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Manu Tamihana
Rupena is a Māori man who grew up at Te Ope. He is of Granny Tamihana’s generation. When the government appropriated the land at Te Ope to build an airstrip during WWII, Rupena and others were initially supportive. But when the government failed to use the land for their intended purpose, then failed to return it to its rightful owners, and then turned it into a park and sports complex, Rupena embarked on a mission to get back what rightfully belonged to his people. He engaged in an extensive yet fruitless letter-writing and legal campaign. Near the end of his life, he encouraged his grandson Reuben to take up the work of reclaiming the land.
Rupena Quotes in Potiki
The Potiki quotes below are all either spoken by Rupena or refer to Rupena. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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12. Toko Quotes
“Get on over to Aunty’s and talk to [Reuben]. […] He’ll […] tell you to stick at school, make something of yourself.”
“Aren’t I something already? Aren’t I? That’s all I learn at school—that I’m not somebody, that my ancestors were rubbish and so I’m rubbish too. That’s all I learn from the newspapers, that I’m nobody, or I’m bad and I belong in jail. You’re telling me that now too.”
“It’s not that Son. It’s not what we mean. You’ve got the brains. You should use them.”
“I am. That’s what I’m doing right now, using my brains. I’ve thought about it. I tell you. I’ve already thought. And what I know is I’m not learning one thing, not one thing, that’s anything to do with me, or us. And some of the stuff, well, it’s against me and against us. It makes us dumb, paints us wrong.”
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There were pictures of Reuben being arrested and of him going quietly away. But others had come to help by then, and after he had been taken away they would move in to take his place, to keep his place warm, that’s what they said. Most were of our race but some were not.
Gradually the older people began to give support to Reuben because they all knew that what he was saying was true. They had always known that the land had been taken, that there had been no payments except for rents being cheaper, that letters had been written, that homes and a dedicated house had been pulled down. They knew that the land had not been returned to them as promised. They knew that they still owned the land. They were ashamed not to support him.
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Rupena Character Timeline in Potiki
The timeline below shows where the character Rupena appears in Potiki. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
12. Toko
...turned the land into a public park and sports complex. Seeing this, one former resident, Rupena, tried to pressure the government into returning the land, but they ignored his letters and...
(full context)
...from Hemi, James, and Tangimoana, who are all involved with Te Ope. It starts when Rupena’s grandson, Hemi’s friend Reuben, is a teenager. Frustrated with White institutions telling him and his...
(full context)
...the more attention his cause gets and eventually the government agrees to investigate his claims. Rupena’s old letters come to light. The government offers to give the land back to the...
(full context)
