Te Puea Herangi
Encyclopedia
Te Puea Herangi, CBE
(9 November 1883- 12 October 1952) was a respected Māori leader from New Zealand
's Waikato
region known by the name Princess Te Puea.
, daughter of Te Tahuna Herangi and Tiahuia, who was daughter, by his principal wife, of the second Māori King, Tawhiao Te Wherowhero. Her name came from the phrase Puea ahau i te ao, which means I shall rise to the surface of the world; however, she was known to her family as Te Kirihaehae. Her Uncle Mahuta played a major role in her upbringing.
As the eventual successor to her grandfather, she was educated in the traditional Māori ways. At age 12 she began attending Mercer Primary School and then went on to attend Mangere Bridge School and Melmerly College in Parnell. She was fluent in both Māori
and English
.
, she rejected the traditional role expected of her and cut herself off from her people.
This phase passed and in 1911 she returned to her people and resumed her hereditary role. Her first task, the one that re-established her mana
among her people, was to successfully campaign on behalf of Maui Pomare in his election bid to become the Kingite Member of Parliament
.
when it was introduced in 1917 and provided a refuge at her farm for those who refused to be conscripted into the New Zealand Army
.
Following the influenza epidemic of 1918
, she took under her wing some 100 orphans, who were the founding members of the community of Turangawaewae
at Ngaruawahia
. It was through Turangawaewae that Te Puea began to extend her influence beyond the Waikato Region. The construction of its carved meeting house was strongly supported by Sir Apirana Ngata
and the Ngāti Porou
people. She was also friends with the Prime Minister
, Sir Gordon Coates
, and with noted journalist
Eric Ramsden. It was through her friendship with Ramsden that articles about her and her work began to appear in the national newspapers. In these she was usually identified as Princess Te Puea, a title that she herself deplored, saying that the role of princess does not exist in Māoritanga.
During 1913 and 1914 the Māori community suffered a smallpox epidemic. The main problem was that many of them believed that disease was a punishment from displeased spirits, and refused to go to Pākehā hospitals. In response, Te Puea set up a small settlement of nikau huts devoted to nursing people back to health. This was successful as not a one person died and the isolation of the village largely prevented spread of disease.
Te Puea was awarded a CBE in 1937. A year later yet another carved meeting house was opened by the Governor General, Lord Galway.
In 1940 she bought a farm near Ngaruwahia and began developing it provide an economic base for the Turangawaewae community. It was there that she began teaching the beliefs that would sustain the King Movement: work, faith (specifically the Pai Marire
faith, which became strongly established in the Waitako region), and pan-Māori unity through the King Movement. Te Puea always stressed the importance of iwi
over hapu
(the tribe over the sub-tribe or family grouping).
Nineteen forty was the centenary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi
, the document that founded modern New Zealand. The Government had planned nationwide celebrations. Initially Te Puea was in favour but various promises made by the government about the nature of the event were not kept and the Tainui withdrew. At the time she said:
Te Puea was raised by people who had fought to resist the government Invasion of the Waikato
in 1863 and by people who had lived through the bitter years that followed. She had little reason to love or trust the Pākehā. However as time went by she came to see the need for reconciliation. In 1946 after nearly 20 years of negotiation she accepted on behalf of Tainui a settlement offered by the Prime Minister, Peter Fraser of NZ$
5,000 a year in perpetuity. She recognized this as a paltry offering; even then the land unjustly confiscated from the Tainui was worth billions of dollars. However the payment acknowledged that a grievous wrong had been done to her people. Te Puea also built Turangawaewae marae and has a statue of her in front of the beautiful house called Mahinarangi.
Te Puea died at her home after a long illness. During her lifetime she had raised the King Movement to national significance.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(9 November 1883- 12 October 1952) was a respected Māori leader from New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
's Waikato
Waikato
The Waikato Region is a local government region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato, Hauraki, Coromandel Peninsula, the northern King Country, much of the Taupo District, and parts of Rotorua District...
region known by the name Princess Te Puea.
