jan 1, 1940 - Takepuneke tapu remains in place though not everyone knows why
Description:
Although kaumātua told local Ngāi Tahu to stay away from Green’s Point, they very rarely explained why in any detail. Bernice Tainui
(nee Morgan) who married John Tainui and moved to Ōnuku in the late 1940s, recalls being told by Pop Keefe not to go to Green’s Point
but never being told why. She subsequently never went to Green’s Point and always assumed that two factions must have had a war
of some sort there.Bernice’s son, Pere (whose recollections are noted above) was also
warned as a child but did not learn about the Ngāti Toa attack on Takapūneke until the 1970s when his Aunty Kate Ruru recounted the stories told to her by Granny (Amiria Puhirere). Amiria
Puhirere’s father was Karaweko (Big William) who was a child when Ngāti Toa attacked Takapūneke so Amiria would have heard
firsthand accounts of the events from her father. The exact reasons why local kaumātua never explained the events of Takapūneke to the younger generations is an interesting point.
Respected historian of Ngāi Tahu history, Dr. Harry Evison has observed that by the time he began researching Ngāi Tahu history
(in the latter half of the 20th century) few Ngāi Tahu people knew the history of Takapūneke in detail aside from the fact that a massacre had taken place there. However, local Ngāi Tahu
maintained a strong sense that the place was tapu and should be left alone
Source: https://www.ccc.govt.nz/assets/Documents/Consultation/2017/October/Takapuneke-Conservation-Report-FINAL-Dec-2012.PDF
Added to timeline:
Onuku Timeline
Date:
