Te Whatahoro

A wa¯nanga is going to be held in early 2023 to help the wider wha¯nau learn more about their important Wairarapa tı¯puna, ahead of a major restoration project.

The proposal is to restore the whare belonging to Te Whatahoro Jury and possibly relocate it on land near to Pàpàwai Marae’s grounds. The whare was originally threatened with destruction until a small team decided to get involved and work together to ensure this tìpuna’s legacy is recognised and acknowledged.

Pàpàwai Marae is very supportive of the project and there may be opportunity to site the cottage to sit on its grounds and develop it as focal point for tourism and local community development. Currently various subcommittees are forming to examine a number of planning and funding options to make this move happen.

There is a strong desire amongst the wider Jury whànau to learn more about Te Whatahoro, become part of the process and use this whare as a way to connect the many branches of Te Whatahoro descendants. With two siblings (Tare and Heeni) and six wives there are a lot of branches to connect.

As a first step a wànanga at Pàpàwai Marae is being planned to allow members of Pàpàwai and the wider Jury whànau to begin gathering their knowledge about Te Whatahoro and discussing the future of the whare. The wànanga will feature korero from the current subcommittees as well as Pàpàwai kaumàtua, Tà Kim Workman. Project convenor, Murray Hemi, says it is an important opportunity for the wider community to learn more about an important tìpuna.

“This project is a great chance for the wider community and the Jury whànau in particular to lead in the discussions and learning about Te Whatahoro, his legacy, and the mana he holds to this day,” Hemi says. “When we think about the project as a whole, we want to ensure the Jury whànau are right there at the table. This is their tìpuna. He is also our whànaunga and rangatira. So, we need to find an interesting mix of connections, stories, and contributions.”

Born on 4 February 1841 in Poverty Bay, Hoani Te Whatahoro Jury was the eldest son of Te Aitu o te Rangi and her husband, John Milsome Jury. Hoani spent his early years with his mother’s people, Ngàti Moe, and learnt of the traditions associated with Lake Wairarapa as well as all the special places of their ancestral land.

Hoani Te Whatahoro became a prolific writer on Màori traditions and customs. He usually acted as a scribe or recorder. At Pàpàwai, near Greytown, in 1865, Hoani recorded traditions given by Te Màtorohanga, with Paratene Te Okawhare and Nèpia Pòhùhù assisting. He continued to record information from the teachings of Nèpia Pòhùhù and Te Màtorohanga until their deaths in the 1880s.

From 1886 to 1888 he was one of those who assisted Mormon elders in translating the Book of Mormon into Màori. On 26 June 1900 he was baptised into the Mormon church and at the same time confirmed, at the Pàpàwai branch of the church.

Te Whatahoro was instrumental in arranging and corralling both the Wairarapa lake owners and the Crown into accepting land at Pou-a-Kani as the final completion of the 1896 Wairarapa Lakes Agreement.

Please keep an eye on the WMI Facebook page to find out the dates for the wànanga which is expected to be in late January or early-mid February 2023.