ELIZABETH PAKI HAGGIE (nee TURNER) - Part One - The Child.

If there is anything in the world that I currently love the most it has to be my beautiful grandmother.  I know I've blogged about my nan a couple of times in REFLECTION OF LIFE and HAPPY MOTHERS DAY but those blogs haven't really given my nan justice really.  They have simply touched the surface. 

In May this year, her journey took a different route and it's fair to say that my beautiful nana is facing some challenges.  Over the months I have been compelled to write something about her but I've just strugged on where to start .. maybe the beginning is the best place and although I have named certain people, it is purely to capture the significance they hold for my grandmother and  how highly regarded they are by her.  I mean no disrespect to them or their whanau.

My nan's father is Paul Turner of Ngati Apakura.  He was the eldest child of John Turner and his second wife Paki Cowell and was born in Awhitu.  Paul had many siblings, in fact over 14 of them, however only one was his full sibling - that being Ngakungaku Turner.

Nan's mother is Rangihinemutu Kupa of Ngati Whawhakia and Ngati Amaru.  She was the only child to Tukahia Kupa and Awetoroa Paki and was brought up by her tupuna in Huntly.  Like her husband, Rangihinemutu had many 1/2 siblings.

My nan was born in Mercer on the banks of the Waikato River in 1929.  This was a time when the great depression had hit NZ, pakeha governed the laws of the land and maori had begun to slowly build on the foundations to resolve the struggles of raupatu.  Although it was a time of stress and despair, hope was strengthening for her people under the umbrella of the Kingitanga.

My nana was the 5th child of the whanau of 6 children.   Sadly when nan was about 3 years of age, her mother became very ill and died.  This had a tremendous impact on my nan and she made no secret that her mother died as a result of a makutu or curse based on greed and selfishness for land.  

Her mum's death left the young whanau devastated and Paul Turner was forced to seek help from his aging mother and two sisters - Ngaku and Mona.   By this time, the whanau had also lost their youngest sibling and the resolution was to split the children.   Nana along with her sickly sister Annie  went to live with their Aunty Mona in Mercer while the other three siblings stayed at Te Kohanga with their grandmother opposite Te Awamaarahi Marae.  The boys, Napi and Bill were to help work the land and for nana's eldest sister Iti her role was to run the home and help care for the kaumatua.

Nana would travel with her aunty and sister back home to visit the rest of the whanau.  She loved being with her siblings and longed to spend time with her father.  When she would return back to Mercer, she spent most of her time with her cousin Wetere Dixon who was 3 years older than her and also living with their Aunty Mona.  

Wetere's mother was Ngakungaku, and nan openly spoke to us about how Ngaku married a man from up north.  From this marriage there were many children however Wetere was the only surviving child.  Nan said that the old people of Waikato believed he survived because Mona (Paul and Ngaku's half sister) travelled north to bring him back to the Waikato.  They believed he was destined for great things!  Wetere stayed with Mona from that point onwards.

My grandmother and Wes grew up together in Mercer and developed an everlasting relationship and I believe its due to their similar tribulations that brought them closer and closer together.  Nana always referred to Uncle Wes as her brother.

As a father, Paul Turner was determined  to provide for his family.  He would walk for miles for work and would leave every morning before dawn and return home well into the night.  His feet would be so sore, his mother would soak his feet in a bucket of hot water every night.  Nan always spoke about how she would try every night to wait until he came home, but struggled.  She made no secret that she loved her father so much that she craved to spend time with him whenever she was able.

Nana Paki, my nana's grandmother become seriously ill and struggled to help care for the young family at Te Kohanga, so she went to live with Aunty Mona.  By this time Aunty Ngaku had returned to the Waikato and married a Kukutai and my grandmother went to live with Aunty Ngaku to help share the load of caring for the whanau.  She was ten years of age when she first met John Haunui.  John was actually nana's relation as they shared the same great grandfather.  He had been whangai'd to Aunty Ngaku and my nan was made to sit on the chair and hold him as a baby.  My nan made no secret that she thought he was the most beautiful baby she had ever seen.  She loved him as if he was her brother and helped care for John.  Unfortunately within a few years, Aunty Ngaku became seriously sick that John was returned to his whanau and my grandmother returned to Te Kohanga to live with her siblings and father.  It's during this time of living with Aunty Ngaku that nana and John formed an inseparable bond that they continued to call each other brother and sister throughout their lives.

By the time my grandmother returned to Te Kohanga to permanently live, her father Paul Turner had remarried. This wasn't something my nana warmed to at all.  She loved her father more than anything and always longed to spend time with him every time he was home.  His new wife had other plans, and didn't want her husband to show affection towards his children and hindered them from spending time with him.  Her step sibling on the other hand was allowed to do whatever they wanted which infuriated my nana even more.

This didn't stop her father and he would spend time with his children whenever he was able.  Nan spoke about how her dad had a special cow that always knew when he was nearly home.  The cow would open the gate and disappear down the road, only to return with her dad.  She quickly learnt that when she saw the cow open the gate, she would run down the road, wait by the bridge, then walk slowly back with her father.  This was a special time to bond with her father and she appreciated this very much.


My nan also speaks fondly of her relationship with her siblings and how much fun they had.  Of course her eldest brother Napi and eldest sister Iti were a few years older than her, so growing up she had a different relationship with them.  Aunty Iti being the responsible eldest sister who cared for them so that they were safe, warm and fed.  Uncle Napi being the young handsome maori in the neighbourhood being eyed by all the woman in the area.  Regardless, they all looked out for each other and made sure they were safe.  I honestly believe they would've all got up to some mischief growing up and can only imagine the stories my nan hasn't told me because I know there are a lot that I have chosen not to share.

Although my nan had lost her mother at a young age, my grandmother always says she had a very good, happy childhood.  She enjoyed being with her brothers, sisters, cousins and especially her father and although she spent a great deal of her childhood living under the iron fist of her aunties, my nan always says her true mother was her eldest sister Iti. 

This concludes part one of my story about my grandmother and I'm already thinking about what part two will look like.  Stay tuned!!!

Happy loving peeps!