pakeha friends to incorporate in his name one of the names of his ancestor, ‘Mokena’! They want his name to be lengthened to Reweti T Mokena Kohere in memory of his ancestor. But don’t let his friends be bamboozled: Reweti Kohere and Reweti Mokena Kohere are the same man.

We were saddened to see some writing that it would not be proper to print in one of our Maori newspapers. The words were in a letter sent here but probably not seen by the editor. Friends, our paper is read by women and children and therefore it would not be right to print offensive material. Were this done the Government would summons the newspaper and someone would go to prison. Be careful. If such offensive material is printed it is the responsibility of the publisher.

SEEDS FOR OUR BIRD

Mama Te Rehu 16/-, Mrs Hunter-Brown 10/-, Nehe KKarauria, Rangitoto 5/-, Miss A Gage, Hukarere, Napier 5/-, Mr T Jury, Greytown 10/-, Mr F B Wykes, Te Whaiti 2/6, Wi Pere MHR, Tauranga 5/-, Mr C P Davis 2/6, Te Hata Kiwara 2/6, Noa Te Rangirua 2/6 Eru Titi, Te Arai 2/6, H Waihi, Ngakaho, Waiapu 5/-, Rapata Manuera Pakarae 1/-

Bond, Finney & Co, Printer, Nelson.