A History of Ngati Wai

Te Ao Hou, June 1962, Page 46

A History of Ngati Wai by Morore Piripi This is the last instalment of the history of the Ngati Wai. So far we have discussed the two first ancestors of the tribe. Manaia and Puhikaiariki (or Puhimoanariki, as he is also called). We now come to Rahiri, the famous Ngapuhi ancestor from whom most of the Maoris of the far North are descended. Morore Piripi's account of Rahiri is not a full one, but it gives in detail Rahiri's contact with the Ngati Wai which is of vital importance in the history of that tribe. He also quotes a widely-known Ngapuhi chant describing Ngapuhi territory.—E. G. Schwimmer. He Korero mo Te Haerenga mai o Rahiri He uri a ia no Puhikaiariki. I heke mai i a Puhikaiariki puta mai ki a Tauratukaiariki. A, ko Tauratukaiariki Tauramoko i moe i a Hauangiangi kia puta mai ko Rahiri. Ka moe nei i a Ahuaiti kia puta mai ki waho ko Uenuku, ka moe i a Kareariki ka puta mai ki waho ko Hauhaua, ko Uewhati. I moe i a Kaiawhi, ko Ungamata Ngerengere, ko te Rarau. Ka moe i a Karetu kia puta mai ko Te Hou, ko Pare, ko Te Wa, na ko Te Waero, ko Rahitapi, ko Koperu, ko Te Hawero. Ko enei nga tamariki i whakaputaina ai a Ngapuhi katoa. He Korero mo Ahuaiti me Te Haerengamai o Rahiri Ko tenei wahine ko Ahuaiti, i noho ia ki Mangakahia, me Whangaruru, me Ngaiotonga, i mua i te moenga i a Rahiri. I Whiria, i Pakiaka-O-Te-Riri, i reira a Rahiri e noho ana i Hokianga. Ka taka tona mahara ki nga wahine nei ka haeremai. Ka tae mai ki Te Iringa ka noho ki reira. I reira ka maku tona koraka i te ua. Ka tahuna eia he ahi ka whakairia e ia tana kakahu kia maroke. Ka huaina tera wahi ko ‘Te Iringa O Te Kakahu O Rahiri’. I etahi atu ra ka haeremai a ia ki Tautoro. Na ka tahuna ano e ia he ahi ka toro tau o tona kakahu. Koia nei i huaina ai tenei wahi ko ‘Tautoro’. Ka haere mai i reira ki Awarua. Ko te take o tenei ingoa no te mea e rua nga pekanga awa. Ko te ingoa tawhito ko ‘Te Whitinga O Rahiri’. Ka haeremai i konei ki tetahi maunga ka huaina e ia tenei wahi ko ‘Te The Coming of Rahiri Rahiri is a descendant of Puhikaiariki. He descended from Puhikaiariki through Tauratukaiariki. Tauratukaiariki Tauramoko married Haungiangi who begat Rahiri. He married Ahuaiti so that Uenuka was brought forth, and married Kareariki and brought forth Hauhaua and Urewhati. Uewati married Kaiawhi; they brought forth Ungamata Ngerengere, who married Te Arai and who brought forth Te Rarau. This man married Karetu and brought forth Hou, Pare, Te-Waha, te Waero, Rahitapi, Poperu, and Heweto. These are the children from whom the whole of Ngapuhi was born. The Story of Ahuaiti and Rahiri This woman Ahuaiti lived at Mangakahia and so did Whakaruru, and Moetonga, before they married Rahiri. Rahiri was living at Whiria, at Pakiaka-O-Te-Riri in Hokianga. His thoughts dwelt upon these women; so he came. On arriving at Iringa he stayed there. His cloak became soaked with the rain, so there he lit a fire and hung up his cloak to dry. Hence this place is called Te-Iringa-O-Te-Kakahu-O-Rawiri (the hanging of the cloak of Rahiri). On another day following he went along till he came to Tautoro. He lit another fire and the string of his cloak lay stretched. That is why this place is called Tautoro. (Tau-string, toro-stretch). He came from there till he reached Awarua. The reason for his naming this place Awarua is that there were two crossings over the river; the place where he crossed the river is still there. It is called

