Tā Jordan Pikitia Tuarua
Ko te kōrero tuarua tēnei mō tētahi o ā mātou kaiwhiwhi ki te karahipi raumati, mō Jordan Quinnell (nō Ngā Ruahine, nō Taranaki, nō Tūwharetoa hoki), ā, ka tirohia e tatou tētahi atu whakaahua nāna i hanga, e whakapā ana ki tōna ake tupuna. (Tahuri ki te kōrero o mua, kei te paetukutuku, kia kitea te whakaahua tuatahi, me te kōrero poto mō Jordan.)
Ko tā Jordan whakamārama, (he mea whakamāori):
"Mai i te tīmatanga o āku mahi rangahau, ka rite tonu tāku kite i te “Kuīni Māori” ki Taranaki, me ngā taiopenga (hui ngahau) me ngā pureitanga e whakahaeretia ana e rātou ko tētahi komiti hei āhuarekatanga mō ngā tāngata o te rohe. Ka aro au ki te kaupapa nei, nā te mea, tokomaha ngā Māori e purei ana, ā, kīhai au i mōhio ki te kaupapa nei. Tua atu i tēnei, he wāhine Pākehā ngā “kuīni” o ērā atu takiwā o te motu, e whakahaere ana i ngā taiopenga me ērā momo mahi. Hāunga a Taranaki, kotahi anake te wāhi kē i whakatūria ai he wahine Māori hei “kuīni”.
"Kīhai au i whakaaro, ka meatia tēnei e au hei tino kaupapa mō te whakaahua, engari, ka tino kitea e au i roto i āku mahi rangahau, ā, ko te āhua nei, he kaupapa nui i roto o ngā mahi o Taranaki-ki-te-Tonga i te wā o te Pakanga Tuarua; nā reira pea, me whakakite, me whakaari e au. Engari, ahakoa ngā tini kōrero i roto i ngā niupepa o taua wā, kāore he whakaahua nō taua kuīni, nā reira, ka uaua te pēheatanga o tāku pikitia.
"Koia rā te take e tūrehurehu atu nei [more abstract] tēnei whakaahua i te whakaahua tuatahi o te kaikeri awarua (tirohia tērā atu kōrero). Heoi anō, ki tōku nei whakaaro, he pai te whakaahua nei hei whakakite i ngā mahi kē a ngā tupuna, i te wā i kore ai rātou e whakahaere ana i ngā taiopenga me ērā momo mahi. Arā, i mahi moni rānei rātou, he tamariki rānei ā rātou, i rawaka rānei ā rātou moni, ā rātou kai i te wā pakanga nei?
"I tōku orokowhakatautanga me pēhea te whakaahua nei, ka puta mai te whakaaro, he pai pea kia kitea te kuīni i waenganui i te rori e haere mai ana me ōna kākahu whakapaipai. Kāore au e tino mōhio ana ki te take, engari, kīhai tōku ngākau i māoriori i te whakaaro nei. I a au e rapu ana i roto i ngā raraunga rangahau, ka whakaohoohotia ahau kia whakaputaina te whakaahua e kite nei koutou, arā, he tirohanga o te tāone me Taranaki ki muri.
"Ki ahau nei, ka whakahirahira kia whakaaritia te maunga, a Taranaki i roto i te whakaahua, nā te mea he tohu nui tēnei ki ngā tāngata katoa i tipu mai rā. Ka whakaaturia hoki tōku tupuna wahine (te whaea o tōku kuia) me tētahi pēpi, āra, ko ōku whanaunga ēnei. He mea nui hoki ki a au kia whakaurua he āhua e kaingākautia ana e au. Kīhai te pikitia tuatahi i pēneitia, engari, ka mahara au, me pēnei te tuarua.
"Ki tōku nei whakaaro hoki, he mea nui kia whakakitea tōku tupuna e mau ana i ngā kākahu e kitea ana i roto i te whakaahua ake. Kei roto i ngā tini whakaahua tawhito, ka whakaaturia ngā wāhine Māori ānō nei kotahi te momo pai rawa atu, arā, he wāhine ātaahua, he kiritea, he makawe roroa. Mau piupiu ai tēnei momo, me te tūranga whakahiamo hei whakawai i te hunga e mātakitaki ana. Engari, ka werohia taua momo whakaaturanga ki tēnei pikitia āku; ka tītohua kētia he wahine Māori o te ao hurihuri nei,
"He ngāwari kē tēnei pikitia i te mea tuatahi; ka whakatau au kia āhua rite te āhua me ngā kara, kia pai ai te noho takirua."
© Kei te ringatoi te manatā.