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An Epitome of Official Documents Relative to Native Affairs and Land Purchases in the North Island of New Zealand

The Speech of Nopera Paraeaka, Chief of Kaitaia

The Speech of Nopera Paraeaka, Chief of Kaitaia.

"Hear, all of you, pakehas and Maoris. This is my speech. My desire is that we should all be of one heart. Speak your words, openly; speak as you mean to act; do not say one thing and mean another. I am at your head. I wish you all to have the Governor. We are saved by this. Let every page 19 one say Yes, as I do. We have now somebody to look up to. I am jealous of those speeches I hear from the pakehas be careful not to listen to them. Some say it will be the pakehas who will offend; but I say No; it will be the Maoris. My grandfather brought the pakehas to this very spot, and the chiefs agreed with what my grandfather did. He went on board the ships, and got trade. He spread it through the land. Let us act right, as my ancestor did. The pakehas went to the Bay of Islands, and were murdered. Let us do them no harm. What has the Governor done wrong? The shadow of the land goes to Queen Victoria, but the substance remains with us. We will go to the Governor, and get a payment for our land, as before. If the Ngapuhi commit evil they will suffer. We have always been friendly with the pakehas. We never went in ships to England or Port Jackson to buy arms to kill our countrymen. If you want to be cut off, go and fight the Governor. Do not, like the chiefs at Hokianga, wish to kill the Governor. Live peaceably with the pakehas. We have now a helmsman. One said, 'Let me steer,' and another said, 'Let me steer,' and we never went straight. Be jealous, look well into your own hearts, and commit no evil. The Natives did wrong at the Bay, and suffered. What man of sense would believe that the Governor would take our goods, and only give us half of it? If you have anything else to say, say it; but, if not, finish; and all of you say Yes.

Say Yes."

Upon this there was a general exclamation of "Ae, ae" (Yes, yes), and they came forward in an orderly manner, and signed the Treaty to the number of sixty.

[These notes were taken by the Rev. R. Taylor and Dr. Johnson.]