Mrs Raua-i-te-rangi Toopi

Raua Toopi (nee Roretana) 1991-92 RORETANA REUNION

This Korero was put together by her surviving children at the time.

Raua was born on Rangiwaea Island and grew up and spent her early child-hood there. It is uncertain which school she attended although her oral and written English were perfect.

At some stage during her child-hood, contact was made between aristocrat Chieftain of Ngati Porou.

From discussions which came of that contact a decision was made that an uri of Tupaea should be betrothed to an uri of Te Kani-A Takirau as both ancestors had been offered and turned down the Kingitanga.

Raua Roretana was the Puhi that was chosen to fulfill the very important role of uniting ancestral aristocracy.

Stage two, now, was to choose the person to groom Raua for her future role, and so in 1916, Raua was placed in the care of one, Hoani Retimana and his wife Ta Apu, who resided at Taheke, Waihau Bay in Whanau-A-Apanui.

Raua now found herself moved to a totally different enviroment, isolated from her family and friends she had grown up with, which in turn, must have been a traumatic experience for any 12 year old.

So for the next three years, Hoani and Te Apu, as far as is known, did everything that was required of them in bringing their charge up in readiness for the pending union with the "Dark Handsome Prince" . However, the one thing that old Hoani could not teach his kotiro was, how to control her chemical metobolism, as this sometimes creates havoc with the old hinengaro, and of course this was the case with Raua.

In 1919 along comes this "Nigger Boy" (Peeti Toopi) in pakaru tarau and riding his donkey and poor dear Raua is zapped "aroha at first sight". Manawa is taken and she is off to a place called Maraenui riding double on a donkey, driven by Peeti. They eventually married and had nine children.

It is uncertain as to what happened to the "Dark Handsome Prince" and perhaps for Hoani and those that tried to change destiny, "win some lose some" may be an appropriate lament for this outcome.

Raua unfortunately lost her husband, Peeti, as the result of an accident in 1937 and shortly after that tragic loss she returned to Rangiwaea to try and stat a new life. However, her children, or rather one in particular, kept on pining for her Grandpa in faraway Maraenui and so Raua once again was forced to return to her adopted home.

In 1940 Raua married Tuahiawa, younger brother of Peeti, and from that reunion one child was born and great rejoicement. Of the 10 children Raua had, six survive today. Rangipuritia died in 1928 as the result of a shooting accident at the age of 8, Mita was killed in action in 1942 at the age of 20, Katie died in 1991 aged 68 and Kapua died in 1939 aged 15.

We remember our mum, Raua, as a cheerful person with a ready sense of humour. Much of her time was spent gardening - both vegetable and flowers and we will always remember her very authoritative tobacco tin which created many a lump on our heads.

         "WE ALL LOVE YOU MUM"

When this book was published back then there were at the time six of Raua's children alive, now there is only one surviving today YEAR 2019.