Early life
She was born at Whatiwhatihoe, near PirongiaPirongia
Pirongia is a small town in the Waipa District of the Waikato region of New Zealand's North Island.It is 12 kilometres to the west of Te Awamutu, on the banks of the Waipa River, close to the foot of the 962 metre Mount Pirongia, which lies in a forest park to the west of the town.Pirongia was...
, daughter of Te Tahuna Herangi and Tiahuia, who was daughter, by his principal wife, of the second Māori King, Tawhiao Te Wherowhero. Her name came from the phrase Puea ahau i te ao, which means I shall rise to the surface of the world; however, she was known to her family as Te Kirihaehae. Her Uncle Mahuta played a major role in her upbringing.
As the eventual successor to her grandfather, she was educated in the traditional Māori ways. At age 12 she began attending Mercer Primary School and then went on to attend Mangere Bridge School and Melmerly College in Parnell. She was fluent in both Māori
Maori language
Māori or te reo Māori , commonly te reo , is the language of the indigenous population of New Zealand, the Māori. It has the status of an official language in New Zealand...
and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
.
Leadership role
When her mother died in 1898, Te Puea returned home reluctantly at the age of 15, supposedly to take her mother's place. However, being young and believing also that she was dying of tuberculosisTuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
, she rejected the traditional role expected of her and cut herself off from her people.
This phase passed and in 1911 she returned to her people and resumed her hereditary role. Her first task, the one that re-established her mana
Mana
Mana is an indigenous Pacific islander concept of an impersonal force or quality that resides in people, animals, and inanimate objects. The word is a cognate in many Oceanic languages, including Melanesian, Polynesian, and Micronesian....
among her people, was to successfully campaign on behalf of Maui Pomare in his election bid to become the Kingite Member of Parliament
Parliament of New Zealand
The Parliament of New Zealand consists of the Queen of New Zealand and the New Zealand House of Representatives and, until 1951, the New Zealand Legislative Council. The House of Representatives is often referred to as "Parliament".The House of Representatives usually consists of 120 Members of...
.
Achievements
She was soon acknowledged as one of the leaders of the Kingitanga Movement and worked to make it part of the central focus of the Māori people. She also began farming at Maungatawhiri. Te Puea was firmly opposed to conscriptionConscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
when it was introduced in 1917 and provided a refuge at her farm for those who refused to be conscripted into the New Zealand Army
New Zealand Army
The New Zealand Army , is the land component of the New Zealand Defence Force and comprises around 4,500 Regular Force personnel, 2,000 Territorial Force personnel and 500 civilians. Formerly the New Zealand Military Forces, the current name was adopted around 1946...
.
Following the influenza epidemic of 1918
Spanish flu
The 1918 flu pandemic was an influenza pandemic, and the first of the two pandemics involving H1N1 influenza virus . It was an unusually severe and deadly pandemic that spread across the world. Historical and epidemiological data are inadequate to identify the geographic origin...
, she took under her wing some 100 orphans, who were the founding members of the community of Turangawaewae
Turangawaewae
Turangawaewae Marae is a very significant marae of the Māori people of New Zealand and is the headquarters for the Māori King Movement...
at Ngaruawahia
Ngaruawahia
Ngāruawāhia is a town in the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is located 20 km north-west of Hamilton at the confluence of the Waikato and Waipa Rivers...
. It was through Turangawaewae that Te Puea began to extend her influence beyond the Waikato Region. The construction of its carved meeting house was strongly supported by Sir Apirana Ngata
Apirana Ngata
Sir Apirana Turupa Ngata was a prominent New Zealand politician and lawyer. He has often been described as the foremost Māori politician to have ever served in Parliament, and is also known for his work in promoting and protecting Māori culture and language.-Early life:One of 15 children, Ngata...
and the Ngāti Porou
Ngati Porou
Ngāti Porou is a Māori iwi traditionally located in the East Cape and Gisborne regions of the North Island of New Zealand. Ngāti Porou has the second-largest affiliation of any iwi in New Zealand, with 71,910 registered members in 2006...
people. She was also friends with the Prime Minister
Prime Minister of New Zealand
The Prime Minister of New Zealand is New Zealand's head of government consequent on being the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in the Parliament of New Zealand...
