38 Ko te Amuamu te Tino Rongoa

He kauwhau na Tuuhaka Mookena Koohere, i te tau 1905

1 KUA KITE AU I NGA PAANUI aweke a Apirana Ngata. Ahakoa te nui o ana koorero, kotahi anoo taana take ko te ahu-whenua anake. Otira, he aha i kiia ai na Apirana anake teenei take? Na nga taangata katoa teenaa take, o Arama mai ra anoo, tae noa mai ki teenei ra. I a au e whawhai ana ki te Ture Kaunihera, ka uia au e ooku hoariri, ‘He aha he ture mo taatou?’ Ka whakahokia e au, ‘Ko te Tiriti o Waitangi, me te ahu-whenua, peenei anoo me taatou e whakatupu hipi nei.’ I hea a Apirana ka kauwhau mo te ahu-whenua i eeraa ra? Waiho rawa kia eke te patu ki te tuaraa ka koorero ai mo te ahu-whenua. Ma te miihini e ngaki nga whenua ka taaea te whakapai i nga tau e rua; ko nga tau hoki eenaa e whakataarewatia ana te muru i runga i te hoko. Kaaore rawa he kupu a Apirana mo te riri ki te ture.

2 Ko taaku te tikanga tika, araa, whawhaitia te ture, whaka-kotahia te iwi Maaori, koorerorero mo te haere ki Ingarangi ki te kawe kupu ki te Kiingi kua takahia te Tiriti a toona kookaa i whakarite ai ki te iwi Maaori. Whawhaitia teenei ture, ko te ahu-whenua anake, kaaore he riri, he hee. Ma te wahanguu, ma te hauaa o te Maaori e kaha ai te ture, e kore ai e rongona te reo e te whenua matua, araa, e Ingarangi. Ka auee, ka moohiotia he mate; ka nohopuku, ka pooheeheetia he ora, he ngaakau tatuu. E te iwi, kei whakamoea oo koutou kanohi ki nga kupu reka, kei purua oo koutou waha. He maha nga ture kua hinga i runga i te kino o te iwi ki aua ture. No teeraa tau ka oti he ture tuutaki i nga whare hokohoko i nga tari. Otiraa, i te kino o te iwi, mataku ana a Te Heetana, aa, riro ana naana anoo i whakataarewa tana ture. Na konei au i mea ai kaua e whakamaanawa ki te ahu-whenua anake, engari te ahu-whenua me te auee anoo, me te amuamu. Ko te amuamu te tino rongoa a te Paakehaa hei patu i nga ture e kinongia ana e raatou. Hikitia au, e te iwi, kei taarewa anoo nga waewae o te hoa whawhai mo taatou katoa.

3 Ahakoa he toomuri taku haere me taku pukapuka, me whakaaro tonu mai koutou ki a au. Meinga to muri ki mua. I hoomai e Te Atua he hinengaro ki te tangata hei tohutohu i a ia, kia moohio ai ia ki te whiriwhiri i te mea tika. Na konei, e te iwi, aata tirohia aku take me tooku tinana. Kaati noa te tuku i to taatou kaumaatua ki te Paaremata, me okioki ia inaianei, tukua atu hoki he tamariki. Engari te hooiho tamariki e taaea te whakaako, teenaa ko te hooiho kua koroua nei, kaaore rawa he painga. Maranga, e te iwi! Kia mate ururoa, kei mate wheke!