MTG’s Voices of Kahungunu exhibit shares many voices – Te Hira Henderson

The Pūrākau o Te Whenua exhibition at MTG Hawke’s Bay.

At MTG Hawke’s Bay Tai Ahuriri, when we exhibit a Māori oral history pūrākau [story], they can share more than one interpretation.

Each version is tied into the fabric of a tribal whakapapa relating to a common tīpuna and waka. Versions can differ greatly despite discussing the same waka or tīpuna.

One such example is the tīpuna Rongokako, who features in the museum’s Pūrākau o Te Whenua exhibition. Rongokako has been lying on his back in the Karanema/Havelock North vicinity since the 14th century, so the story is told in Te Matau-a-Māui/Hawke’s Bay.

A giant of a man, he left footprints all over the place on both main islands of Aotearoa. Along the east coast of the North Island/Te Ika-a-Māui, his footprints can be seen in many places such as Heretaunga, Māhia, Whāngārā and further east. We also know of his keen amorous nature.

In Te Matau-a-Māui, Hinerākau of Pakipaki stole Rongokako’s heart. He died trying to please her as he attempted to bite his way through a hill, because she wanted her people to have access from Pakipaki to Waimārama.

A different version has Rongokako lying in exile down in the South Island/Te Waipounamu after coveting another man’s wife from Te Moana-a-Toitehuatahi/Bay of Plenty.

This version has Rongokako setting off from one of the islands in the Hawaiki group in search of a waka called Horouta. This waka was captained by Pāoa, or Pāwa (depending on the version of the story). Rongokako caught up with this waka at Ōhiwa, Aotearoa but instead of focusing on his objective, his attention turned to Pāoa’s wife.

Pāoa took umbrage at Rongokako and his advances towards his wife. Rongokako, although schooled in the art of taiaha, did not match the skills of Pāoa. Rongokako, in flight, jumped from Ōhiwa to Wharekahika/Hicks Bay on the east coast. From there he leapt to Whāngārā and Māhia, stepping over Te Matau-a-Māui waters to Te Kauwae-a-Māui/Cape Kidnappers then Te Whanganui-a-Tara/Wellington, and finally crossing Raukawa/Cook Strait, never to be seen again.

With the common ancestor Rongokako, there are two waka involved: Horouta and Takitimu, both of which also have different histories attached. Horouta was the waka of the Polynesian explorer Toi, captained by Pāoa.

The iwi descending from the Horouta waka include Rangitāne and Ngāi Tara of Te Kauwae-a-Māui/Cape Kidnappers, who predate Ngāti Kahungunu, as well as Ruapani of northern Hawke’s Bay. Additionally, Rongowhakaata, Te Aitanga a Hauiti, and Te Aitanga a Māhaki are iwi of the east coast that trace their lineage to Horouta.

In Te Matau-a-Māui, we say when Takitimu arrived, the captain, Tamatea (now Tamatea Arikinui), hopped off and made his home between Te Puke to Tauranga, with his present dwelling on top of Mauao Maunga in Tauranga.

In doing this, he gave captainship to Tahu, who sailed to Te Waipounamu and began the iwi Ngāi Tahu. However, Ngā Puhi’s version from Tai Tokerau/Northland says after Kahungunu (Rongokako’s grandson) was born and bred in Ngā Puhi, he carved the second Takitimu waka and sailed off in pursuit of his father and exploration.

When arriving at Whāngārā just east of Gisborne, Kahungunu gave the waka Takitimu to Tahu. This was due to the amorous nature of Tahu with his older brother Porourangi’s widow, Hamoterangi. The people of Whāngārā attempted to kill Tahu for his forwardness. However, Tahu escaped with Hamoterangi to Te Waipounamu and began Ngāi Tahu. The people who descend from Porourangi, Ngāti Pōrou at the top of the East Cape, also hold the same version as Ngā Puhi.

The Kuru Taonga: Voices of Kahungunu exhibition at MTG shares the Takitimu pūrākau from the north of Te Ika-a-Māui down to the east coast with Kahungunu.

Come in and have a look. It’s very, very interesting.