Wi Pere

Wiremu Pere was born on 7 March 1837 at Turanganui-a-Kiwa (Gisborne) to Poverty Bay trader Thomas Halbert and Riria Mauaranui of Rongowhakaata and Te Aitanga a Mahaki. Riria possessed considerable mana, which was predominantly of Te Whanau a Kai and Ngati Wahia hapu of Te Aitanga a Mahaki and Rongowhakata. Wi Pere acknowledged his Rongowhakaata lineage during court hearings including Hangaroa Matawai heard at Gisborne on 23 February 1877. He stated .“I claim through ancestry; Rerewa, he belonged Ngatimaru hapu.”and gives a whakapapa from Rerewa, Te Kihe, Te Ihukaki, Riria Mauaranui and then himself. At another Native Land Court hearing, this time of Te Ruaotaua on 29 February 1876, he said .“I am descended from Turehe..

Wi Pere was raised and trained in tribal lore and whakapapa taught to him from an early age by tohunga. He is known to have attended the whare wananga Maraehinahina. His mother encouraged him to assist in the mediation of disputes between Te Aitanga a Mahaki and Rongowhakaata. In one encounter he even found himself opposing Te Kooti at the age of 16 years. In time, he would become recognised as a leading chief of Te Aitanga-a-Mahaki while retaining a strong influence within Rongowhakaata.

He was also educated at the Anglican mission which was mainly in Maori but grew up under the tutelage of his mother and whanau. He was a young man at the time Te Kooti returned from Wharekauri. Pere was baptised as William by the Reverend William Williams, and for a greater portion of his life, he was known as Wi Pere. He was elected to parliament as representative for the Eastern Maori electorate for the periods 1884 -87 and 1894-1904, and to the legislative Council in 1907 to 1912. In 1854, Wi Pere married Arapera Tautahi o te Rangi. They had four children, two of whom survived into adulthood, the brothers Te Kani and Moana.

Wi Pere was known for his sense of humour. However, his limited skill with English was later used to his disadvantage by parliamentarians. As he required a translator in Parliament, he would receive opposition to the allotted time-frame for each member, and would not be able to deliver his speech in full. This was in contrast to his command of Maori. On one occasion when defending his seat in Parliament a crowd of 4,000 attended a debate in 1887 between Pere and James Carroll at the Rongowhakaata Pa, Pakirikiri over land legislation in the lead up to the elections.

Wi Pere strongly opposed the confiscation of Maori lands and was unpopular with politicians through his forthright bluntness that sometimes caused offence. He also became unpopular with some Maroi whanau by selling off small blocks of land in order to retain other blocks that were being confiscated by the Government to repay large mortgages. Nevertheless, his battle to retain the lands was ongoing. Part of his scheme associated with the Native and Settlement Company, was to provide Maori with increased farming skills. During his travels to England to meet with parliamentarians and Queen Victoria, he hoped to negotiate to bring .“crofters.” from Scotland to Turanganui-a-Kiwa to provide these new skills. Unfortunately, it was not considered appropriate for .“Natives.” to have authority over British subjects so the venture was aborted by the authorities.

Wi Pere maintained strong links with the Anglican Church, though on occasion he did offer support and sympathy to Pai Marire and Te Kooti and his movement. The meeting house Rongopai at Waituhi was built by his mother and son with Te Whanau a Kai in anticipation of the return of Te Kooti. It is built on land owned by the Wi Pere whanau. Following his death on 9 December 1915 he was taken to Te Arai, his tangi lasting a month before he was buried at Waerenga a Hika. A monument to Wi Pere stands today in Gisborne near the Turanganui River.

http://rongowhakaata.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Rongowhakaata-T...

GEDCOM Source

Ancestry Family Trees Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members. MH:S1 Ancestry Family Tree 0 http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=103045390&pi...