Have you heard of Tārore before? 👩🏽🦱
As we celebrate Māori language week, her story is worth hearing.👂🏾
The Tragic Death of Tārore and Its Aftermath
Tārore was 12 years old when she was killed in 1836 during a raid by a neighbouring tribe. The daughter of the Māori chief Wiremu Ngākuku of Okauia, Tārore attended a mission school where she received a copy of the Gospel of Luke in Te Reo Māori. She guarded this in a kete (woven flax bag) around her neck. The night she died, her illiterate killer Uita took the book thinking it might be tradable.
Forgiveness Over Vengeance: The Revolutionary Act of Tārore’s Father
Tārore’s murder immediately fuelled a desire for utu (revenge) but during her funeral, her father Ngākuku instead called his people to trust in the justice of God. No blood revenge was sought. His act was nothing short of revolutionary.
Meanwhile, Uita kept Tārore’s copy of Luke. When a literate visiting slave named Ripahau read the text aloud, Uita was so moved by its message of peace that he resolved to risk his life and ask forgiveness from Tārore’s father.
According to eyewitness accounts of this meeting, tears flowed as the men approached one another and embraced. After Uita apologised for the great harm he had done, peace prevailed between the two men and they built a church to honour the message which inspired this reconciliation.
But it doesn’t end there.
From Tragedy to Peace: How Tārore’s Gospel of Luke Changed Lives
When Ripahau left Uita’s pā (settlement) and returned home to Ōtaki he was invited to read from Luke to Katu, the son of the great Ngāti Toa chief. Katu took Tārore’s book to the South Island as he revisited his father’s traditional enemies, introducing them to the message of peace. The dramatic reconciliation of enemies that had followed Tārore’s murder was repeated.
Tārore’s death resulted in radical life change – not only for her killer, but also for many other Māori who became followers of Īhu Karaiti (Jesus) as a result. Once translated into Te Reo, his words brought about astonishing transformation.
They still do to this day. 🌬
#OnTheJourneyToHope
#MaoriLanguageWeek
Image by Dirk Pons