Kōrero Tuku Iho
Te Kuru White
Kia tāwharautia a Mataatua
Te Kuru White | Te Tini o Meketu, Ngāti Pūkeko, Ngāti Awa, Tūhoe, Ngāti Manawa
Before our tīpuna nō Hawaiki voyaged the seas on our many waka to Aotearoa, we were already here. Our pūrakau say so, they say that our tīpuna were traversing our oceans long before the migration from Hawaiki. It was no accident that Toroa found our rohe, it was planned, and it was purposeful.
Te Kuru White shares the pūrakau shared to him by Mataatua rangatira Ben Mamaku.
The story starts with our tīpuna and mahanga, Hoaki and Taukata, who were sailing along Aotearoa when their waka capsized near Whakatane.
Lucky for them, Hoaki and Taukata brought with them the oka – dried kumara. They requested a bowl and water to prepare their kumara and offered the kai to Tamakihikurangi. Tamakihikurangi enjoyed the kumara and wanted more. And where could he get more? Hawaiki, te kāinga.
Utilising the copious amounts of driftwood and rākau in the area, Te Aratāwhao was built. One of the twins was left behind as an insurance policy – if they didn’t return, he would be be-headed. With the waka completed and their coordinates in check, the waka set sail back to the islands, to Mauke.
At this point, we must go right back to Maui, who fished up Te Ika-a-Māui. The pūrakau says that Maui hooked on to a wharenui, which tells us that people were already here and that we were traversing the oceans long before the migration arrived at Aotearoa. Unfortunately, through kaupapa over the years, all that matauranga was lost. This confirms that Aotearoa was not found on accident, we were already here.
Introducing he tipuna Pourangahua, whos responsibility it was to whakatau the moana and map the course before the waka set out on their voyage. Pourangahua travelled by manu and in Te Kuru’s view, he waka. It was also Pourangahua’s responsibility to carry the kōrero, “kei te reri a Mataatua, kei te reri a Te Arawa. The waka are ready to go.”
Te Kuru White also mentions that the waka were waka hourua, our tīpuna did not paddle to Aotearoa, they sailed.
From Ben Mamaku’s kōrero, Te Kuru says Mataatua first landed at Whangaparaoa. There are different kōrero about where Mataatua first made landfall in Aotearoa. There is kōrero that it first landed in Tākou, where it rests today. There is also kōrero it landed in Tauranga and another story is that it landed in Matata, where it beached up beside Te Arawa where the two waka rubbed against each other.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing for Mataatua waka. During the voyage, te waka tīpuna experienced some challenges, including being caught in Te Korokoro o te Parata, the great whirlpool summoned by Ngātoroirangi, the tohunga on board Te Arawa waka. He was angry with Tamatekapua, te rangatira o Te Arawa waka, for seducing his wife and wanted to demonstrate his power.
Moving through this challenge brought a significant moment, the time when Te Tua Matua was renamed.
Mataatua waka was also lost in the mist and before landfall at Whakatane, Wairaka fell sea sick, hence the ingoa o te rā, Te Rae o Kohi – the coastal strip between Rangitāiki awa and Maraetotara stream.
It is at this point that ngā tane left ngā wahine alone in Mataatua waka while they went ashore. When Mataatua waka started to drift back to sea, Wairaka defied the tapu that forbade women to handle a waka and seized the paddle to bring the waka back to shore, crying out “kia Whakatāne ake au i ahau”.
From Te Kuru’s experience, it takes more than one person to bring a waka in.
Toroa and his people settled in and built a māra, ko Mātirerau. One māra belonged to Toroa and the other to Puhi but, there wasn’t enough room for two chiefs.
It is said that Puhi stole the waka and travelled up north, but to Te Kuru White, he believes Toroa hold him to take the waka as you can’t steal something that belongs to you.
This information was shared by Te Kuru White, as told to him by Ben Mamaku, a Mataatua Waka rangatira. Te Kuru White acknowledges Ben Mamaku for sharing his time and matauranga which enables the pūrakau to continue to be shared. Te Kuru White also acknowledges the pūrakau variations and versions that are held by ngā iwi o Mataatua.
