Patariki Te Rei Oral History Project

E korero ana a Patariki mo te wa i a ia e tamariki ana, ona kainga noho, nga takutai moana mahinga kai me nga raruraru ki te iwi Maori i raro i te mana o te Kuini. He paku korero mo tona tipuna a Patrick O'Comedy, te wa i roto ia i te ropu rererangi me tana mahi kamura.

E whakamarama ana ia mo te ohaki a Te Whiti raua ko Tohu Kaahaki ki te iwi o Parihaka, te mauheretanga i te iwi o Taranaki, te rangimarie me te whakapono, tana whakamarama mo Te Paahua me te taenga o nga waka katoa ki Waitangi i te tau 1990. E whakamarama ana ia mo nga waka Te Ahi Kakariki me Te Panui o Whiti, nga whawhai nunui a Te Rauparaha raua ko Te Wherowhero, nga mahi o te ao hou, te kawa me nga tikanga o te marae, te reo me ona ahuatanga me he korero mo te kaumatua.

Patariki talks about the passive resistance at Parihaka, mentions Te Whiti and Tohu Kaakahi, the sentencing of Taranaki people in the South Island, Te Whiti's return to Parihaka and explains the significance of Te Paahua. Talks about the arrival of waka nationwide for the 1990 Waitangi celebrations, explains about Te Wherowhero and Te Rauparaha and about the waka Te Ahi Kakariki and Te Panui o Whiti

His views for Maori in the new millenium and talks about his upbringing in Taranaki, eeling, pollution, acquiring te reo Maori and the governments deliberations on addressing land and fisheries grievances of the last century. Appeals to Maori to work as one people and mentions rangatira being of no use if on the general electoral roll, instead unite.

Talks about his Irish tipuna Patrick O'Comedy. Mentions his own name is also known as Paa Ariki, birthplace Matauri Bay, raised in Kaikohe, and a descendent of Ngati Kahu and Ngapuhi. Mother's iwi Ngati Toa, his paternal tipuna also Ngati Toa ancestry. Father was a Whaler and when family moved to Taranaki worked on a farm at Waiokura. 1928-1930 attended Mormon College, Heretaunga. Mentions meeting Apirana Ngata at Waitangi. Talks about his experiences in the Air Force, mentions training in Auckland, missed going to Canada, posted to Fiji, New Hebrides, returned home after 4 years. Worked as a carpenter until retirement.

Concerns regarding unemployment, drugs, gambling, solo parenting, gays, lesbianism, sexual abuse, immorality, de facto relationships and women's health issues. Discusses and explains the marae and its concepts, te reo and its concepts, kaumatua and kuia, tangata.

Interviewer(s) - Haare Williams

Arrangement: Tape numbers - OHC-010771 - OHC-010772

Quantity: 12 C60 cassette(s). 1 printed abstract(s). 1 interview(s).

Finding Aids: Abstract Available - abstracting complete OHA-3822.

Alternative form available: Listening copies OHLC-007354 - OHLC-007362 (tapes 1-9), digital copies of all tapes are available in the Library's Reading Room