Sister of chief Te Rangikauariro was married to the famous warrior Te Arakau.
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See below for English translation
E tika ana te pepeha ko Whakataupotiki ki Hāwaiki ko Rongomaiwhiti ki Hāwaiki Tahutahu. Tērā tētehi pioke ko Te Rangikauariro he kākākura nō Ngāti Rangiwewehi.
Kai tētehi taha o te moana o Te Rotorua nui a Kahumatamomoe ko Ta Arakau Te Umu.
He pakihiwi kaha nō te kāwai toa heke iho i a Rangiteaorere. Ka moe a Te Arakau i te tuahine o Te Rangikauariro. Kāore i mōhiotia e ahau tōna ingoa. Wheoi anō hai whakaū i tēnei moenga kakara ka riro mai i a Te Arakau he taonga pākuha ko Tautoto he kahū waero. Ka tere ngā rā, ka hinga ngā marama e noho pokapā nei tōna hoa rangatira. Ka mahue ia i tōna wahine rangatira.
Ka pouri ia ka whakamā hoki a Te Arakau i te rironga mai i te kahu waero, ka whakahokia ki taua rangatira nana tonu i hōmai, ko Te Rangikauariro.
E ai ki a Wiremu Te Rangikaheke he tangata tuhituhi kōrero onamata, he rangatira nui hoki nō Ngāti Rangiwewehi. He ahakoa i wehe noa atu ēnei tokorua, ka whakamomori tetehi, ka huri tētehi kē ki te hāpai tao, nā ko Te Arakau tēnei. Ka hinga katoa ngā iwi nunui, ngā hapū itiiti me ngā rangatira whakahirahira i a ia. Ka kawea e ia te riri ki te takiwā o te Rotorua ahu atu ki Taupō, huri nā ki Te Whakatōhea, ki Ngai Tai, ki Te Whānau a Apanui me Ngāti Awa, hinga katoa i a ia.
E ea katoa ana ēnei riri i a ia, ka tahuri kau tēnei mango ki ngā māunu o te waiariki. Ka huaki anō e ia te riri.
Ka whakatōpūngia ngā hapū o Tutanekai, o Te Rangiteaorere me Te Ure o Uenukukopako, ka hau atu ki te pakanga ko Ngāti Te Pehi te hoa ngangare.
Ko Te Waiatua te rangatira o Ngāti Te Pehi, ka mate a Te Arakau ara a Te Umu i a Te Waiatua me tana taoroa paraowa. Ko te takiwā i hinga ai tēnei rangatira ko te whenua e tū mai ana te Novotel. Ko Tiritirimatangi te whenua, ki tetehi taha ko Te Whakarua.
The Novotel Hotel at the lake end of Tutanekai St.
Ka tapā te pakanga ki te ingoa o Te Whakarua. Kai te pukapuka a Stafford he kōrero kē atu, hai tāna nā Te Tairo he rangatira nō Ngāti Pikiao a Te Arakau i patu ko te take he ngaki utu mō te patunga o ngā rangatira o Ngāti Pikiao i Mourea.
He ahakoa te rerekē o ngā tātai kōrero kai tēnā hapū te tikanga. Nō te matenga o Te Arakau i te riri pakanga ka nui te whakamomori a ngā iwi, nā reira i titoa ai e Te Rangikauariro he waiata māna ko Kumea atu rā te ingoa. Waimarie katoa tātau i ngā pukapuka mōteatea a Tā Apirana Ngata. Kai reira te roanga atu o te waiata. Ko te whiti tuatahi anake tēnei i raro iho nei.
Kumea atu ra, e i, toia atu ra
Te puhi o te Arawa, ka tere ki raro ra. Nau koara te tau ai i to tau,
I te tau o Toroa.
Kihai i tatari kia mene Uenukukopako, Kia tae mai ra te Kata a Hikawera,
Long ago, the sister of the chief Te Rangikauariro was married to the famous Ngāti Te Rangiteaorere warrior, Te Arakau.
Te Umu was the name Te Arakau was given at birth. and he was raised by an uncle, Te Kata a Hikawera, at a pā known as Okapua that stood not too far from the present Hells Gate tourist attraction. Te Kata a Hikawera not only provided his nephew with advice and guidance but guided him along the pathway of the warrior god, Tumatauenga.
Te Arakau left his wife when the union did not produce any children. Her name is not recorded.
Complicating matters, however, was that when Te Arakau and married his wife, Te Rangikauariro gave his brother-in-law a Kahu waero named Tautoto as a gift.
Te Arakau was extremely embarrassed about leaving Te Rangikauariro’s sister, and returned the cloak. The two remained good friends.
It was recorded by the Ngati Rangiwewehi scribe, Wiremu Maihi Te Rangikaheke, that Te Arakau Te Umu died in combat.
He was renowned as being one of the most fearless warriors of Te Arawa; by his hand, many tribes had fallen. Sub tribes of Rotorua, chiefs of Taupō, warriors of Te Whakatōhea, Ngai Tai, Te Whanau-a-Apanui and Ngāti Awa. Many men fell to Te Arakau Te Umu.
When he had completed avenging the wrongs afflicted upon his people by external tribes and sub-tribes, his attention turned to those pockets of Te Arawa that were busy rectifying past tribal honour.
So he found himself joining local war parties in combat.
On one occasion, leading to his death, a war party consisting of Ngāti Tutanekai, Ngāti Te Rangiteaorere and Te Ure o Uenukukopako attacked a force of Ngāti Pehi.
Here, Te Arakau was confronted by Te Waiatua who with his taoroa overcame this chief upon the site known as Tiritirimatangi around the area where the Novotel stands today.
The battle is recalled as Te Whakarua, the name of a local ngāwhā close by and the name of the land where the chief may have been killed. Te Kata a Hikawera was a fighting companion of Te Arakau, and on this occasion, his force did not accompany Te Arakau; their hearts were set on attacking a party of Ngāti Pikiao.
Te Kata a Hikawera and his men were victorious; however, when they learned of Te Arakaus’ passing, their victory lost spirit as their most revered champion had passed, and there was nothing they could do.
Surprisingly Te Rangikauariro, the Ngāti Rangiwewehi chief was also not present at the battle where Te Arakau passed; however, in memory of his one-time brother-in-law, he composed a lament called, Kumea atu ra toia atu ra te puhi o Te Arawa ka tere ki raro ra.
Haul up and drag the plume of Te Arawa to the world of the living that has swiftly descended below.
The lament for this chief has been preserved and is recorded in the mōteatea book created by Sir Apirana Ngata.
