Living Memory and the Travelling Mountain Narrative of Taranaki

265 Pages·2014·21.29 MB·English

Living Memory and the Travelling Mountain Narrative of
Taranaki

By

Dennis Ngāwhare-Pounamu

A thesis
submitted to Victoria University of Wellington
in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy

2014
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ABSTRACT

Living memory and the Travelling Mountain Narrative of Taranaki

The Travelling Mountain Narrative is the origin myth of Taranaki maunga and the foundation on
which Taranaki tribal tradition and identity is constructed. The story pattern of the Travelling
Mountain Narrative relates the journey of Taranaki maunga and Te Toka a Rauhoto to Te Tai
Hauāuru. This thesis establishes that the origin myth was sourced in the historical migration account
of the ancestor Rua Taranaki and mythologised over multiple generations. Te Toka a Rauhoto is the
tangible connection between the past and the present and is represented by the sacred stone
located at Puniho Pā. Informed by mātauranga Māori paradigms, a literature and qualitative mixed
method research framework collated a wide variety of information about the Travelling Mountain
Narrative and the tūpuna of the Kāhui Maunga, the early inhabitants of the Taranaki region.
Exploring the way myth and history intersects with the lived reality of a contemporary tribal
community this thesis contributes to the critical analysis of these tribal traditions. This thesis also
highlights how participating and contributing to the pā, hapū and the iwi throughout the duration of
PhD research also offered insider insights into the modern retention of ancient knowledge.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Hei kororia ki te Atua runga rawa
Hei maungarongo ki te whenua
Hei whakaaro pai ki ngā tangata katoa

Ka huri tāku aro ki Te Tai Hauāuru, ko ērā ōku maunga e tātai rārangi ai te whenua rā. Me mihi kau
atu ki Patuha me Te Iringaniu, ki Pouakai, ki Taranaki maunga hoki te maunga tītōhea e tū tonu ana.
Kei wareware hoki ai ki ngā tūpuna i noho ai i raro i ngā maunga, ā, kua rere ake rātou ki te tihi o te
maunga tītōhea kia titiro mataara atu ki tua o Paerangi, ā, i heke iho ai ki Wharetotoka e whai ana te
ara ki te rerenga wairua a kui mā, a koro mā. Āpiti hoki rā e ngā mate o Te Ao Hurihuri kua hūnuku
rātou i te huarahi ki te āhuru mōwai o te āiotanga a Ihowa. E kore e mimiti te waikura o te
maumaharatanga mā koutou. Tā Te Whiti o Rongomai kōrero, ko te pō te kaihari i te rā, ko te mate
te kaihari i te oranga.

Ka huri tāku mata ki te hunga ora i awhina mai ai tēnei tauira. Tīmata i te whaiaipo o tāku manawa, e
Sarah Reddish, ka nui āku aroha mō ngā mea katoa. Mā Charlie anō he tauira tēnei mō tōna whai
mātauranga. E ngā whānaunga mā o Puniho Pā anei āku kupu whakawhetai ki a koutou, ki a Fay
Mulligan, David Jones, Chris Taingahue, Jan Manu, Saphron Ngaia, Angie Walters, Jason rāua ko
Rachel Ruakere, Karen Wall, Ann Rauna, Keith Manukonga, Annie Niwa, Carl Rongonui, Stacey
Glassie, Roy Komene, Barney Ngāwhare, Shirleen Ngāwhare, Aunty Betty Jones, Aunty Peno Martin,
Aunty Cis Mana, Aunty Tura Cunningham, Uncle Jim Cunningham, Aunty Doreen Erueti, Aunty Ewai
Ngaia; me ōku matua ko Glen rāua ko Christine Ngāwhare, rātou ko ōku tuakana/teina/tuahine ko
Mark rātou ko Emma, ko Seth, ko Naomi Ngāwhare. Whakawhānuitia te mihi ki ngā whānaunga o te
iwi nei, arā Tonga Karena, Mana Hepi, Tony Mahau Waru, Mary-Jane Waru, ngā whānaunga mā o
Oakura Pā, ngā whānaunga mā o Parihaka Pā, kei wareware hoki ki a Potaka Pā me Orimupiko
Marae. Mā ngā pā e rima o Taranaki tūturu e pūmau tonu ai ki te ahi-kāroa o te iwi.

