Uepohatu welcome - the home people speak

awatere-freyberg.jpg

Unidentified speaker welcomes guests to Uepohatu marae, Ruatoria in 1947. 

The marae hosted events held on the 12th and 13th of September that included cultural competitions with local school children and the opening of the Uepohatu War Memorial Hall.  The hall was built to commemorate East Coast soldiers who died during the two World Wars. 

A reunion of ex-service people (including members of the Maori Battalion) was also held. 

At the Investiture held on the second day, seventeen decorations were presented to servicemen and women who had served abroad and on the home front.

The gathering was an important one. attended by thousands including the Prime Minister Peter Fraser, the Leader of the Opposition Sidney Holland and other members of Parliament.  Sir Bernard Freyberg, the Governor General opened the hall and unveiled two memorial tablets inside.

Site editor’s note: Recording starts part way through speech

Transcription

E korero mai ana mo to tatau tangata mo (Name?). He tika i konei au koira i tangohia ai. Kaha rawa toku pouri mo tana korenga i tenei ra. Kati kaore hoki e taea te aha. Kua roa tenei korero, na runga i te whakaatutanga mai o te kaumatua nei o te hoa mo te tera tangata whakahaere i nga mahi i roto i a tatau te iwi Maori. Kare ke he putake o taku haramai, i haramai ai au ko te putake na te karanga a to tatau koroua, to koroua hoki, kia kite atu i a ia. A, tae atu ki te taonga e tu mai nei kua oti nei i a ia, e kii ana etahi koira te whare whakamutunga ma to tatau koroua. E kii ana au kao!.  Kao! Kia kapi katoa tatau te whare, katahi no tatau ka kii ana tenei korero “Ae, koinei te whare whakamutunga”. No te mea kei te mahi hoki au toku, kei te mahi au toku, he whare whakamaharatanga mo era o a tatau tamariki. Ano hoki tenei, taku maharatanga mo enei tamariki, a tatau kei konei. Na reira e korero ana ki nga ihu whakaeke, tena koe. Kia ora tonu koe, kia kauaka rawa koe e mate me mate atu koe i tu atu i au. Tao ana koe (something).

Me mihi ki nga tangata o te Paremata, kia tiakina aua Tirikatene, ae kei te mihi au mo tenei. E korero nei koe mo tatau tenei ra, no nga Maori. Ahakoa pehea nga korero a te tangata, he aha kia poto me korero tatau. Korero hoki na te Maori. Na reira kia ora mo enei korero i korero mai nei koe, nga kaumatua nei mehemea i haramai kia kitekite noa iho tatau, koia! A, mehemea i haramai me te roimata, koia! Kare hoki he haramai noa iho tera ano te tikanga i tae mai ai.

Na reira he mihi ki a tatau. Kia whakarongo mai koutou, koinei te putake o taku haramai ko te taonga e tu mai ra, he pera ano hoki kei au, (sentence). Tae noa ki nga tangata o te Paremata, tae noa ki to tatau Kawanatanga, kia tu tu he whare Pirihimana i ro (name). Haramai tonu tatau i te rori, he Pirihimana i ro Manuka, he Pirihimana i nga wahi katoa.  (Sentence). Ma Apirana anake katahi ka haere atu. (Sentence). Pu ana tera te Pirihimana i ro Manuka. Na reira koira taku pirangi, tatau katoa kia tu hoki toku whare whakamaumaharatanga mo a tatau tamariki, hanake tatau. Ki te ake koutou e tu ana i ro rau (something)

[Crowd Laughter]

Kua mahi ana e Apirana te whutuporo tenei mahi, hei mahi ma tatau. Ae, he taonga kei au, kai au hoki a Arihia. Kai au a Arihia. Ko tera ka pureingia tatau i te wa i a Takitimu. Mai ra ano inaeanei, kaore ano tera tona mahi ai. Ko te whutuporo ma koutou, he hoki maku, ko te kapu a Apirihia(?)  Haere mai ai koutou katoa ki te wa kai, haramai ki au te tiki mai i a Arihia, mauria hoki ki a kooutou. Kua hia enei tau inaeanei?

Na reira he mihi ki o tatau aitua, me mihi ki o tatau aitua. Kua mate a Whati(?) He tangata whaiwhai haere i nga tangata haere ki o tatau marae. Me mihi. Taku rongo kite au i a te Kohere me mihi ki te (something). Mihingia ko nga tangata haere ki roto ki Aketama(?). Na reira tena koutou e noho ake nei. E Api, e mahi ake nei koe he whare mo tatau. Kei te pirangi kia tu tu toku i mua ake i to Hirini. Mo muri to Hirini. A, kia whai whare ai penei, a, ki te whakakii ai tetahi moea ai, he aha etahi e moea ai. A, haere ai tatau ki a Hirini. Kare i mea ake kei au. Na reira, kei te mihi toku ngakau ki a tatau tamariki e whai mai nei, ka kore koutou e ngaro. Ki te ngaro koutou, mate katoa atu koutou i tera rarangi.

[Crowd Laughter]

Na reira e Api, e nga iwi, e Rau, tena koe koutou o Ngati Kahungunu e noho mai nei. Me mihi ki a tatau. Me to tatau Pihopa, ka nui te ora o te ngakau kua tae mai ano koe ki runga ki a tatau. Tae atu ki a Hemi, na reira ka whakamihi ki te Atua, a, kua kite au ki runga ki a korua. Kia koutou hoki nga Minita, kia tae tahi ai tatau i tenei ra. Na reira kia ora tatau katoa. 

Reference:

Sound file from Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision, ref: 43116. Any re-use of this audio is a breach of copyright.

Image: Porikapa Awatere accompanies Governor-General Sir Bernard Freyberg at the opening of Uepohatu War Memorial Hall on 13 September 1947. 
Alexander Turnbull Library.  Ref: A004827.

Submitter:
Submitted by mbadmin on

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