Rev. Anaru Iehu Ngawaka (Te Rarawa) of Whangape was around 80 years old when he journeyed via horseback to meet with Queen Elizabeth II in Waitangi in 1953. Photo / Supplied
Rev. Anaru Iehu Ngawaka (Te Rarawa) of Whangape was around 80 years old when he journeyed via horseback to meet with Queen Elizabeth II in Waitangi in 1953. Photo / Supplied
The story of Jaqi Brown's tūpuna (ancestor) meeting the Queen is a kōrero (story) that's been passed down through the generations.
As the story goes, Rev. Anaru Iehu Ngāwaka (Te Rarawa) of Whāngāpē was around 80 years old when he journeyed night and day in his best clothes via horseback to meet with Queen Elizabeth II in Waitangi.
The meeting formed part of her first trip as Queen to Aoteāroa New Zealand in 1953, following the death of her father, King George VI, the year before.
According to the whānau kōrero (family stories), Ngāwaka had been forced to sell a prize cow in order to afford to buy a new suit for his visit with the Queen.
Since he was a young man, Brown said her great-grandfather had been determined to meet the monarch.
This was driven by his desire to uphold the partnership between Māori and the Crown through the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi (Treaty of Waitangi) in 1840 and He Whakaputanga (the 1835 Declaration of the Independence of New Zealand).
"My great-grandfather was in his 80s when the Queen came to visit and had to travel over dirt tracks on his horse to meet her," Brown said.
"He was a strong proponent of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and He Whakaputanga, so wanted to shake the hand of the Queen in honour of both those documents.
"It was also to honour his tūpuna who had signed the Treaty of Waitangi with the Queen's ancestors.
"He always said it was better to sign the Treaty with the British rather than the French, whom he'd heard were not so open."
According to Brown, her great-grandfather, more popularly known as Naru or Andrew Ngāwaka, was born in the Whāngāpē area of north Hokianga, ca 1872.
His father, Iehu Ngāwaka, was a farmer, and his mother, Ngāneko Mare (Murray), was later known as Mary Ngāhemo Ngāwaka (both of Te Rarawa).
Ngāwaka was a descendant of Ruanui and Nukutawhiti of the Māmari and Ngā-toki-mata-whao-rua waka (canoes).
His ancestral lines connected him to many Northland tribes, including Ngāpuhi and Te Aupōuri, but he was principally of Te Rarawa.
He was kin to the hapū Ngāti Hinerakei and Ngāi Tūmamao, but most closely associated with Ngāti Haua hapū.
According to Te Ara, the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, Ngāwaka was an acknowledged authority on whakapapa, Māori custom, illness and sacred places, the Treaty of Waitangi, and the Bible.
He also gained a reputation for being a brilliant orator and preacher in both Māori and English and was likened to other great Māori leaders such as Te Puea Hērangi and Whina Cooper.
Ngāwāka's commitment and service to his people drew the attention of the Crown, where it was said the Queen offered him a significant honour for his service.
This he gracefully declined, however, citing his religious standing as the only title he required.
"My mum said my great-grandfather was offered a knighthood for services to Māori, but humbly refused as he already had a title - that of Reverend," Brown said.
"He told the Queen he didn't have any need for another title as he was a dedicated servant of the Anglican Church.
Rev. Anaru Iehu Ngawaka was a devout servant of the Anglican Church. Photo / Supplied
"My mum said she always remembered her grandfather talking about the Queen and how she held herself in times of conflict.
"If anything was happening in the family, he would ask, 'how would the Queen deal with this?'"
Brown said while many people today questioned whether the monarchy was still relevant, she felt the partnership was more important than ever moving forward.
"We have this Treaty agreement between the British and Māori and it's time to move forward together," Brown said.
"The longevity of her reign has been extraordinary, even though at times the relationship has been fraught because of the struggle to recognise tangata whenua (people of the land).
"With both our Treaty roles, we've got to move on together and as one."
Ngāwāka died in 1964 and is buried in Whāngāpe. Photo/Supplied
Naru Ngāwaka died at Whāngāpē on August 15, 1964, where he is buried.
