“MATATUA.”

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVI, Issue 10473, 31 December 1927, Page 8 (Supplement)

“MATATUA.”

ORIGIN OF FAMOUS CARVED HOUSE. NAMED A I-TEE CANOE THAT C AIUU ED KUMER AS. HOW WATER HENS AND EATS WEEK INTRODUCED-

M'itiy venerations a 1:0, wli le some o: the ancestors of the Ngatiawu tribe were preparing a repast of ien. root at Whakatane for a .strange: named Taukata, lie shewed them some humerus. They asked him where lie had got them and if they were good lor food and lie told them that they had come from Hawniki and wore tiic main sustenance of the people there. If they would make him a canoe he would le quite willing to take them lack to that (his) island lor the purpose of pioeyring sonic seed to pi. mt in ties land. Tile am-ortors of the Ngaliawa com plied with Taukata’s request ami named ihe canoe “To Arat.r.vlmo,’and started on their long journey unrl n- the .onulaee? oT h’o (■■> an Ynm~ kih luirangi. Taukata did not make the trio hut told' them the direction in which to steer, and giving them instructions to dig tlm kumerus from . [,'g T perm te; 1 end ret to

take them from near the sea bench. He also warned them to prevent pakura (writer hens) or rats from getting on board. * On the arrival of the voyagers at Huwniki it was funnel that the canoe “To Arntr.vha'v’ was too small to cany a cargo of kumeras. Cor.se- ■ qucntlv, the travellers were obliged to make another canoe, which they ! called “Matatua,’ and it was laden I with kumeras. But they quite overi looked the caution about tile pnkura j and the rats: hence the first introduction of these into New Zealand. “Matatua.’ left Hawaiki in enm- * panv with a canoe named “Te A lawn,” which was commanded by Npntoroirangi. ' As it so happens, the ciew of “Te Arawa” were on a similar mission, namely to get kumeras. But these two canoes bad not HR New Zealand together. In due course, they parted and “Matatua” landed at Whakata'ne, where the Ngtiawp pn later stood. Immediately the eance “Matatua’ ■ reached Whalcatane. the natives in the stern Jumped out and went inbuid and. subsequently, made their way to Taranaki, where their descendants still live and retain the name of Xgatiawo. Those- in the stern ot the- canoe did not land at once hut. when ther did, they settled there and th.cn on the spot and so named themselves Xgatinwa proper, whilst they called the ‘ Te Rt.ro Ngatiawa” (wanderers). The Natives who remained at Whakatane were the ancestors of Ngatiawa-, Ngaiterangi, Urewera. Whakntoliea, Wliaiiaupanui and other tribes. 1 As for the canoe “Matatua” it was dragged to the spot where the Ngatiawa pa afterwards stood. There she was left to decay and years after two trees grew up. One was a pur-

iri. which was cut down Ivy the Xgapuhi tribe when they made a raid on Whakatane; the other was a rata, which was called “Te Puim-a-Afata-tnn” and was destroyed by the_ troops i under Colonel Fraser in IS6i . _ ] Taukata did not benefit by his kindly action in giving information a' out the kumeras, for the people of Hawaiki gave the tribe instructions to kiil him as soon as the kumeras came up, warning them, at the same; time, that if they did not do so the gods (under his influence) would bewitch the crop and the kumeras; would never grow in their land. So the Natives seized a favorable oppo: Utility and cruelly murdered him | if. a kumera. pit.

Now the idea of budding the• fam- . tf.s carved house “Mats;tun’ origin- ; a ted. with Hohnra Matatehokia, chief j of the Nint'pakako tribe, who con- j sult-d with ’.Vepihy. Apunui and other ! Natives, also with, Alajor Afair. | 1 Some two years later the whole tribe j took up the matter and decided that 1 the projected house should represent ! a'i their ancestors. It was also hoped I that lim house would reconcile the : tribes Ngatiawo and I'rewera, be-j t.veon whom there existed much ill- 1 feeling in cense anonce of murders j P'rpetrated by the latter i:ibo. The! ]•,,m.,, v.m.s completed in IST!. j The images on each rust renresen- j ted the ancestor of some tribe, or sub-tri' o. Principal amongst them 1 was Toi. from whom the whole Native race is .supposed to have sprung. His figure was carved on the bottom of j the middle post in company with Awa and Toroa. The front polo represenfe 1 t'm figure cf Ivuhnngnnu,

ancestor of the Hawke's Bay Natives; R: ngowhakaata. ancestor of Poverty ally Natives, and TV Whntunpiti, another ancestor of the TJa .i he’s Bay Natives. One small imago represented Te Xgarara, who was killed whilst trading oft Whale Island and another represented Te Maitaranui, grandfather of Wepihn Apamii and cf Mr Falcon, who was murdered at Wbakatane. The carving on the ridge pole in front of the house represented Ruamcana and Ma-tcarehe, ancestors of Ngatipukeko tribe, also Awntope, a go d. On top of the ridge pole was air image to represent Mokoera, father of Apnnui. Twin images on the right hand of the porch represented Tiatimuoa and Wahalmnmma, ancestors of the Fatu.oi trilie, whilst twin images on the left of the building represented Tarakinta and Tarakitai, twin boys belonging to Kongowhakaata tribe- Tupurupuru. a Poverty !*y chef. was. it .scorns, by right eniit'ed to the first of the preserved birds—in fact, to a royalty on all l ire's killed in Poverty B.iv, but on tbe twins reaching maturity lie was Pound to lose his right. as they were from an elder branch of the- family. Determined for this reason to get rid of them he dug a. deep pit across a. road where the twins were in the habit of spinning tops. One day he sent them out to play and they fell into the pit lie had prepared for them and were killed. The foot lo.n.rd across the front of the porch was to represent Oniawa, ancestor of the Ngatiawa and the image was carved by a Fijian named Kune in ho-o r of Thakcha.'t of FijiOn either side were eerctcd posts to represent ancestors of the various tribes, descendants of the crew of “Matatua.”