A History of the Ngati-Wai

Te Ao Hou, March 1962, Page 43

A History of the Ngati-Wai by Morore Piripi This is the second instalment of a history on the Ngati Wai recorded on tape by Morore Kaupeka Piripi. The history of Manaia, ancestor of the Ngati Wai, is continued here. The first ancestor of Ngapuhi, Puhimoanariki, travelled along the Ngati Wai coastline on the way from Whakatane northwards in the canoe Mataatua. He is responsible for the naming of many features along the coast, discussed in this text. Morore Piripi also relates that Manaia met Puhimoanariki at Te Whara. Genealogies suggest they may in fact have lived at about the same time. It will be difficult for readers to reconcile this meeting with the battle between Manaia and thes Ngapuhi tribe, related in our last issue. This battle, which took place at Mimiwhangata, is of great historic importance to Ngati Wai, as it explains how this tribe became scattered, and it shows its uncomfortable relationship to Ngapuhi—as a smaller though still independent neighbour. Still, how can Manaia have fought a tribe whose distant ancestor was just about to pass along the coast? The answer is not easy to give. The only consolation to literal minded people is that genealogies do in fact refer to a Manaia Tuarua, a descendant of Manaia who lived some generations later. Perhaps it was he who fought the battle at Mimiwhangata.—E.G.S. Te Pakangatanga o Manaia ki a Ngapuhi i Te Rearea I te pakanga o Manaia ki a Ngapuhi i Mimiwhangata ko Te Raerea te ingoa o te pa o Manaia. Ko etahi o nga pa o Manaia ko Tarapata, Ko Kaituna. Ko enei pa he pa kaha no Manaia. Ka tukua atu e Ngapuhi te karere kei te haere atu ratou ki te ngaki i te mate o Te Waero, ka whakatauku mai a Manaia: ‘Ka whiti mai ra koe i te wai o Te Rearea, ka nui tena.’ Ka tae mai a Ngapuhi ki Mokau ka whakatakotoria e Ngapuhi a ratou whakaaro mo te kokiritanga i nga pa o Manaia. Ko Ngapuhi ki Tarapata, ko Te Rangitamaua ki te whawhai i te wai o Te Rearea. Ka haere atu a te Rangitamaua ma uta ki Te Rearea. Ka mea ia kia poko mai nga hihi o te ata ka whakaeke atu ai ki Te Rearea. Hei kona a Ngapuhi ka whakaeke ai ki Tarapata, na ki KAITUNA hoki. Na ka haere te ope o Te Rangitamaua, e whitu te kau te ope, ka tae ki te pa o te Rearea. Ka toko nga hihi o te ata ka mea a Te Rangitamaua kia whakaekengia e ratou te pa. Na ka pikitia e ratou te pa, ka eke ki runga ka mea atu a Te Rangitamaua: ‘Ki te tae koutou ki roto me hamahama nga The Battle of Manaia, Te Rangitamaua and Ngapuhi at Te Rearea When Manaia fought Ngapuhi at Mimiwhangata his pa was Te Rearea. One of the other pas was Tarapata, another was Kaituna. These pas were the fortified pas of Manaia. A messenger was spent to tell Manaia that Ngapuhi was coming to seek revenge for the murder of Te Waero. And Manaia replied in proverb, ‘If you cross the water of Te Rearea That will be enough.’ When Ngapuhi reached Mokau the tribe worked out a plan of attack. Ngapuhi was to attack Tarapata and Te Rangitamaua was to attempt the river of Te Rearea. Rangitamaua decided that he would approach Te Rerea by an overland route. When the fires of the day had died he would cross the river to Te Rearea. While this was happening Ngapuhi would attack Tarapata, and Kaituna also. So Rangitamaua and his party of seventy went forth. They took an overland route; first without hiding themselves, and then for a while under cover as they went along the ridge of the hill, till they reached the pa of Te Rearea. When the fires of the day were extinguished Rangitamaua signalled to his men to scale the pa. They scaled

