The Following is an extract from LDS publication, Rongopai. Note: the use of an asterisk * in the text belows indicates that a spelling error in the published text has been corrected. A photocopy of the page from Rongopai is also below as an image file.
A HAPPY OMEN : Finding of Maori Graves on Temple Site
Late in 1957, during the course of excavation of the Temple site, six Maori graves were found. The Church and Project Leaders made every effort to try and discover the significance of these graves, to preserve them if necessary and to ascertain the history of the area.
It appears that the discovery is a happy one. Working from the history related by Tom Edwards a son of Rore Erueti*, the historian of the Mahanga tribe that owned all the land in the area, the choice of the Temple site can be regarded as fortunate. Sub-tribes the Ngati Ngamuri, Ngati Waenganui, Ngati Patupo*, Ngati Koura*, Ngati Werokoko*, Ngati Ruru and others actually lived on the area which was essentially a peaceful one.
During tribal wars no battles were fought there – the place was preserved to use the words of the Maori who tells the story – as a ‘peaceful home of the people’. When battle was to take place, the tribes moved west to the western bank of the Waipa River, to Te Patangata, or to Nukuhau in the east, both of these places being due west and due east of the Temple site. The tibes lived there until 1863, just before the Maori Wars. One of the last warriors of Ngati Mahanga was Te Rangiwhakaokonga*, who was the warrior in charge of the manga, or Te Matataketake*, the tribal powers of War. Legend has it that the Matataketake was brought to New Zealand in a special canoe during the course of migration. In the words of Tom Edwards, Te Rangiwhakaokonga was a ‘pretty busy man’ but always regarded Koromatua(The Big Toe of Mount Pirongia, which overlooks the College and Temple projects) as his ‘peaceful home’. “That is” said the speaker, when he was not away fighting! He left instructions that, when he died, he was to be buried there. When he died he was to have his heart pierced by the tete, a wooden knife, and his big toe was to be bitten by his nephew Tuheitia, so that the manga would be possessed by the tribe. According to the relator, Tuheitia held the power until King Tawhiao asked for it and it was only when Tawhiao had taken the power away from him that the tribe itself looked upon the Maori King as possessing the same power.
On the Temple Hill the tribes excavated a houhana, or tunnel used as a burial ground. This was done with wooden spades and what we would now term a ‘chain gang’ to remove the spoil in Maori kits. The last two warriors to be buried in the tunnel (which is believed to be 30 feet under the Temple Hill site), were Te Rangiwhakaokonga and Uehoka, the eldest Grandson* of Te Puna-a-Toto*. There was another burial ground on the same site and it is believed that the six skeletons that were found belonged to this second ground. The bodies were found in a sitting position – with the heads resting on folded arms – when the bodies were first buried. Later, as disintegration took place, the heads fell forward – bowing to the Gods.
There was also a vast burial ground in the Karamu Caves and the entrances to both grounds were filled in by the Maori people. The Mahanga tribe lost all the Koromatua lands when they were confiscated following the Maori Wars.
The crest of the hill on which the Temple has been built is said to have been the site of a Kainga* or papakainga*. This is a peaceful Maori settlement distinguished from a pa which was a stronghold used in war.
It is thought the area was inhabited as far back as four hundred years, with some twenty-three generations of Maoris. In the words of Tom Edwards ‘old people had their hunting grounds there, when birds were plentiful, and there was eel weirs* in the streams attached to the grounds’. The land was naturally suitable for cultivation, the chief crops being the kumara and hue, or calabash.
The Church is deeply interested in the history of the area and a plaque is to be erected commemorating the spot where the graves were found. To those Maoris who know the history of the area, the site of the marae, which makes it a sacred ground, and everything seems to be in our favour. Although we lost the territory during the confiscation of the Waikato area, it is fitting that the Waikato people, and the Maori people, have some interet in administration at the Koromatua Temple and School. We feel really proud that these people are being respected and I think that will be even better looked after than if we were to endeavour to do anything for them.”
