Riperata kahutia: a woman of mana

Abstract

Riperata Kahutia is widely remembered as a leader in the history of Tūranganuiā- Kiwa, who fought to retain and repossess land during the difficult times of the 1860's. During this period of rapid social change and political upheavals resulting in injustices, the exercise of rangatiratanga took many forms. Responses to change covered a wide spectrum and there was no 'right' way of doing things, simply leaders making decisions on the basis of what they and their people thought at the time were best. Riperata utilised the law as a means of retaining the land and the mana of her people. While her status as a rangatira was never in doubt, innuendo surfaced suggesting she may have received more land entitlement than she was qualified for. The activities by Riperata may have been different from other leaders but the purpose was the same: to preserve the people and the land. Her strategies for doing so, based on her inherited mana and upbringing, her knowledge of local iwi traditions, her acquisition of new skills introduced by Pākehā and her innovative approaches to exercising her rangatiratanga, make her a worthwhile study. This thesis will support the viewpoint that Riperata Kahutia acted on behalf of her people and for the good of her people. It will be argued Riperata was a visionary who embraced the changes imposed upon a society enduring the consequences of colonisation. A major objective is to dispel suggestions she embellished her rights.