This recording was among a series of oral history interviews recorded in Golden Bay and is an interview with D'Arcy McPherson who is an authority on local Māori and Pākehā history. The interview begins with identification by the interviewer 'Karen' (possibly Karen Pattison). The interview is largely about tribal conquest and conflict in the top half of the South Island. It starts with the arrival of the Moriori or moa-hunters, continues to the arrival of Europeans and stops in mid sentence.
An unidentified man talks first about Pupū Springs [Te Waikoropupū Springs] and early attempts to dive into the Springs, and the early days when most people used sailboats rather than motor vessels to go sailing. [This is possibly part of the interview with Alan Wells of Kotinga, Takaka]
A woman named Karen, introduces Mr McPherson's interview. He says his grandmother was one of the earliest Europeans born in the area and he grew up with many Māori as a child. His uncle worked for the Māori Land Court and he read many court papers. He says unlike Europeans, Māori are very 'honest' about their family history, which makes it easier to research.
He says Māori began living in Golden Bay about 1200-1250, and studies have shown they quarried quartzite at Puponga, and iron oxide and blue mud at Parapara for tatooing and dying garments. These were traded with Marlborough people and possibly Wellington.
About 1450 people from the North Island, Ngai Tara, drove them out of the area - or killed them all. They remained until about 1600, when they died out after violating a tapu. A school of killer whales had beached and a tapu was put on the cockle beds nearby by a tohunga. This was disobeyed and most of the people died out.
The Ngati Tumatakokiri moved in from the coast and absorbed the survivors. They raided the Marlborough area and as far South as Greymouth. The Southern people sent a war party up and a battle took place at Paturau. They were ambushed and nearly all the West Coast party were killed. The son of the local chief had his arm broken and the man who protected him in the battle was promoted and married his sister.
Abel Tasman visited the area soon after this. The Ngati Tumatakokiri in Golden Bay were wiped out by a raid from Rangitane and Ngati Kuia from Marlborough Sounds, although they survived in Tasman Bay for many more years. Until 1828 those tribes occupied in the area.
In 1820 in Taranaki was Te Puoho ki Te Rangi also known as Te Manu, son of a Ngati Tama chief and the daughter of a tohunga. One of Te Puoho's daughters was due to marry a Whanganui man, who turned her down, insulting her.
Te Puoho called for assistance and many iwi sent parties to help him, including Tamati Waka Nene and Te Rauparaha - about 1500 men, some with muskets. They raided all down the West coast of the North Island, through Wellington and up the East Coast to Porangahau. Te Puoho stopped them from going further North, and they headed back to Taranaki and most went back to their own people. Te Rauparaha continued raiding, settling on Kapiti Island.
He goes into some detail about attacks against Te Rauparaha by various iwi. A chief in the Havelock area named Ruaweka went against him and was captured and killed. Another chief near Clarence River also taunted him and was defeated in a raid. A young chief Kekerengu, seduced the youngest wife of Rangihaeta. A battle took place and a large cannibal feast happened at Goose Bay near Kaikoura.
Te Rauparaha visited Kaiapoi and was invited in. He didn't go in but others did and were killed, including his uncle Te Pehi. Te Rauparaha retreated but a Nelson chief took his uncle's bones and made them into fish hooks, which demanded revenge by Te Rauparaha. So he raided into Nelson with Rangihaeta and after the Battle of Wakatu he divided his forces. He went south to Kaiapoi again, but Te Puoho, Te Koihu and Marino were sent to Golden Bay. Niho and Te Kahi of Ngati Toa were to take from Farewell Spit down the West Coast.
Te Puoho came to Golden Bay in March, sacked the pā at Separation Point and the kainga at Motupihi and Rangihaeata Head, which was another kainga and several hundred people were massacred there.
When Mr McPherson's mother was a girl she said you would still find bodies buried in the area, with their temples smashed in. Many bodies were buried in a cave which was filled in in 1919. Survivors had taken refuge there and when they were found a fire was set outside and many people suffocated or were killed when they rushed out. He says the cave was on the Collingwood side of Takaka Hill - his grandfather knew the exact site.
Te Puoho sent a party from Rangihaeata to survey the land. At Puramahoi they killed several people near where Paton's Rock is now. At Onekaka they came across local people and killed them.
The people at Pakawau saw the smoke from the burning villages and came to assist and saw the raiding party. They set an ambush and attacked the raiding party and killed them all. Only one local man was injured by falling over a bank, near where Mr Simpson's house is now. The raiding party who were killed were buried in the cooking grounds, as an insult.
Te Puoho then came around the bay and a fierce battle was fought at Pakawau. Both sides suffered heavy casualties. When the first European family in the area, the Harveys, first ploughed, they found many muskets.
The final stand was made at the base of Farewell Spit and an uneasy truce was made and both sides began to tolerate each other. There was a second killing at Paturau. [ends mid-sentence. Continues on ID 170.]