It is 23 June 2009 and our U3A Local History group meet Laly Haddon at the Omaha Marae at Leigh.
The
winter morning is crisp and clear as he walks us down a path to the
Maori cemetery on the point which guards the entrance to the Leigh
Harbour.
The cemetery is immaculate.
Here lie the
ancestors under headstones which in their diverse individuality show
the respect and sense of belonging the whanau have given them. Towering
over all are the two monuments to Tenetahi and his wife Rahui daughter
of TeKiri, both ariki their own right.
Laly again speaks of
how Rahui was removed from her marae on Little Barrier and how she has
preserved the land at Leigh where she was born for future descendents.
We
are called onto the marae by Mook Hohneck and his cousin Marylin
O’Brien, both descendents of the Brown family of Leigh. We discard our
shoes and enter the meeting house.
We are
all so impressed. It is a truly beautiful and lovingly decorated
building. The walls are completely decorated with taniko woven panels,
Rafter patterns decorate the rafters.
After
protocol has been taken care of Mook Hohneck addresses our group He
tells us of tribal history from the 1860’s ... “This is the home of
Rahui, and Tenetahi . It is one marae, one hapu” he says. Tenetahu's
ancestors came from Kawhia in the 1860’s because food and resources
were becoming scarce. So Maki set forth to conquer new lands. He led
the group first to Auckland, to Kaipara Harbour, Mahurangi West, Omaha
and also conquered the Barrier Islands. Each brother set up their own
hapu in each area along the coastline. Manuhiri was a name often
mentioned as a leader.
The
local Omaha people landed their waka at Goat Island. When Ngapuhi
decimated the Hauraki Gulf, Omaha was the one marae that was safe
because Ngati Wai had in the 1820’s maintained good relations with that
tribe. Mook speaks of the inclusiveness the local people feel in
welcoming local people.
Both
Marylin and Mook have come “home.” Marylyn after years of work in
SEAsia and Europe is able to help the many Maori who are afflicted with
bipolar disease.
We go to the dining room for morning tea.
Again we are fascinated with the decorative and hand painted kowhaiwhai
patterns depicting the local birds and fauna lovingly painted around
the room. Individual people have time to make themselves known to our
hosts and we spend valuable time chatting. ...
