Kepa Ehau: Master Orator

Ngāti Tarāwhai, Ngāti Whakaue

It probably was not a surprise to his whānau that Kepa Hamuera Anaha Ehau turned out to be such an exceptional learner and leader. He was descended from many notable ancestors, including Anaha Te Rahui, a respected Te Arawa tohunga and an important Ngāti Tarāwhai leader and carver. At the time Kepa was born in 1885, his parents were followers of the famous religious leader, Te Kooti, and the Ringatū faith. Te Kooti baptised him with the name Te Ngārara a Te Kooti, so perhaps he was always destined for an interesting life.

Kepa was an excellent student and was particularly talented in languages, learning a lot of poetry by heart. This was the perfect skill to help him become a law clerk and an interpreter. Later, he left New Zealand and eventually became a lieutenant in World War I, but his love of learning was always with him. Even though he was badly injured overseas (which meant that he had to be in a wheelchair later in life), he still managed to keep learning, and by the time he returned to New Zealand he was able to speak French, German and Italian.

After he had been living in Rotorua again, he became an important local leader. He used his language skills and knowledge of whakapapa (genealogy) and the law to become an expert in Māori land law and many important people of the day respected his knowledge.

Kepa achieved many things. He helped to create a scenic reserve around Lake Ōkataina for all people to enjoy and he raised money to support Māori soldiers returning from war. But the most important talent he is remembered for is his skill as a very special speaker or orator. He was so highly thought of that he was even given the job of welcoming Queen Elizabeth II when she visited Rotorua in 1954. The love of poetry he picked up as a young student stayed with him throughout his life and helped to make him the fine speaker he was.

Can you imagine a hushed crowd of people listening as carefully as they could to the man who would speak to them using poetry by Shakespeare, traditional Māori and the French language, all in one stirring speech?

This story comes from the original Great Te Arawa Stories website created by Ngā Pūmanawa e Waru (NPeW) Education Trust in 2018. To ensure consistency, minimal updates were made to the text before it was transferred to this new site.