Iwi celebrate waka found at Pātea that could be linked to Tītokowaru war

The waka wrapped up for transportation after being pulled out of the river.

A waka believed to be over 150 years old has been salvaged from the Pātea River in Taranaki. The rare find is being described as a valuable link to the heritage of local iwi, Te Pakakohi, Ngāti Ruanui and Ngā Rauru.

The discovery happened by chance.

“To us it was found because of this kōrero about a tohu [a sign] that happened about three weeks ago when tuna [eels] were found on the beach at Te Pātea and they had to find out how our taonga passed away and it led back to the dam here,” local kaumātua Ngapare Nui says.

“They came up here and they were looking to see if there was any more dead tuna along the river here and that’s when they came across the taonga, the waka here.”

Darren Ngarewa, a South Taranaki Māori historian said that to identify it was tawhito (ancient) Māori “was to see that it was made of tōtara. Very lucky because I worked in the native nursery for 10 years so I could identify the tōtara and tōtara trees have been missing from this area for a long long time.

“I knew as soon as I saw it was tōtara that it was from a much older era but I also noticed that it was across from our old pā site of Kuranui.”

Iwi almost wiped out

Ngarewa believes the waka is from Kuranui Pā, a settlement of Pakakohi. This iwi was almost wiped out by land confiscation and the imprisonment of its men during the New Zealand wars.

“It’s impossible to say exactly but, because Kuranui is right over here, my feelings are that it’s most likely, most highly likely, that it’s part and parcel of the history of Kuranui, which goes back, last used by our people as a refuge to hide up the river from the colonial soldiers and the kūpapa [a term used for Māori who fought for the Crown] who were hunting them after the battles of Tītokowaru. They had joined with Tītokowaru. The tribes of this area had supported him through his fighting,” Ngarewa says.

Local author Airana Ngarewa believes the find is a significant historical link for his hapū.

“We are quite content to see this ancient artefact, a treasure from Pakakohi, a very ancient artefact from 1869 from what we know and it’s just been sitting in the river,” Airana says.

It’s hoped the waka will eventually be displayed in the Pātea Museum, as a prized possession for all.