Nō reira ka whakahua ingoa o ngā tangata me ngā rōpu i taumarumaru mai ai, ka whakanuia e au
ōku supervisors, ki a Dr Ocean Mercier rāua ko Assoc. Professor Peter Adds. Me tāpiri te mihi ki te
whānau o Te Kawa a Māui ki a Dr Arini Loader, Dr Rawinia Higgins, Dr Pauline Harris, Mike Ross,
Terese McLeod, Jeremy Porima me te whānau o Te Kawa a Māui; Ki te whānau o Te Herenga Waka ki
a Te Ripowai Higgins, Tū Temara, Jamie Maaka, Kathy Granma Samuels, Monoa Taepa. Ko Te
Herenga Waka marae tōku pataka kai, tōku wharekura, tōku kainga i Pōneke, nā koutou i huakina
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ngā tatau māku i ngā wā katoa; Ki a koutou e te whānau o MAI ki Pōneke, ā, i hikoi tahi mātou i te
tohu Paerangi kia eke, kia tau.

Ki a koutou o ēnei rōpu i tautoko mai i te pūtea karahipi, ka tūpou te rae mō ngā rourou i whāngai
mai tēnei tauira i te waru. Nō reira e Ngā Pae o te Maramatanga mō te pūtea tautoko o te Doctoral
Scholarship mō ēnei tau e toru kua pahure, e kore e mimiti ngā mihi whakawhetai. Ki a koutou o
Parininihi ki Waitotara mō te karahipi o Charles Bailey, he honore anō tēnei. Otirā e Te Toi Huarewa
mō te pūtea i taea ai te hoko rorohiko hou. Kāore e kore te waimarie rawa atu o tēnei tangata nō tō
koutou manaakitanga.

Mehemea kua wareware i a au ētehi ingoa tangata, rōpu rānei, he mea hoha te wareware.
Mēnā he pōhehē kei roto i tēnei tuhingaroa, nāku te hē, aroha mai.