Tarai O Rahiri’. Ko tenei mea ko te tarai he heru i te matenga kia pai ai te ahua. A, i reira ka herua e Rahiri tana matenga kia pai ai tana ahua mo nga wahine e hiahiatia nei e ia. I tana taenga mai ki reira e noho ana nga wahine nei. I te tikanga ka moe a Rahiri i a Ahuaiti. Na, i te roa e noho ana ki reira ka hapu a Ahuaiti kia Uenuku. Na ka haeremai a Rahiri ki reira ka hoatu nga kai roi e Ahuaiti ma ona tungane. Ka pau nga roi katahi ka riri te tangata nei a Rahiri. Ka mea ia ko nga roi ra ko nga roi whakatorotoro ure a Ahuaiti. Ka mahue a Ahuaiti i a Rahiri. Na koiara i huaina ai i te whanautanga o Uenuku ko ‘Uenuku Kuare’. Na ka moe ke a Rahiri i a Whakeruru. Enei wahine he kaihanga katoa. A ka mutu ka moe i tetahi atu ko Ngaiotonga. Na ka puta a Ngapuhi i enei wahine. Nona i moe ai i enei wahine ka hoki ki Hokianga ki reira noho ai. Ka roa e noho ana i reira ka hoki mai ka noho ki Whangarei, ara ko te wahi i noho ai ia ko Whatatiri, a korerongia ana i mate mai a Rahiri ki reira ki Whangarei. Na ka moemoe nga uri o Rahiri ki nga uri o Manaia, a ka nohonoho haere i konei. Koia i kotahi tonu ai tenei iwi o Ngapuhi. He Pao mo te whiwhinga o Ngapuhi i nga maunga me nga wahi o te tohe o Ngapuhi 1. Ko Rakaumangamangaw He maunga rongonui E tu mai nei I te marangai Ko tere nga kupu A nga tupuna No Hawaiki mai Tuku iho e i. 2. Ka piki ake au Ki runga o te tihi O Rakaumangamanga Ona mate e Ka matakitaki Ki te au o Morunga Te hoe nga waka Ngapuhi e i. 3. Te hau o Morunga E hora nei Takoto whakarunga Whakararo e Te tai tuki waka O nga tupuna No Hawaiki mai Tuku iho e i. 4. Titiro iho au Ki te Taitokerau Ki Taeamai Hokianga e Te takotoranga To mana e Ngapuhi No Hawaiki mai Tuku iho e i. Te-Whitinga-O-Rahiri (the crossing of Rahiri). He came from there and arrived at a hill; he called this place Te-Tarai-O-Rahiri (the dressing-up of Rahiri). This thing Tarai means ‘to comb the hair’, to make one's appearance look good. It was for his visit to the comely women that he combed his hair in order to look presentable on his arrival. When he arrived there these women were sitting. The custom was that he should have married Ahuaiti. There are many stories about this woman Ahuaiti. Now he stayed there for such a long time that Ahuaiti became pregnant with Uenuku. Now Rahiri came and Ahuaiti gave her brothers the food of fernroot. When the food was gone Rahiri became angry. He said insultingly that the fern roots must be responsible for the pregnancy of Ahuaiti. Ahuaiti was then deserted by Rahiri. And that is why Uenuku's relationship (to Rahiri) was called Uenuku Kuare (Uenuku the Foolish). Instead Rahiri married Whakaruru. These women were cousins. After this he married Moetonga. And Ngapuhi was begotten of these women. It was through his marriage to these women that he returned to Hokianga to live there. After he had stayed there a while he came back to Whangarei. His place of residence was Whatitiri. It is said that Rahiri died at Whangarei. Now the descendants of Rahiri married the descendants of Rahiri married the descendants of Manaia and they lived round about there. That is why the tribe of Ngapuhi is still one. A Song for the Ngapuhi's Possession of the Hills and Places of the Ngapuhi 1. Rakaumangamanga Is a mountain of renown Standing here To the north The words spread Of the ancestors From Hawaiki Handed down. 2. I climb up On top of the summit Of Rakaumangamanga On its peaks O And gaze At the mist Of Morunga The guiding of the canoes Ngapuhi e i. 3. The wind of Morunga That blows here Lie upwards (southwards) Downwards O ‘northwards) The tide that (brakes canoes) Of the ancestors From Hawaiki comes Handed down.

