My Kuia Maringi Kaa Taratu

The memories of my kuia Maringi KaaTaratu touches a soft chord in my life as she was one person who had a tremendous in fluence in my life.This blog is dedicated to her and all her grad children and all her mokopunas

As i travel in my mind to the events that touch me as a young person , who was brought up in the 50's and 60's the very presence of my kuia9 gradmother) emanates with history.
It was recorded that my kuia mother lived to the age of 113 years old and was present at the Rangiaowhia massacre in which many Maori lost their lives through blood shed. This was under the Ceneral Cameron ( Lame Duck) and General Von Temspky. Scenes of a heavy causaltiy of life was on the Maori side with my great grandmother told by the old people to run for her life.
The scence was in human as church buildings were set alight with Maori people in the building, the surrendering and being shot was profound and ghastly.

The escape for my great grandmother was through the flight to the King country in which she took cover from the military might. The stories are a oral account of keeping history alive within our families, and the memories of the injustices of Rangiowhia.

My kuia was recorded to be born in the late 1870 after the Land wars in which lives were lost by Waikato and the taking of land under the New Zealand Act 1863.