, Sir Gordon Coates
Gordon Coates
Joseph Gordon Coates, MC and bar served as the 21st Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1925 to 1928.- Early life :Born on the Hukatere Peninsula in Kaipara Harbour where his family ran a farm, Coates took on significant responsibility at a relatively early age because his father suffered from...
, and with noted journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
Eric Ramsden. It was through her friendship with Ramsden that articles about her and her work began to appear in the national newspapers. In these she was usually identified as Princess Te Puea, a title that she herself deplored, saying that the role of princess does not exist in Māoritanga.
During 1913 and 1914 the Māori community suffered a smallpox epidemic. The main problem was that many of them believed that disease was a punishment from displeased spirits, and refused to go to Pākehā hospitals. In response, Te Puea set up a small settlement of nikau huts devoted to nursing people back to health. This was successful as not a one person died and the isolation of the village largely prevented spread of disease.
Te Puea was awarded a CBE in 1937. A year later yet another carved meeting house was opened by the Governor General, Lord Galway.
In 1940 she bought a farm near Ngaruwahia and began developing it provide an economic base for the Turangawaewae community. It was there that she began teaching the beliefs that would sustain the King Movement: work, faith (specifically the Pai Marire
Pai Marire
The Pai Mārire movement was a syncretic Māori religion that flourished in New Zealand from about 1863 to 1874. Founded in Taranaki by the prophet Te Ua Haumene, it incorporated Biblical and Māori spiritual elements and promised its followers deliverance from Pākehā domination, providing a...
faith, which became strongly established in the Waitako region), and pan-Māori unity through the King Movement. Te Puea always stressed the importance of iwi
Iwi
In New Zealand society, iwi form the largest everyday social units in Māori culture. The word iwi means "'peoples' or 'nations'. In "the work of European writers which treat iwi and hapū as parts of a hierarchical structure", it has been used to mean "tribe" , or confederation of tribes,...
over hapu
Hapu
A hapū is sometimes described as "the basic political unit within Maori society".A named division of a Māori iwi , membership is determined by genealogical descent; a hapū is made up of a number of whānau groups. Generally hapū range in size from 150-200 although there is no upper limit...
(the tribe over the sub-tribe or family grouping).
Nineteen forty was the centenary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi
Treaty of Waitangi
The Treaty of Waitangi is a treaty first signed on 6 February 1840 by representatives of the British Crown and various Māori chiefs from the North Island of New Zealand....
, the document that founded modern New Zealand. The Government had planned nationwide celebrations. Initially Te Puea was in favour but various promises made by the government about the nature of the event were not kept and the Tainui withdrew. At the time she said:
This is an occasion for rejoicing on the part of the Pākehā and those tribes which have not suffered any injustice during the past hundred years.
Te Puea was raised by people who had fought to resist the government Invasion of the Waikato
Invasion of the Waikato
The Invasion of Waikato or Kingitanga Suppression Movement was a campaign during the middle stages of the New Zealand Wars, fought in the North Island of New Zealand from July 1863 to April 1864 between the military forces of the Colonial Government and a federation of Māori tribes known as the...
in 1863 and by people who had lived through the bitter years that followed. She had little reason to love or trust the Pākehā. However as time went by she came to see the need for reconciliation. In 1946 after nearly 20 years of negotiation she accepted on behalf of Tainui a settlement offered by the Prime Minister, Peter Fraser of NZ$
New Zealand dollar
The New Zealand dollar is the currency of New Zealand. It also circulates in the Cook Islands , Niue, Tokelau, and the Pitcairn Islands. It is divided into 100 cents....
5,000 a year in perpetuity. She recognized this as a paltry offering; even then the land unjustly confiscated from the Tainui was worth billions of dollars. However the payment acknowledged that a grievous wrong had been done to her people. Te Puea also built Turangawaewae marae and has a statue of her in front of the beautiful house called Mahinarangi.
Te Puea died at her home after a long illness. During her lifetime she had raised the King Movement to national significance.
External links
from the Dictionary of New Zealand BiographyDictionary of New Zealand Biography
The Dictionary of New Zealand Biography contains biographies for over 3,000 New Zealanders. It is available in both English and Maori. All volumes of the Dictionary of New Zealand Biography are available online....