5. A maunga whakahihi Kei te tai marangai O Rakaumangamanga Manaia e Kei te taihauauru Maungataniwha O Whakatere e Ngapuhi e i. 6. Te tarai o Rahiri I anga to ra Ki Whiria, Pakiaka-o-te-Riri Whakarongorua e Panguru ko Papata Ramaroa ka huri Ki Rakaumangamanga Ngapuhi e i. He Korero mo Ngati-maru Ka haere nga iwi o Kaingaroa (tenei wahi kei te takiwa o Kerikeri). Na ka mate a Ngati-Maru ka haere a Ngati-Maru. I roto i te ropu nei a Ahurei te rangatira o tenei roopu haere. Ka tae mai ratou ki Mokau ki te wahi i noho ai a Waipu. Ko Waipu he uri ia no Te Arai. I puta a ia i roto i nga tipuna o Ngapuhi nei, i a Te Rarau. He uri a Te Arai no Ngati-Maru. Ka noho a Ngati-Maru i Mokau. Ko nga pa o Waipu kei tenei whenua, tuatahi ko Maurea (ko Ngawai te wahi i tu ai tenei pa, ko Otamapani kei reira ano), ko Pukehune kei ko mai, ko Mataitaua kei te tata mai ano, a ko Poutu-Ki-Te-Rangi, ko Mahingutu, ko Motukehua, ko Arai-Te-Uri, ko Te-Pua-O-Tamaroa, ko Te Pau, ko Okiore, ko Kopuawhakawiri, ko Matamangumangu, ko Pihoi, ko Opaki, ko Tokitoki, ko Whakawehia, ko Pukapuka. Ko nga pa enei i noho ai nga iwi o Waipu. Ka tae mai a Ngati-Maru ka awhinatia a Ngati-Maru e Waipu ki te haere ki te pakanga ki a Kaingaroa. Ka haere ratou. Tae atu ratou ki Tapeka ara (Kororareka te ingoa nui o tera wahi) ka tutaki ratou ki etahi rangatira. Ko Tara te ingoa o te tangata nei. Ka patai a Ahurei kei hea tenei wahi tenei whenua hoki o Kaingaroa. Ka whakautua mai e Tara, ‘Hei aha a Kaingaroa, he purupuru he taka. Ka pa tau ko ahau, ko te tama ata purupuru marika ko te angaanga titi iho, i te rangi rano. Takoto nei te awa o te rangatira ki Waihare’. Na na huri a Ahurei ki reira. Ka haere ki reira ki te pakanga ki reira. Pakangatia atu a Ngapuhi ki konei. Ka haere atu a Ahurei i kona tae atu ki Opua. Ka haere a Waipu ka arahia te waka ki te awa o Waikare. Ko te waka o Waipu ko Whenuaroa te ingoa. Na ka whawhaitia a 4. I look down At the taitokerau At Taeamai and Hokianga O The foundation Of your power Ngapuhi From Hawaiki comes Handed down. 5. Your mountains of pride On the eastern side Of Rakaumangamanga Manaia O On the western side Maungataniwha And Whakatere Ngapuhi e i. 6. Tarai-o-Rahiri Pihanga-tohora Whiria and Pakiaka-o-te-Riri Listen twice Panguru then Papata Ramaroa then turned To Rakaumangamanga Ngapuhi e i. (Song for giving time to paddlers of canoes) A Story of Ngati-Maru The people of Kaingaroa journeyed forth (this place is in the vicinity of Kerikeri). When Ngati-Maru died, Ngati-Maru went on a journey. The party contained Ahurei, a chief of that tribe. They arrived at Mokau where Waipu was staying. Waipu was a descendant of Te Arai. He came from the ancestors of Ngapuhi and therefore from Te Rarau. Te Arai (Te Rarau's mother) was a descendant of Ngati-Maru, so Ngati-Maru stayed at Mokau. The pas of Waipu in this area were in order of importance, Mayrea (Ngawai was the name of the place where this pa stood. Otamapani is there also), then Pukehune, which is further away, then Mataitaua which was a little further away, then Poutukiterangi, Mahingutu, Motukehua, Arai-Te-Uri, Te-Pua-O-Tamaroa, Te Pau, Okiore, Kopuawhakawiri, Matamangumangu, Pihoi, Opaki, Tokitoki, Whakawehia, and Pukapnuka. These were the pas where Waipu's people lived. When Ngatimaru arrived Waipu assisted them in their battle against Kaingaroa. So they went, turned from this battle Ngapuhi was defeated On their arrival at Tapeka (Kororareka is the big name for this place) they met a chief. Tara was the name of this person. Ahurei asked him where this land of Kaingaro was and Tara replied, ‘Never mind about Kaingaroa–—a plug that does not fit. Look at me, a humble fellow I am, but my head is a plug that will fit very well indeed, for it descends from heaven itself. The pathway of the chief now lies to Waipare.’

