Mobile Unit. Taranaki Māori

Hawera historian John Houston continues with his stories of the history of iwi Māori of Taranaki and the fighting of the 1860s. [Possibly a continuation of his recording on ID 4562]

He begins with some explanations of local folklore, including a legendary winged people associated with Waitotara, local taniwha, and the axe Te Awhiorangi and Turi coming on the waka Aotea to Patea. The axe was lost until 1887 when it was rediscovered and displayed by the people.

He then talks about remaining earthworks in Taranaki; both Māori fortifications and British redoubts. Includes those at Manaia, Waitotara and Turuturu Mōkai Pā. He describes in detail the site of Ngāweka Pā at Okato, where the people of Ngā Māhanga defeated northern invaders from Ngāti Toa and Ngāpuhi.

He then moves on to talks about the British redoubt at Turuturu Mōkai and the original pā there, Ngāti Ruanui and Ngāti Tupaia, a great hui at the house Taiporohēnui, clashes between iwi and settlers, background and details to the land wars, an attack on a Pakeha redoubt by Titokowaru and the attack on Otapawa Pa by British forces including the 57th Regiment. [Recording is incomplete.]