Hamuera Tamahau Mahupuku Owned a Newspaper

edmondsallan - hello " Old faithful " is just warming up . I can feel she is raring to go . I'll have to watch she doesn't get me to do to many journals . I still have to do the weekend shopping yet . Here we go again -
This appointment was one foundation of Tamahau's leading position at the growing Maori centre at Papawai; the other was the Mahupuku wealth. As members of one of the two leading families of Ngati Hikawera, Tamahau and Hikawera controlled a large part of the Nga-waka-a-Kupe block and had interests in several more. They leased land profitably and Hikawera developed his own sheep station. He fought attempts by Ngatuere Tawhirimatea Tawhao and Te Manihera to sell Nga-waka-a-Kupe. In the Native Land Court in 1890, and again in 1892, the judges upheld Ngati Hikawera's claim to the block against the claims of Ngatuere and Ngati Kahukura-awhitia. Tamahau was heir to his brother's wealth as well as his prestige on Hikawera's death in 1891.Tamahau had also worked as an assessor and agent in the Native Land Court. While claims to the Wairarapa lakes were being heard in 1882 and 1883 he acted for Hoani Te Toru. In introducing lists of potential owners Tamahau was working against Piripi Te Maari-o-te-rangi and Te Manihera, who wanted the hearing dismissed. He and Paraone Pahoro managed to persuade Raniera Te Iho-o-te-rangi and Piripi Te Maari of the benefits of registering the lake owners, who included Tamahau and Hikawera.
Two months after Te Manihera's death in 1885, Tamahau was taking his place at important meetings, but shared the leadership at Papawai with Te Manihera's half-brother, Hoani Te Rangi-taka-i-waho. He continued to develop the centre: a large house with an iron roof and stained glass windows was erected for visitors (and later replaced by the house, Hikurangi). Wooden houses were built with the proceeds of sales of totara from Mahupuku properties. A team of Ngati Porou carvers worked at Papawai during the 1880s, preparing the carvings for the great house Hikawera had planned. Eventually Hikawera presented them to Tamahau who erected the house, Takitimu, at Kehemane (Tablelands) early in the 1890s. Te Kooti attended its opening and predicted, perplexingly, that the wind would blow through it.Another 1897 project of Tamahau's was the publication of the Maori-language newspaper Te Puke ki Hikurangi , edited by Purakau Maika. At first very much a vehicle to report the activities of the Kotahitanga movement, it soon expanded to include religious articles, advice on domestic matters for women, reports of foreign and local non-Maori news, and correspondence on canoe traditions and genealogy. One series of articles, to which Apirana Ngata contributed, was on Maori depopulation, its causes and remedies. In the newspaper's pages Tamahau advertised for knowledgeable people to come to his hui to record Maori tradition and genealogy. This campaign led to the setting up of the Tane-nui-a-rangi committee, responsible for the preservation of much traditional material. This work, and publication of the newspaper itself, continued after Tamahau's death. Te Puke ki Hikurangi was a major formative and educative influence on contemporary Maori. ( Here is another of those great people who seem to just pour everything into their lives . What gets me is their ability to do it all and still have time to play with their grand kids . Till we meet again - Regards -edmondsallan