Ngapuhi ki reira, a tae atu ki nga pa katoa, tae atu ki Ohaeawai. Na kei reira tetahi wahi whenua e korerongia ana ko te wai whariki a Ahurei. Ko te awa i peka ai a Ahurei. Ka hoki mai ratou i tenei pakanga ka mate a Ngapuhi i a Ngati-Maru. Tae mai ki Mokau ka noho. Ka mea a Ahurei ki a Waipu, ‘E Waipu nou ranei te toa, noku ranei?’ Ka mea a Waipu, ‘A, naku ano ra te mataika’. Ko tenei mea ko te mataika he tangata tuatahi ki te mate. Na Waipu te tangata tuatahi. ‘Mehemea e ki ana koe nou te toa, a me hoki mai ra koe, ki konei taua whakamatautau ai kia kitea ai tou toa’. Ka hoki a Ngati-Maru, ara te rangatira nei a Ahurei. Tae atu ki a Ngati-Maru kia metia he tangata tini ano. Tae mai ki konei ka mea ia ki tana whakaaro ka mate i a ia nga pa o Waipu e tutu haere nei. Na ka mea a Waipu, ‘A, a pai ana. Kua oti ke tena mea te whakarite’. Katahi ka haere te iwi nei ki te whawhai i tetahi pa kei te awa tonu o Mokau. Ko te ingoa o taua pa ko Mahingutu. Na turia i te ata. A, tu tonu te ra katahi ano ka mate nga tangata tokorua o Ngati-Maru. Ka whakatauki a Ngati-Maru. ‘I te ata e pai ana te haere. Haere ka tu tonu te ra! Ko Hikihiki ko te pa o te hanga nei, ko te maiora te ekeria.’ Na ka mea a Waipu, ‘Haere e hoki. Kauaka e haere ki nga pa o konei. Ka mate koutou.’ A ka haere ratou ki te whawhai. Ka tae mai ki Pihoi. Ka pakanga ki konei. Ka mate ano etahi a Ngati-Maru. Ko nga mea i mate i takahia ki roto ki te repo. Ko nga mea i ora i oma mai i runga i o ratou waka. Ka ngaro atu ratou. Ka noho ko Waipu te toa. So Ahurei turned to Waipare, and he went there to fight. Ngapuhi fought here, then Ahurei went from there to Opua. Waipu then went and guided the canoe to the river of Waipare. The name of Waipu's canoe was Whenuaroa. Ngapuhi crossed over to there and went to all the pas right up to Ohaeawai. There is a certain place there, some land, said to be ‘The Water where Ahurei was laid as a mat.’ It was the river which Ahurei crossed. When they returned from this battle Ngapuhi was defeated by Ngatimaru. On Ngatimaru's arrival at Mokau they sat down. Ahurei said to Waipu, ‘Was the bravery yours or mine?’ And Waipu replied, ‘Ah! To my honour alone was the first victim.’ This thing, the Mataika is the first victim to be slain. Waipu's was the first victim. ‘If you say the bravery was yours you had better return here to test it, to find out how courageous you were.’ Ngatimaru went back, that is, the party with Ahurei and his warriors, to get some more men. When they returned reinforced Ahurei ordered a man to be sent to the bush as a survivor. He thought he could conquer Waipu's pas standing about. Then Waipu said, ‘Ah, that is good; that has already been decided.’ The tribe then went and fought a pa at the very river of Mokau. The name of the pa was Mahinguru. The battle took place in the morning. The sun stood still until two of Ngatimaru's men were killed. Thus Ngatimaru said, ‘While it was morning the going was good. Then the sun stood still.’ To this Waipu replied, ‘Hikihiki is the pa of these people; it has fortifications dug around it. Go back. Do not come to the pa here. You will die.’ They went to battle at Pihoi. Some more of Ngatimaru died. Those that died were trodden into the swamp. Those that survived fled on their canoes. They disappeared. So Waipu remained the victor.