Nō reira tēnā koutou katoa

Tihei mauri ora!
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT ...................................................................................................................................... 2
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................................. 3
TABLE OF CONTENTS ...................................................................................................................... 5
PHOTOGRAPHS, TABLES AND MAPS ............................................................................................... 8
GLOSSARY……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………10
CHAPTER ONE .............................................................................................................................. 16
Introduction: Ko Taranaki te maunga
1.1. Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 16
1.2. The Tribal Landscape .......................................................................................................... 21
1.3. Thesis overview .................................................................................................................. 27
1.4. He maunga tupua, he maunga tūpuna rānei ....................................................................... 28
CHAPTER TWO ............................................................................................................................. 30
Research Framework
2.1. Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 30
2.2. Nature of Tribal Traditions ................................................................................................. 31
2.3. Wā-Ātea ............................................................................................................................. 33
2.4. Tātai Kīanga: Lineage of Transmission ................................................................................ 34
2.5. Wā-Ukiuki: Generational Time ........................................................................................... 36
2.6. Kōrerorero: Narratives ....................................................................................................... 42
2.7. Pū Whakamahara: Mnemonic Tools ................................................................................... 44
2.8. Wāhi-Ātea: Situated Spaces ............................................................................................... 45
2.9. Myth Theory ...................................................................................................................... 45
2.10. Qualitative Research Practices ......................................................................................... 50
2.11. Participation and Observation .......................................................................................... 52
2.12. Ethics ............................................................................................................................... 54
2.13. Access Through Service .................................................................................................... 56
2.14. Summary .......................................................................................................................... 58
CHAPTER THREE ........................................................................................................................... 60
Te Hunga Tātai Kīanga
3.1. Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 60
3.2. Ngā Pūkōrero: The Primary Sources ................................................................................... 61
3.3. Minarapa Kahukura Makuru (? – 1900) .............................................................................. 62
3.4. Te Kahui Kararehe (1846-1904) and Taurua Minarapa (?) ................................................... 65
3.5. Motu Tukirikau (1810 –1903) ............................................................................................. 69
3.6. Ropata Ngarongomate (1822 – 1885) ................................................................................. 72
3.7. Kaitauaki Pākehā – Pākehā Authors of Māori Tribal Traditions ........................................... 75
3.8. Stephenson Percy Smith (1840 – 1922) ............................................................................... 77
3.9. William Henry Skinner (1857 – 1946) .................................................................................. 79
3.10. Elsdon Best (1856 – 1931) ................................................................................................. 80
3.11. Kaitauaki Māori – Contemporary Māori Authors .............................................................. 82
3.12. Ruka Te Rangiahuta Broughton (1940 – 1986) .................................................................. 83
3.13. Te Miringa Milton Charles Hohaia (1952 – 2010) .............................................................. 84
3.14. Ailsa Lorraine Smith ......................................................................................................... 85
3.15. Summary .......................................................................................................................... 86
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CHAPTER FOUR ............................................................................................................................ 89
Ngā Maunga Tupua
4.1. Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 89
4.2. Narrative Variations ........................................................................................................... 90
4.3. Myth Theory, Māui and the Travelling Mountain Narrative ................................................ 94
4.4. Ngā Maunga Tupua: Mountain Entities .............................................................................. 99
4.5. Narrative Plot Themes ...................................................................................................... 102
4.6. Papa-pūtake (Homeland) ................................................................................................. 104
4.7. Pakanga (Conflict) ............................................................................................................ 109
4.8. Hekenga (Journey) ........................................................................................................... 115
4.8.a. Central Plateau – Manganuiateao – Whanganui – Ngaere – West Coast ....................... 115
4.8.b. Central - Whanganui - Sea .............................................................................................. 117
4.8.c. Travelling underground and undersea ............................................................................ 118
4.9. Papa-whenua (Settlement) ............................................................................................... 121
4.10. Summary ........................................................................................................................ 126
CHAPTER FIVE ............................................................................................................................. 129
Ngā Tūpuna
5.1. Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 129
5.2. The Kāhui Rua .................................................................................................................. 130
5.3. Maruwhakatare and Tahurangi ........................................................................................ 148
5.4. Karaka-tonga .................................................................................................................... 154
5.5. The Kāhui Maunga ........................................................................................................... 160
5.6. Summary .......................................................................................................................... 166
CHAPTER SIX ............................................................................................................................... 169
Wānanga Kōhatu
6.1. Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 169
6.2. He Tono: A Request .......................................................................................................... 172
6.3. Wānanga 1: 10 February 2013 .......................................................................................... 174
6.4. Wānanga 2: 25 February 2013 .......................................................................................... 175
6.5. Pukeiti: 21 March 2013 ..................................................................................................... 181
6.6. Wānanga 3: 25 March 2013 .............................................................................................. 183
6.7. Wānanga 4: 12-13 April 2013 ............................................................................................ 184
6.8. Haerenga ki Taupo: 18-21 June 2013 ................................................................................ 189
6.9. Wānanga 5: 30 June 2013 ................................................................................................. 193
6.10. Wānanga 6: 9 September 2013 ....................................................................................... 196
6.11. Wānanga 7: 14 September 2013 ..................................................................................... 197
6.12. Puniho Pā Trustees Annual General Meeting (AGM): 8 December 2013 .......................... 200
6.13. Summary ........................................................................................................................ 202
CHAPTER SEVEN .......................................................................................................................... 204
Conclusion
APPENDIX 1 ................................................................................................................................ 215
Narrative Texts
Travels in New Zealand (Dieffenbach 1843: 158) ..................................................................... 215
Te Ika a Māui (Taylor 1855: 226) ............................................................................................. 215
Skinner Notebooks (Skinner MS: 1-4) ...................................................................................... 216
Notes on Māori Mythology: Traditions of Travelling Mountains (Best 1899: 118) .................... 218
Te Tai Hauāuru (Hammond 1901: 199-200) ............................................................................. 219
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History and Traditions of the Taranaki Coast (Smith 1907: 148-150) ....................................... 219
Te Tohunga (Dittmer 1907: XVI) .............................................................................................. 221
Old Whanganui (Downes 1915: 1) ........................................................................................... 223
Notes on Inscribed Stones of the Taranaki District (Best 1927: 137-138) .................................. 223
Māori Myth and Religion (Best 1924: 467-469) ....................................................................... 224
Yesterdays in Maoriland (Reischek 1971:296-297) .................................................................. 226
Fairy Folk Tales of the Māori (Cowan 1928) ............................................................................. 227
Legends of the Māori (Cowan & Pomare 1930: 177-178) ......................................................... 228
Legends of the Māori II (Cowan & Pomare 1934: 189-190) ...................................................... 229
Tuwharetoa (Grace 1959: 507-508) ......................................................................................... 230
Legends of Earth (Reed 1963: 341-342) ................................................................................... 232
Woven by Water (Young 1998) ............................................................................................... 234
Tahuparae in the Whanganui River Report (Whanganui River Report 1999: 76) ...................... 234
The Foundation Story (Hohaia 2001: 9) ................................................................................... 235
Ngā Maunga Tārewarewa (Radio New Zealand 1977) ............................................................ 235
Taranaki Tribal Traditions: Māui and Te Ikaroa a Māui (Tuuta in Tamati 2010) ....................... 238
APPENDIX 2: ............................................................................................................................... 243
Ethics Forms
References .................................................................................................................................. 248
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PHOTOGRAPHS, TABLES AND MAPS
Photographs

