Notes on the answers to the questions

Te Ao Hou, 1971, Page 7

Notes on the answers to the questions The Ngati Maru people used to live a communal life. They used to do and share everything together such as digging, planting, harvesting, fishing, sea-food gathering, eeling, hunting, bathing, dancing, games, cooking, eating and sleeping. The people woud also follow a leader's example in intermarrying, etc., hence Taha's answer to the first question, ‘He ahi kouka ke te awatea, he wahine ke te pō’. Tamatea being a chief of high rank was the best dressed, having high quality native birds' feathers woven into cloaks and capes, and the best of ornaments for his head, neck and ears. It was said he was a finelooking chief. He made his second question knowing he had the emblem of a rangatira, but not so Taharakau — he had only a very cheap type of pākē, made from raw flax buried in the ground for two or three months, and then woven very closely to make it waterproof. Therefore he gave his answer, ‘He whare tū i te wā he kai nā te ahi, he tohu no te ware.’ On one occasion Tamatea asked Taharakau to accompany him on a journey to his country. After he finished putting on his very best, ready for them to make their trip, he looked Taharakau up and down and remarked, ‘What you have on is too heavy. You'll be scorched. The day is very hot, and it's a long journey ahead of us.’ Here Taharakau made his saying for the first time, ‘E roa a raro, e tata a runga’ — The way down is long but the sky is close. They had not gone halfway with their trip when it began to rain, and then it poured. Taharakau shook his shoulders to shake the

rain off his pākē. He did this a few times, and then looked up at his chief to see how he was faring. It was Taharakau's turn to look him up and down. Tamatea was wet to the skin and shivering with the cold. It was said ‘Papā ana ōna kauae i te makariri’ — His jaws were shivering with the cold. Taharakau took pity on his chief and put his pākē skirt on Tamatea for a cape. He remarked, ‘I kīia atu rā hoki e roa raro e tata runga’ — I told you the way down is long but the sky is near. They didn't complete the journey, but called in to a neighbour's place. From then on they became the best of friends, from this coming the intermarirage between their offspring.