IN SEARCH OF THE NORTH ISLAND

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 11, 14 January 1936, Page 8

IN SEARCH OF THE NORTH ISLAND

The Land Known as Aotea Roa

(LIV.) (Copyright.)

Tho poetic name of Aotea Eoa which the Maori bestowed upon Now Zealand is said by the late Elsdon Best to have arisen from tho exclamation of Hine-te-aparangi, wife of Kupe, who cried out, on espying land with a white cloud hanging over it: “He ao! He ao! ” (A lcoud! A cloud!) From this exclamation the land became known as Aotea (white cjoud) but was afterwards lengthened to Aotea Eoa, presumably, says Best, on account of the size of the country. Other writers on the subject say that the captain of the Takitumu canoe was responsible for naming the new land for on sighting the white cliffs near Whangaparaoa, he gave vent to the exclamation “Aotea Eoa,’’ the interpretation of which is given as The Land of the Long White Cloud. Others contend that this interpretation is wrong and that the real meaning of the exclamation is Long Daylight—“Eoa’’ meaning long aud “Aotea,’’ which is said to be a slight variation of the Maori word awatea, meaning daylight. J. T. Large is the authority for this interpretation in support of which he refers to the common use of the word “ao’’ for daylight among the islanders of Eai’atea, and remarks “And when it is remembered how frequently one letter is substituted for another in the Maori language, it is reasonable to conclude that “Aotea Eoa” has the same meaning as “awatea-roa” or “avatea-roa” as the Cook Islanders give it, which is Long Daylight. According to Lambert, Large was of the opinion that the voyagers, arriving here in the summer months would be more likely to call the new country “Long Daylight” than “Long White Cloud.” As soon as Turi and his people arrived at Patea steps were taken to ascertain if this were the place spoken of by Kupe and tradition has it that it was not long beiore Turi saw Kupc's post which had been erected on a place called Eangi tawhi, where possession of the new land was taken, since the impenetrate mists of time will not lift to allow us to view the scene that must have followed the arrival of this courageous band of pioneers who had braved the ocean of Kiwa, we must endeavour to surround ourselves with the atmosphere the fascinating legends give out, and, so croaked, picture m imagination the expressions of unbounded joy that the event would give rise to. And coupled with chanting of songs characteristic of the people and their traditions would be the intoning of karakias of praise to the gods in whom Turi and his people placed their trust for the success of their long journey.

With their burdens laid aside new cares and responsibilities arose and not the least of these was the necessity for food supplies. The obtaining of sufficient food was the most important task that faced Turi and his people who, during their lengthy passage down the West Coast had learned to mako use of the rhizomes of the bracken fern, forest products as well as fish, to supplement tho fruits of the first crop of kumara planted at Aotea. The .Maori knew that there was no better food than that gained by one’s own exertions and wo can imagine the hustle and bustle there would be in preparing the settlement and tapping the food resources of the district. Ground would be prepared to receive the seed

kumara saved from the first crop grown in Aotea Bya and no doubt for some time short rations were endured. Although tradition is silent as to whether Turi met any of the tangata whenua during his long overland trek to Patea, there, is no doubt about his meeting these people, identified as the Mouriuri or people of Maui, when he settled in south Taranaki. It is extremely doubtful whether Turi and his people actually set upon the tangata wlienua and, as the tradition says, exterminated them. A moment’s reflection upon the condition of Turi and his people will, it is suggested, make plain that after their long ocean voyage, followed by the difficult trek down the coast, they would be in no condition to offer fight to those already in possession of tho land who, while perhaps not fighting people, from the Maori point of view, would, nevertheless, be tho fitter and the better equipped in the matter of resources to withstand any likely aggression on the part of a hundred or so invaders. Tradition is silent on the point as to whether any of the tangata whenua were met while travelling down the coast and the fact that Manaia is said to have fallen in with some of these original people at Waitara, leads to tho reasonable conclusion that Turi, also, may have met some of these people,’but as his objective was still some distance off he proceeded on Ms way, unmolested and possibly refusing to have any intercourse with the tangata whenua. It was only when he came to Patea that he found these people settled and we may suspect that he was disturbed and so proceeded to build a secure settlement. Perhaps tho Maori tradition, when speaking of the extermination of the tangata whenua, meant that these peoplo became lost and forgotten by being slowly absorbed by the Polynesians. The invaders were a physically powerful lot but under the conditions existing at tho period would be no match for the tangata whenua and it is very likely that Turi and his people employed their higher intelligence in gradually mastering those whom they ultimately eliminated. Best suggests that as time rolled on the invaders would considerably strengthen their position through the arrival of further contingents from overseas, while the progeny of Polynesian fathers and Mouriuri mothers, would undoubtedly side with the father’s tribe and thus increase its strength.. ■ By this means the original Mouriuri would steadily go out of existence and as John Houston writes in his booklet, “Turi of the Aotea Canoe”: “The Maori was, and is, the descendant of inter-mar-riages of folk of Polynesian and tagnata whenua stock.” Thoso of the Mouriuri people, who were not so absorbed, and there were apparently a large number living along tho West Coast, refused to hold intercourse with the new arrivals and took to the bush whero they lived until ultimately ousted by tho increasing numbers of Polynesian and found refuge at the Chatham Islands.

Next to the provision of food would arise tho necessity for adequate protection and the fact that a pa was built suggests that Turi and his people did not find the land empty. The lord of the great forest which stretched away inland, Tane-i-te-waitu, looked down upon his sons who had braved the ara moana of Kiwa to witness the acts of thanksgiving and to note tho act of Turi, who, to test the soil* caught some up in his hand and smelt it. He is recorded as having found it “para umu” —a rich, black, sweetscented soil and admirably suited for cultivation. From this signal act Of the great navigator was born the saying “Te whenua i liongia c Turi”*— the land that Turi smelled. Along with other acts and rite s performed upon arrival were those associated with the practice known as tipua and uruuru whenua —the attribution of life and personality to an unlimited variety of objects as well as animals. Best records that the practice meant the making of offerings and these at times consisted in the placing of stones at the base of a so-called sacred tree, or rock, with the objective of averting some misfortune or to bring good fortune. It amounted to a placation of the gods or spirits of the land. The Whanganui people, some of whom were the descendants of Turi, had a ceremony known as tuputupu, which obliged that an offering be made and if a traveller passing by should happen to neglect the duty of making the offering, which simply consisted of depositing a branch or a handful of vegetation, ho would bo assailed by bad weather. Tradition has it that if tipua stones were moved by any person and takes away, they would, of their own accord, return to their original resting place.