karaha. Ki te rongo te iwi nei i nga karaha e patua ana ma konei ka mataku’. Ka eke te katoa o te ope nei, ko nga toa i te tuatahi. Ko Te Rangituoro tetahi o enei toa. Kua eke ka timata te hamahama i nga karaha. Ka mataku te iwi nei. Ka timata ki te aue. Kei te aue tonu ka patupatua ratou e te ope o Te Rangitamaua. A i tenei wa kua eke mai te ope o Ngapuhi ki Tarapata, ki Kaituna, ki nga pa katoa o Ngati-Manaia. Ko te tokomaha o Ngati-Manaia i mate ki konei. Ko nga mea i ora i oma ki tena wahi, ki tena wahi, ki Whananaki ki te takiwa o Akarana, aara ki nga wahi kua whakahuatia ake nei. Ko Te Mauria Mai o Nga Namu Me Nga Waeroa I a ia i haere mai ai ka mauria mai e ia nga namu me nga waeroa. Ko te take i haria mai e ia nga namu me nga waeroa mo te hunga i haere mai i mua i a ia, kore i homai i nga hakari mana, ka mea ia me mau mai e ia enei ngarara, mo te taenga mai ki konei e kore ratou e ata noho. Ka kainga ratou e te namu, ka raruraru tonu ratou ki te raraku, ka kainga o ratou kanohi me nga wahi katoa o o ratou tinana. Na koia ra te take i mauria mai e ia enei ngarara hei whakararuraru ite noho a nga tangata i Niu Tireni nei. Ko tenei wahi ko Taupiri ko te wahi tenei i tukuna ai nga namu me nga waeroa. Kei te takiwa o Pewhairangi kei te taha whakaroto o Motukokako, ara o Maunganui, o te pa i noho ai a Manaia. Ka u ki reira a ia, ka takoto tana waka ki reira. Na i haere mai ia ki te rapu raku nui hei waka nno mona, ara he kauri. Ka tae mai ki reira ka mahia e ia te waka ka puta he awha i te wahi e mahi ana ratou i reira. Tae rawa atu kore e puta te waka a, ka pakaru te waaka. Ka mahue me nga namu katoa i reira, me nga Waeroa. Na ka haere nga uri o nga namu nei kapi katoa a Aotearoa i te namu. Ko Te Harengamai o Puhihiko Makukurangi i te Wahi o Whakatane I rere mai a Puhi ki Ngapuhi. I tona haerengamai i haere tika tonu mai ma te taha moana, a, tae noa mai ki Whangarei. I waho o Whangarei i reira a Manaia e noho ana. Ko te ingoa o taua wahi ko Te Whara. Ko te take i huaina ai taua wahi ko Te Whara, na te mea tanga atu a Manaia ki a Puhi i runga te maunga: ‘Kei whara koe e Puhi i nga tai e haruru na.’ I reira e kohi pupu, paua kina ana te pononga wahine a Manaia, te taha moana, ka kite mai i a Puhi ma, ka haere ka huri mai te tou ki a Puhi ma. Katahi ka makutungia mai e nga tohunga o Puhi, a tu tonu atu i reira hei kohatu. Ka huaina tenei wahi ko, ‘Te Wahine iti a Manaia.’ Ka haere a Puhi i reira ka tae mai ki te wahi

the pa, and when they got to the top Te Rangitamaua said to his men, ‘If you get inside, hammer the calabashes. If these people hear the hammering on the calabashes they will take fright.’ The whole of the party reached the pa. The brave warriors went first. Rangituoro was one of these. Having arrived they began to beat upon the calabashes. The people took fright. They cried out. Then they were killed by Te Rangitamaua's party. At this time Ngapuhi had ascended Tarapata and Kaituna and the fighting had commenced there. The tribe of Manaia was slaughtered. Manaia escaped and so did some of the others. That is how Manaia's tribe managed to survive. Till this day Manaia's tribe lies scattered where Manaia left them. Some stayed in the vicinity of Auckland, some at Whananaki and at the places previously mentioned. The Origin of Mosquitoes and Sandflies When Manaia came he brought the sandflies and the mosquitoes. The reason why he brought the sandflies and the mosquitoes is that he wanted to punish the people who came before him because they had not let him partake of their feasts. Hence he decided to bring these insects. When these insects arrived here these people could not sit still; they were eaten by the sandflies and they were afflicted with scratching and their eyes were eaten. Now that is the reason why he brought these insects; to upset the life of the people here in New Zealand. The releasing of the insects occurred at Taupiri. This place is in the vicinity of Pewhairangi on the inland side of Motukokako; that is of Maunganui, of the pa where Manaia stayed. When he arrived there his canoe lay there. Now he came to find big trees, namely kauri, for another canoe for himself. When he arrived there he built a canoe and a storm came up where he and his people were working. So by the time they got back the canoe could not get out (to sea), and it was broken. Then all the sandflies and the mosquitoes were left there. From there the descendants of these sandflies travelled till the whole of Aotearoa was covered with them. The Coming of Puhimoanariki from the Area of Whakatane Puhi fled to Ngapuhi. When he came he rowed directly along the coast till he reached Whangarei. Outside Whangarei, Manaia was staying. The name of the place was Te Whara. The reason why this place was called Te Whara is that Manaia seeing Puhi on the hill, cautioned him in these words: ‘You may meet with disaster from the tides that thunder there O Puhi’ Mt. Manaia, in Whangarei Harbour. e koerotia ra, ‘Kei whara koe i nga tai e haruru nei.’ Ka Huaina e Puhi tera wahi ko ‘Taiharuru’. Ka haere mai ano ia i reira, ka u mai ki tetahi wahi ka rongo ia i te tai e haruru ana ka mea ia ko ‘Ngunguru’ tera wahi. Ka haere mai ano ia i reira ka kake atu ia ki runga i tetahi maunga i reira, a, ko te mahi i reira he retireti kaha, ara, he tutu ki te Maori. Ko te ingoa tawhito tenei. Ka huaina e Puhi tenei wahi ko ‘Tutukaka’. I runga i te waka o Puhi tetahi tangata ko Tane tana ingoa. Ka whakatangi i te rehu i reira ka huaina tera wahi ko ‘Te Rehu A Tane’. Ka haeremai ano ratou i reira i te aranga ake o te ra, a i tetahi iho a nga ra ka u mai ki tetahi wahi tata tonu ki te pouri iho nei ka u mai ki tetahi wahi, he one pai, ka huaina e Puhi tenei wahi ko ‘Matapouri’. Ko te ahua hoki tera o to ratou taenga mai ki reira. Ka noho ratou ki reira. Ko te mahi a Puhi i konei he tiro haere i te whenua kia kitea rawatia e ia he wahi pai hei nohoanga mo ratou. Ka haere mai ano i tera wahi ka u mai ki tetahi wahi, he one ano. I konei e kuku atu ana te awa ki roto. Ka kuhu atu ratou ki taua awa nei ka noho ki reira. I te po ka moe ratou i reira, ka huia te kaumatua nei ka whana tana waewae. I te whanatanga o It was there that a woman of Manaia's was gathering pupu, paua, and kina on the sea shore. On seeing Puhi and his companions she turned her backside towards them. So Manaia's tohungas bewitched her, and she remained standing there as a stone. Hence the place where she stood was called by the Maoris ‘Te Wahine iti a Manaia’, which means ‘The lesser wife of Manaia’. Puhi came from there to the place which received its name from the cautioning words of Manaia to Puhi: ‘You may meet with disaster from the tides that thunder there’. He called this place Taiharuru, which means Thundering Tides. He came from this place to another where he heard the tides thundering continuously so he called it Ngunguru, which means ‘Rumble’. Then he climbed onto a hill there where the kaka (pigeon) was snared. The word of snaring is ‘tutu’ which is the ancient Maori word for snaring. So the Maori called this place Tutukaka. On this canoe (of Puhi's) was a man whose name was Tane. He played a flute at a certain spot there, and this spot was called Te-Rehu-A-Tane; this means ‘the flute of Tane’. They came from there, and on another day at the rising of the sun they arrived at a place

tana waewae ka rere atu te oneone, a tu mai ana he pukepuke ki runga i te papa tu mai ai. A, na tetahi o nga tangata i mea, ‘Ka whana te waewae o te nanakia nei!’ Ka huiaina tera wahi ko ‘Whananaki’. Ka haere mai ano i reira ka hoe haere mai i te awa ka tae mai ki tetahi wahi i reira ka tahuri a ia ki te purupuru i tana waka i reira kia pai ai mo te haere i te moana. Ka ahu penei ake ki te tai whakararo nei ka huaina tenei wahi ko Purupuru, ara, ‘The Purupurutanga a Mataatua.’ Ka haere mai i tera wahi ka rongo a Puhi e tangi ana nga kaka, e rua nga kaka, ka mea a Puhi: ‘A, e rua ano kaka o tenei wahi.’ Ka huaina tenei wahi ko ‘Ruatuhi’. Ka haere mai ano i reira ki tetahi wahi he nui te tokatoka haere, ka mea atua Puhi ki ana kai urungi i te waka: ‘Kia tika te parepare haere i te waka kei whara tatou i te kohatu.’ Na ka huaina tenei wahi ko ‘Pareparea’. Ka haere mai ano i reira ka titiro atu ratou ki waho i te moana e tu mai ana a Poor Knights ka mea ratou. ‘He rite ki Tawhitirangi tetahi, ki Aorangi tetahi o nga moutere i waho ra.’ Ka kite ano ratou i tetahi moutere ano, a ka tata mai ratou ka ki ratou he rite tonu ki tetahi wahi ko Rimariki te ingoa, a kei Hamoa tenei wahi. Ka haere mai ratou i tera wahi ka tae mai ki tenei wahi e kiia ne ko ‘Whangaruru’. Ko te take o tenei ingoa i huaina ai e Puhi ki reira ko te roa o ratou e haere mai ana, katahi ano ratou ka kite i tetahi wahi pai, ruru, koia i korerotia ai ko ‘Whangaruru’. Ka noho ratou i reira mo tetahi wa roa, ka mutu haere mai ki wahi e korerotia nei, ana, i te kainga o Manaia e huainatia nei ko Motukokako. Ko tetahi mate i reira, i rere te tiheru o te waka, o Puhi. Ka huaina tera wahi ko te ‘Tiheru’. Ara i rere atu te hoe tiheru waka i te paria. Ka haere mai ki te wahi e huainatia nei ko Whangaroa. Ko te ingoa ke o tera wahi ko Te Pokopoko o Hinenui i Te Po Te Ureroa O Mauiio. No te taenga o Puhi ki reira, ka waiho te punga o Mataatua ko Whaingaroa te ingoa o te punga, ko tetahi o nga punga i mahue ki te puaha o Whakatane! Na ka hoki mai a Puhi ki Whangaroad, ki Whaingaroa i tana ingoa e ki ana ia, tae mai ki Takou, ka u ki reira te waka nei, ko ‘Kopuakawau’ te ingoa o te awa i u atu ai. Ka haere atu ki reira a Mataatua ki te mea i te waka ki te pohutukawa. Ko nga mana i mauria mai e Puhi ki reira, ko ‘Te Koakoa’ tetahi, ko ‘Tapirau’ tetahi. E rua enei taniwha kei reira e noho ana i tenei ra, a whakakohatu ana. Ka noho a Puhi i reira ka haere ki roto o tenei whenua e kiia nei ko Ngapuhi. Ka huaina tehei wahu katoa e nga uri o Puhi ko Ngapuhi. which looked rather dark, and they pulled up at a place where the beach was good. So they called this place Matapouri, because of the way in which they landed (Pouri means dark). The object of Puhi's travelling thus was to survey the land in order to find a good place in which to settle himself and his people. They travelled from Matapouri till they reached a certain place, also a beach, where the river went into the sea. They came up this river and stopped here. That night as they slept, the elder Puhi had a cramp and kicked with his foot. When he kicked the sand flew and stood as a hill on the flat land. This place was called Whananaki. One of the people had said (of Puhi's action) ‘This crafty one kicks’. (Whana means to ‘Kick’.) They rowed up the river, and when they reached a certain place Puhi began to plug up his boat in order to make it seaworthy. They had been travelling in a northern direction when they plugged up the canoe, and when the job was accomplished this place was called Purupuru (‘purupuru’ means ‘to plug up’). The long name of this place is Te-Purupurutanga-a-Mataatua. (The plugging up of Mataatua.) From here they journeyed until they reached a place where Puhi heard some pigeons crying. There were two pigeons, and Puhi said, ‘Only two pigeons in this place!’ So he called this place Ruatuhi (the pointing out of the two). Then Puhi journeyed from here to a place where it was rocky, and he said to the rowers of the canoe, ‘Be careful how you manoeuvre this canoe lest we flounder on the rocks’. Hence this place was called Pareparea (‘manoeuvre’). They travelled from there and they looked out to sea to where Poor Knights stood, and they said, ‘One island looks like Tawhitirangi, and the other island looks like Aorangi’. Again they saw another island close to them; it looked like Rimariki, an island which is said to be in Samoa. From there they came to this place called Whangaruru. The reason for the naming of this place by Puhi is that it took them a long time to find a place, and at last they had seen a good sheltered one. That is why this place is called Whangaruru (Whanga—to wait, ruru—to shelter). They stayed at this place for a while, then went to this place of Manaia's already mentioned, that is to this place called Motukokako. One of the troubles there was that the bailer of Puhi's canoe was washed away. The place is called Tiheru (bailer) even today. The implement for bailing out the canoe was washed away in the tide. [The canoe bailer was turned into a rock outside Cape Brett. It is known as ‘Tiheru o Mataatua’.] Continued on page 60