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Battle of Te Ranga

30 June 2020Aquinas SchoolCulture
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BATTLE OF TE RANGA – June 21st 1864

Year 10 classes visited the Te Ranga battle site earlier this month, attended by guest speaker and historian Buddy Mikaere (below).

Then on Sunday 21st of June, a commemoration service was held onsite where our Head Students laid a wreath in memory of the fallen. This was followed by a morning tea for around 70 guests at Aquinas, including local Maori, the two district Mayors, and local MP representatives. Mayor Tenby Powell gave a commitment from Tauranga City Council to develop the site.

(From SunLive News)

“…Mia Thomas, the Aquinas College student who won the Te Ranga Aquinas College poetry competition read her poem titled ‘He Mate Kohuru – A Treacherous Murder from the perspective of Hori Ngatai’. The poignant words reflect the despair as the Maori garrison realised they were being ambushed by numbers too great, but continue to fight on.

Trevel Gardner-Hano and Nic Scott, also students from Aquinas College read ‘Mo te Hunga – For the Fallen’…

This poem, by Year 10 student Mia Thomas, won the $100 book voucher prize from Buddy Mikaere, for the commemoration of the Battle of Te Ranga, 21 June 1864. Mia also read the poem at the commemoration service on Sunday 21st June 2020.

 

He Mate Kohuru – A Treacherous Murder

From the perspective of Hori Ngātai

They tell me to dig,

I dig without spirit,

this is not where the Pā should be

Kari, Kari, Kari

I hear the enemy

They’ve come early,

Our defences are woefully lacking

Kari, Kari, Kari

Their numbers are too great

We are not prepared

We must wait for the others

Kari, Kari, Kari

This is an ambush

We lay down our tools and reach for our weapons.

Enough! We fight

Patu, Patu, Patu

The enemy advance

Their weapons are mighty

They are ready

We are not

Pako, Pako, Pako

We fight with honor

We fight with mana

We fight with hope

Kakari, Kakari, Kakari

Our brothers are falling

Our comrades are late

Victory is impossible

Taui, Taui, Taui

Puhirake lays lifeless

Taratoa has passed on

Kua hinga ngā tōtara haemata

Taui, Taui, Taui

We must retreat if we are to survive

Too much loss

Too much suffering

Kua parekura te hoariri e tatou

He Mate Kohuru – A treacherous murder.

By Mia Thomas

 

Taui = Retreat

Patu = Hit

Pako = Bang

Parekura = Massacre          

Kari = Dig

Kakari = Fight

Kua hinga ngā tōtara haemata = The strong growing tōtara have fallen

Kua parekura te hoariri e tatou = We have been slaughtered by the enemy

 

 

 

 

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