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“The rise and fall of Te Hemara Tauhia”,

 by  Paul Goldsmith. Reed Publishing, Auckland 2003.

The library in Orewa has got copies of a new book dealing with Waiwera/Wenderholm /Puhoi area.

In a time of ‘Brash and his rash statements’ this 117 page book makes interesting reading.  Te Hemara was a local ‘Maori’ chief well known for his generosity and friendship for the early Bohemian settlers of Puhoi, north of Auckland. The author is a respected ‘Pakeha’ historian.

In the initial page the author sets the scene as (quoting) “old Te Hemara… poor old fool… used to control all these lands..” and “He had no children”.

This book illustrates two things quite clearly. The indigenous people did not understand the long term ‘power’ of the written word; and the chiefs did not share their “spoils” with other members of their group as they accepted money for land and lost ‘title’ forever.

But then, I don’t think many people currently understand either of these areas even now.

The “written word” is -- mostly the view, understanding, attitudinally adjusted – a permanent record by that author at that time.  It does not give an unbiased mathematical statement of fact.

And “freehold title” we have of our properties now is in fact little more than a ‘long term lease’ – we must pay rates on it and govt. can reclaim it from you.  You do not “own” it.

So, right on the first page, author Paul Goldsmith decides that – from what he has read – Te Hemara is, as an old man, acting foolishly as a drunk; and that he has no children. The author’s ‘biases’ prevail.

Prior to the new European ‘rules’, no chief could ‘sell’ his group’s land. There was neither “money” nor any written method of recording of course.  Everything depended on “word of mouth”.  This ability to recall the past ‘accurately’ depended on highly skilled, thoroughly trained individuals.  Like the written word, this could be lost and – again – much could be embellished in the recording and telling.

Land occupancy could change violently and the telling of this might not be ‘accurate’ (whatever that means).

But, rather than his actions being that of a “poor old fool”, Te Hemara may have seen his “sale” of Waiwera Hot Pools to Robert Graham who had now died, to reverting to his “control” now that the actual “chief” he had “sold” it to had died. As would be the case with a “lifetime lease” commonly granted to older people today – though many people do not know about this.  What you don’t know about is hard to understand today.

Now author Paul Goldsmith states, “He had no children”, which no doubt came from his readings. Yet, some years ago, a member of the current local Iwi told me Te Hemara “had children with three different women”.

Goldsmith first refers to Te Hemara’s ‘wife’ (pp 49) as Miriam (and elsewhere spelt ‘Miriama’) who didn’t know what to do with the gold she had been given for her land – and gave it back to the “purchaser” later in the day saying,” You take it and look after it for me”.  At this time, 1861, Te Hemara was 46 – well past his ‘oat sowing’ years.

Not long before he died he gave more money to ‘bureaucracy’’ to transfer the balance of his land to “his wife Miriama and his nephew Te Hemara Te Huia”. Who says this was a ‘nephew’?

Now to my biases – it seems very clear from the facts in this book that no chief could dispose of “his land”. That the land is “owned” by all Tangata Whenua – people of the country [#1] – was, and is, the reality.  We do not need our land given to those who do not live in NZ as their prime home.

What really annoys me about this book –all my friends will recognise immediately – is that I believe Te Hemara Tauhia was my grandmother’s grandfather.

-- Peter E Rodgers. 

[#1] Williams H.W., “A dictionary of the Maori Language” Searer Govt Printer, Wellington 1971. (pp379 & 494)

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