Hamiora Te Hau o te Rangi Tupaea Tutua (Koro Ching)

To celebrate Māori Language week our daily instalments are back! This year we’ll be featuring inspirational Māori leaders from the Eastern Bay of Plenty.

Hamiora Te Hau o te Rangi Tupaea Tutua (Koro Ching) - recognised elder, carver and expert on traditions and customs of the Mataatua people.

Born beneath the cloak of Tāne at Te Paroa during the great depression; one of 13 children; of humble and modest beginnings; nurtured by his elders where he developed his prodigious knowledge of Ngāti Awa lore and traditions.

His tribal affiliations extended along the whole of the coastal region and right into the central plateau of the North Island including Ngāti Awa, Te Arawa, Ngāti Porou, Ngāi Tūhoe and Ngāi Te Rangi.

Te Hau o te Rangi’ expertise were in the traditional stories and customs of the Māori, whakapapa, waiata, moteatea, history, land issues, karakia, mau rakau and expressly through his love of carved forms (whakairo) in wood, stone and bone. A senior expert in the art of carving, Te Hau was the Master Carver for the restoration project on our historic Mataatua Wharenui - Te Mānuka Tutahi.

He was a member of the Māori Artists and Writers Association and this introduced him to many of the major leaders of the contemporary Māori arts movement. However he was eventually drawn back to the work of traditional form where as a secondary school teacher at Whakatāne High School he found eager acceptance of the old forms.

Within Mataatua, he was a key participant in the Research and Archive of the Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa (including iwi settlement), Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiarangi; national carvers committee of Tohunga Whakairo o Aotearoa; and national collective of cultural experts He Awhi Tikanga Maori.

Te Hau was a recognised authority for his expert knowledge of tikanga (customs/procedures) and reo (Māori language). His willingness to share this knowledge meant that he was sought after by those in his tribal area and throughout the country, speaking at educational gatherings (wananga) to discuss whakapapa (genealogy) and tribal tikanga.

Described as cheerful, witty, proud and generous, Hamiora Te Hau o te Rangi Tupaea Tutua was a highly regarded gentleman of our community who took special pride in assisting and communicating his passion in all facets of Māoridom.