WHO IS YESHUA? #227 - TOTO AND MAURI: THE LIFE FORCE OF THE RANGATIRA

The Footprints of a Chief

Growing up in Te Hāpua, one of my absolute favourite stories was that of Tūmatahina, a prestige rangatira of Ngāti Kurī. It is a story of cleverness, sacrifice, and the deep love a leader has for his whānau. When his people were besieged at their pā and running out of food, Tūmatahina didn't just give up. He had them make dummy warriors out of bulrushes to fool the enemy into thinking the pā was still full of fighters.

Then, he had them stretch a long flax rope from the pā to the mainland. One by one, the people moved hand-over-hand along that rope to safety, each stepping carefully in the exact footsteps of those before them. Tūmatahina walked at the very rear. Because he was known for having especially large feet, his own footprints concealed every single track left by his people. To the enemy, it looked like only one person had left. He sacrificed himself so his people could live another day.

The Beauty of Whareana

This escape took place at Whareana, a place of incredible, remote beauty. There is a waterfall there that is simply breathtaking, though only a select few have ever stood before it because it is so hard to get to. My Dad has a framed photo of it on his wall that he took back in the 1980s, and looking at it always reminds me of the lengths a Rangatira will go to for their people. It serves as a perfect parallel to the mahi of Yeshua.