Look who's talking: Te Ātiawa o Te Waka-a-Māui

Thursday, 5 September 2019

As Marlborough looks back on the first encounter between Māori and European people ahead of national Tuia 250 commemorations in November, reporter Chloe Ranford talks to the four iwi taking part in the event. Here, she speaks to Te Ātiawa cultural manager and whānau member Amai Thompson, and historian and whānau member Mike Taylor.

What is the Te Ātiawa rohe (district)?

Te Ātiawa originated from the Taranaki region of the North Island. There were several migrations south to Te Tau Ihu (the top of the South Island) over a period of time. 

There was an expedition in 1828 crossing Raukawa Moana (Cook Strait) to conquer the lands in Te Tau Ihu o Te Waka a Māui (the top of the South Island). This was made up of the allied hapū (sub-tribes) Manukorihi ki Waitara under Reretawhangawhanga; Ngawhēnua Whitikau, Ropoama, and Puketapu under Te Manu Toheroa; Ngāti Rāhiri under Huriwhēnua; Ngāti Tama of Poutama under Te Puoho; Ngāti Mutunga or Urenui; Ngati Toa under Te Rauparaha.

By 1830, the Tē Tau Ihu o Te Waka a Māui was securely in Te Ātiawa's hands.

Since that time, Te Ātiawa have maintained manawhēnua (authority over the land) and manamoana (authority over the sea and lakes) over Tōtaranui (Queen Charlotte Sound) to the present day.

As William Wakefield stated in the 1839 Wakefield Dispatches Supplementary: 'Hiko or Ehiko, the son of Te Pahi (Te Pēhi), is the most rising man in this part of the islands. Inheriting from his father large possessions conquered by the Kawhia tribe, and from his mother, a Ngāti Awa woman of conseqeunce, great influence with the latter, he combines the power of both tribes.'

What is Te Ātiawa's association to Meretoto?

In 1896, the New Zealand Government declared Meretoto a National Site of Significance, and 1700 acres of Te Ātiawa land was confiscated without any consultation to turn the site into New Zealand's first National Scenic Reserve.

This was 56 years after the signing of the Te Tiriti o Waitangi in 1840 by Te Ātiawa tīpuna (ancestors) in Tōtaranui.

Then, 118 years later, in 2014, it was further alienated from Te Ātiawa iwi without consultation by the New Zealand Government, and listed as a Statutory Acknowledgement area by the three iwi who were raupatu (conquered) by Te Ātiawa, and those iwi continue to takahi (trample) on Te Ātiawa whēnua (land) in the same manner that the Government continues to takahi (trample) on iwi today.

Te Ātiawa signed the Deed of Settlement for Tōtaranui, including Meretoto (Ship Cove), in December 2012.

What is Te Ātiawa's sacred river or waterway?

Te Weranga o Waitohi is the full name of present day Picton. The name Waitohi refers to the sacred waters that were utilised in ritual by the Te Ātiawa people before they went into battle.

Is there a particular waiata (song) associated with Te Ātiawa?

'He Hōnore' is well known song sang by iwi as Te Whiti o Rongomai a prophet from Parihaka believed in keeping peace and kindness to all people.

He honore, he kororia, he maungarongo ki te whēnua (Honour and glory to God)

Whakāro pai e ki ngā tāngata katoa (Peace on Earth)

Ake, ake āmine (Forever more)

Te Atua te piringa tōku oranga (God is my sustenance)

Te Ātiawa pepeha (tribal proverb):

Ko Piripiri te maunga (Piripiri is the mountain)

Ko Arapaoa te Moutere tapu (Arapaoa Island is sacred)

Ko Kura Te Au (The enlightened pathway)

Ki Waitohi te Waitukukiri (Waitohi is the sacred waters)

Ko Tokomaru, ko Aōtea, ko Kurahaupō ngā waka o taiuru (Tokomaru, Aōtea and Kurahaupō are the waka)

Ko Waikawa te marae (Waikawa is the marae)

Ko Awanuiarāngi te tīpuna (Awanuiarāngi is the ancestor)