PHOTO 1: Taranaki maunga .......................................................................................................... 13
PHOTO 2: Te Toka a Rauhoto, Puniho Pā, Taranaki maunga and Pouakai maunga ......................... 15
PHOTO 3: Te Toka a Rauhoto ........................................................................................................ 15
PHOTO 4: The Taranaki Mountains ............................................................................................... 18
PHOTO 5: Minarapa Kahukura Makuru ......................................................................................... 62
PHOTO 6: Te Kāhui Kararehe ......................................................................................................... 65
PHOTO 7: Motu Tukirikau and Rua-toki-te-hau ............................................................................. 69
PHOTO 8: S. Percy Smith ............................................................................................................... 77
PHOTO 9: W. H. Skinner ................................................................................................................ 79
PHOTO 10: Elsdon Best ................................................................................................................. 80
PHOTO 11: Rua-toki-te-hau and Hine-o-tanga ............................................................................. 148
PHOTO 12: Te Rere a Tahurangi .................................................................................................. 154
PHOTO 13: Kaimirumiru .............................................................................................................. 156
PHOTO 14: Te Toka a Rauhoto .................................................................................................... 169
PHOTO 15: Tauhara maunga ....................................................................................................... 190
PHOTO 16: Rotoaira .................................................................................................................... 191
PHOTO 17: Pihanga maunga and Lake Rotopounamu .................................................................. 193
PHOTO 18: Sketch of the face of Te Toka a Rauhoto .................................................................... 195
PHOTO 19: Hine-o-tanga ............................................................................................................. 198
PHOTO 20: Taonga kōhatu in Kaimirumiru .................................................................................. 199
PHOTO 21: Whatumauri .............................................................................................................. 199

Tables

TABLE 1: Wā-Ātea model .............................................................................................................. 34
TABLE 2: Oral Traditions Chart ...................................................................................................... 38
TABLE 3: Model of Oral Tradition .................................................................................................. 39
TABLE 4: Generational Era Sequence ............................................................................................. 40
TABLE 5: Change Dynamics Model ................................................................................................. 74
TABLE 6: Publication List ............................................................................................................... 90
TABLE 7: Migration Narrative Story Pattern ................................................................................ 102
TABLE 8: Migration Narrative Story Pattern – Aotea waka .......................................................... 103
TABLE 9: Migration Narrative Story Pattern - Taranaki maunga ................................................... 126
TABLE 10: Migration Narrative Story Pattern – Rua Taranaki ....................................................... 166
TABLE 11: Migration Narrative Story Pattern: Taranaki maunga .................................................. 206
TABLE 12: Migration Narrative Story Pattern: Rua Taranaki ........................................................ 208

Maps

MAP 1: Mountains of the Travelling Mountain Narrative .............................................................. 13
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MAP 2: River mouths, Pā and Towns ............................................................................................. 13
MAP 3: Significant features of Taranaki maunga ........................................................................... 14
MAP 4: Taranaki Whānau Whānui ................................................................................................ 22
MAP 5: Komene Road and pā tāwhito ……………………………………………………………………………………….175
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GLOSSARY OF MĀORI WORDS

A
Ahi-kāroa Long term occupation, occupation fires
Ara Path
Atua Deity, god
Awa River
H
Haka War dance
Hapū Sub-tribe
Hui Meeting
I
Iwi Tribe
K
Kaitiaki Guardian
Kaiarahi Guide
Kaikaranga Caller
Kaikōrero Orator
Kaimahi Worker
Kaitauaki Published author of tribal traditions
Kaituhi Writer
Kaumatua Elder
Karakia Prayer, invocation
Kaupapa Subject
Kawa Protocol
Kawana Government
Kōhatu Stone
Kokowai Ochre
Kōrero Speak, discuss, stories, narratives
Koro Grandfather, Elder
Koroua Male elder
Kuia Female elder
M
Makutu Black magic
Mana Power, prestige
Mana whenua Authority over land
Maunga Mountain
Marae Meeting area, central area
Marae-ātea Courtyard
Matakite Seer
Moana Sea, ocean
Manaakitanga Hospitality
Māori Indigenous people of New Zealand
Mātauranga Knowledge
Mauri Intrinsic life-force
Mokopuna Grandchild
Mōteatea Lament, ancient song
Muru Confiscate