There is one warrior of the past who was likened to the great Whakataupotiki of Hawaiki.
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See below for English translation
E mea ana ngā pakeke ko Whakataupotiki ki Hawaiki Tawhitiareare ko Haukeka ki Hawaiki Tahutahu, otīā ki ngā wai wawara o Te Rotoiti. Māna ngā mate kōhukihuki e takitaki. Ki ngā tahataha o te moana roa o Te Rotoiti he kotahi noa iho te tangata rongonui ki te rānaki mate kōhukihuki, āe ko Haukeka.
Ko wai hoki ahau ki te whakamārama i te ingoa nui nei? Kia ahatia mā ngā tuatahi, mā ngā kahika anake te kaha ki te titiro tika ki ngā ingoa nui onamata. He rangatira hoki a Haukeka.
He huatahi nā Rangitihi, te ūpoko i ngāwhātia i tākāia ki te akatea. He tao matarere nā Kawatapurangi, whaihoki ko tōna tupuna rongonui ko Te Takinga nānā i whakarū ai te rongo ki te whenua ururua i kitea ai e Taunga, e Rangitihi e Tarawhata i nōhia e Taketakehikuroa.
Nā te mea he rangatira marama a Haukeka, ka hua ake he kōrero nui nāna ki tērā takiwā, ki tērā takiwā me te whakapae a ngā iwi rahi ko Haukeka tō rātou tangata.
Kia whakatauirangia e ahau. Ki te taha uru o Te Rotoiti ki te pūwaha o Ōhau ko Mourea ko tōnā pāwhakairo ko Motutawa nō Haukeka tēnei pā, whaihoki kia titiro ai ngā kanohi ki Te Tūārae, taha whiti o Te Rotoiti kai runga kai te hiwi, ko Te Rangiunuora he taina nō Te Takinga, he whare whakairo otīā ko Haukeka te tekoteko. E rua, e rua.
E kore e taea te pewhea inā hoki te wehi o te rangatira kai te keremitia nuitia ia e ngā hapū maha. Me te whakamihi atu hoki ki a ia. Wheoi anō rā, kia hoki tātou ki ngā rā i kaha haerea ngā whenua matomato e ngā tūpuna.
He tāhere manu, he mātira ika me te tukituki whenua he mahi nui onamata. Ki tūā o Rotomā he ngāhere pakari he manu te kai nui. Kai konei a Hikaawarua e tāhere manu ana. He koroua nō Haukeka tēnei rangatira.
He aha hoki rā te take i whakatepenei ai a Hikaawarua ki te tāhere manu, tērā nā te pakari o ngā manu, e aua hoki. He mōhio hoki nō ngā tūpuna ki ngā roheohenga whenua, ko ngā wāhi e taea ai te mahi, ko ngā wāhi e rāhuitia ana. Kai te taha uru mai o te nehenehe ko ngā whenua o Ngāti Makino, taha whiti ko ngā whenua o Ngāti Awa. Ka ara ake te whakararuraru nei nāna e patu manu ana i ngā whenua o Ngāti Awa.
Ka roa a Hikaawarua e tāhere manu ana, kua warea kau ki ngā kūkūpā, ka whakawhiti pokanoa ia ki tō Ngāti Awa whenua. Ka oma te manu tūtei ki te iwi ki ngā rangatira o Ngāti Awa he kawe nāna i te kupu takahi ki ōna tangata. Kāore rawa a Hikaawarua i paku aro ki te mea e kore nā ia e kite. Ka hoki ki tōna kāinga me āna tupu. Haere te wā.
Ka puta te hiahia ki a ia kia kotahi atu ki Puketi, he pā taunaha nō ngā rangatira o Ngāti Awa, he ahakoa kua kore nei e kite i a Puketi inaianei, ko te wāhi o te pā e ahua tata mai nei ki Te Awahou.
Kauaka ko Te Awahou tō Ngāti Rangiwewehi, engari he mea kē atu kai te takiwā o Whakatāne.
Ka whakamanuwhiringia a Hikaawarua e te hau kāinga, kātahi ka ara ake te mōhiotanga ko Hikaawarua te tangata i kitea e tāhere manu pokanoa nā i te ngāhere. Ka patua a Hikaawarua. Kai reira hoki ētehi kāore e whakaae ana ki tēnei kohuru.
Ka rere te manu karere tae wawe ki Motutawa ki te pā o Memeke, tamaiti tāne a Hikaawarua. Kua patua tō Matua tāne e Te Ramaapakura rātou ko tōna iwi. Kātahi ka tukuna te karere kia hoki ki tōna kāinga.
Ka mahue te rahi o Hikaawarua ki runga o Motutawa whakangakau atu ai ki tō rātou manu ngangahu ki a Hikaawarua. Tāria te roanga atu o ngā kōrero e hoa mā.
English Translation
There is one warrior of the past who was likened to the great Whakataupotiki of Hawaiki, and it was said of these men that all unavenged wrongs would be taken and placed before them. If they felt that the unjustified death of a loved one was treacherous, they would consent to avenge the wrong and restore the mana of the whanau.
Within the collective groups that occupied the Rotoiti areas in his lifetime, there was only one name uttered by the people when such action needed to be undertaken.
The name of the warrior was Haukeka. It would be better for the writer not to attempt a translation of the title. However, Haukeka was of outstanding pedigree. Yes, he was a descendant of Rangitihi; yes, he was a warrior prodigy of Kawatapuarangi; yes, he was also possessed of the blood of the conqueror Te Takinga, that long ago fighter who, through strategy, wit and force, rested the waters and surrounding lands from the forces of Taketakehikuroa.
Due to the status of this chief, many stories claim him as their immediate source of strength. The people who occupy the small area of Mourea, Ngati Te Takinga, have stories of Haukeka occupying the island fortress of Motutawa.
Whereas their relations, the descendants of Te Rangiunuora, a younger brother of Te Takinga, share that Haukeka frequented and occupied the lands of Te Tūārae. It is here, upon the apex of the ornately carved meeting house named Te Rangiunuora, that we see the carved warrior Haukeka.
This following story is but a single thread of the entire cord that binds the rich life of Haukeka to his living descendants today. With the land boundaries of the Ngāti Awa overlapping the rich, fertile lands protected by the numerous subtribes of Kawatapuarangi, it was inevitable that clashes would arise.
Te Takinga wharenui.
The grandfather of Haukeka was Hikaawarua. Whilst out one day snaring birds for his family, he was spotted by warriors who affiliated with Ngati Awa. Where exactly Hikaawarua was seen snaring the bids was the problem.
He travelled far from his sanctuary of Motutawa and ended up hunting around the lands that bordered Ngati Makino and Ngati Awa. Unbeknownst to Hikaawarua, he was now poaching!
This information was relayed back to the prominent chief of the chief Te Ramaapakura. Time passed, Hikaawarua decided that he would pay a visit to relations who were residing at Puketi village, which was once located not too far from a site known as Te Awahou, not to be confused with the Awahou of Ngāti Rangiwewehi.
The village’s occupants well received Hikaawarua; however, when it was revealed who their visitor was, a small party decided that the unlawful hunting of pigeons upon their grounds could now be avenged. Hikaawarua was eventually killed.
Those who were against the killing of Hikaawarua sent a messenger relaying the murder of their chief to his people. The runner who had carried the message was cared for and received kindly before he again set off on his path back to warn his immediate family of the wrath of Haukeka. To be continued.
