Manawa Kāi TahuHe Kōrero Mō Tūāhuriri

Stories of Kāi Tahu Tipuna – Our Language, Our People,Our Place, Our Culture
Nā Tahu Potiki

Ko te take tuatahi kia whakawhiti mai kā tupuna o Kāi Tahu i Te Ika-a-Maui ki Te Waipounamu nei ko tērā kākari i kōrerohia, arā ko Te Pūharakeke Tapu. Ko tērā hoki te kōrero e mau tou ana i a Kāti Kurī. Ko tētahi kōrero anō te kōrero mō Tuahuriri. Ko ia te hākoro o kā tino tīpuna i nōhia katoatia te rohe o Waitaha, arā ko Tūrakautahi, ko Moki, ko Tānetiki, me ētahi atu.

Ko Tūāhuriri hoki te hua mokopuna o Tūhaitara nō reira kai a ia te kāwei ariki mō Kāi Tahu i te wā i whānau mai ai. Kāpā he tipuna uia te tama rā arā he poriro heoi ahakoa he ariki he moeka rau kawakawa hoki.

I te mea he maharahara to te tipuna rā ka whai atu a Tūāhuriri i tōna hakoro kia mōhio pai ko wai ia.

Hikutawatawa-O-Te-Raki

I noho hoki te iwi a Kāi Tahu ki Hātaitai kai te Whakanui-a-Tara, ā, i taua wā ka moe a Tūmaro i a Rākaitekura. Ko Tūmaro te tama a Kahukura-te-Paku, ko Rākaitekura te tamahine a Tāmaihuporo. I tonoa a Tūmaro kia haere ki wāhi kē, ā, ina hoki mai ia ko hapū tōna wahine.

I te wā o te whānautaka mai ka mamae rawa te kōpū o Rākaitekura. I maharahara a Tūmaro, ā, ka tīmata ia ki te takitaki i kā ikoa o kā tāne katoa o te kāika. Ka whakahua ia i te ikoa Te Aohikuraki ka whānau mai te tama, ā, ko tapaina ia ko Hikutawatawa-o-te-Raki.

Nā taua whakariteka i mōhio a Tūmaro ko moe tāhae a Rākaitekura rāua ko Te Aohikuraki. Nā wai rā ka ora anō a Rākaitekura i haere a Tūmaro ki tōna whare ka mea atu ia, “Koukou i ō makawe, rākai i a koe me tō tamaiti.” I haere ia ki te maka kia kite i tāna whakaata koina i tapaina te wai rā ko Koukourarata.

Ka kawea a Rākaitekura rāua ko Hikutawatawa-o-te-Raki e Tūmaro ki te whare o Te Aohikuraki hei wahine māhana. Kātahi ka haere a Tūmaro ki tōna hākoro ki Te Waipounamu.

I tipu mai a Hikutawatawa, a, ka āta titiro mārie atu te huka kaumatua ki a ia i te mea, i ki mai rātou, “Ehara i te haka noa iho taua poriro rā.” I roko a Hikutawatawa i taua hakirara katahi ka ui atu ia ki tōna hākui kei hea tona hākoro. Ka mea atu a Rakaitekura, “Kei te tōka o te ra e noho ana.”

I wehe atu a Hikutawatawa ki te whai atu i tōna hākoro a Tūmaro. Ka tae atu ia ki Waimea ki te kāika o Kahukura-te-Paku. Ka whawhao tōna ope ki rō whare ka whakahau atu a Kahukura-te-Paku, “Tahuna kā umu.”

I takoto tīraha a Hikutawatawa e mātakitaki ana i te āhua o te whare. Ka kī atu ia, “Āe ko te kaho tukou o taku tipuna a Kahukuratepaku i mahue atu rā i a au i rāwahi i Kauwhakaarawaru.” I te tū tētahi tutei kai waho o te mataaho nāhana i kawe taua kōrero ki Kahukura-te-Paku.

Ka mea atu a Kahukura kia tineia kā ahi, tukuna kā mauhere, kātahi ka haere rātou ki te tūahu karakia ai. I te mea i kite ia i kā ahi e auahi tou ana i taka riri rawa a Hikutawatawa heoti anō ko tapaina tana ikoa ko Tūāhuriri.

I hoki atu ia ki tōna kāika, ā, nā wai rā, nā wai rā i tae mai tētahi karere nō Kahukura-te-Paku kia tono atu ki a Tuahuriri mō te ohu i te Kāhuru. Ekari ka whakaatu a Tuahuriri mō te taeka mai o te Makariri, ā, kātahi ia ka hoki atu ki Waimea me tōna iwi kotahi rau tākata te nui.

Nā rātou i mahiti ka paeka kai katoa kātahi ka hoki atu rātou ki Hātaitai. I muri iho i tahuna te whare o Kahukura, ā, na wai rā ka tupuria te whenua ki kā pora. Nā te kore kai i kai te iwi o Kahukura i kā pora, ā, taihoa ake ka mauiui te iwi, ka hori te tinana, ka mate rātou katoa.

I tana hokika atu ki te kāika ka tū te pakaka kai waekanui i a Tūāhuriri me Hikaroroa. Ka mate kā wāhine a Tūāhuriri i te rikarika a Tūtekawa nā reira ka wehe ia ki Te Waipounamu noho ai.

Ka tipu te kākau mahara ki roto i a Tūāhuriri. Ka mea atu ia ki tōna iwi me whakawhiti atu rātou ki Te Waipounamu. Ka haere atu rātou mā ruka waka, ā, ka ū te waka o Tūāhuriri ki te Moana o Raukawa. Kātahi ka puhi mai te Hau o Rokoroko kia tahuri te waka o Tūāhuriri. Ka toremi a ia, ka haere tou āna tamariki kia nōhia katoatia te rohe o Waitaha me Horomaka.

Ko tāna tama ko Moki te toa whawhai i whakatere mai te waka Makawhiu kia riro ki a ia ka umu tākata mō te iwi. Ko Tūrakautahi te tama i whakatū ai te pā tuwatawata rokonui rawa ko Kaiapoi.

Nā rāua i tūturu te noho o Kāi Tūāhuriri ki reira.

The first reason that the ancestors of Kāi Tahu crossed from the North Island to the South Island was the battle of Pūharakeke Tapu. This narrative has been particularly preserved by the Kāti Kurī people. There is another well-known story that has been retained and that is the story of Tūāhuriri. He is the father of many important ancestors connected with the settlement of the greater Canterbury area, namely Tūrakautahi, Moki, Tanetiki and others.

Tūāhuriri was the descendant of Tūhaitara and subsequently carried the most chiefly lines of Kāi Tahu. That said, he was also considered by many as having questionable lineage that suggested he was born illegitimately, so although high-born, he was also the product of an illicit liaison.

Due to his anxiety about his father, Tūāhuriri embarked on a mission to determine exactly who he was.

Hikutawatawa-O-Te-Raki

The Kāi Tahu ancestors were also residing at Hātaitai alongside the Wellington harbour. Tūmaro, an original inhabitant, had taken recent arrival Rākaitekura, as his wife. Tūmaro was the son of Kahukura-te-Paku whilst Rākaitekura was the daughter of Tamaihuporo. Tūmaro had been called away for a period of time and when he returned he discovered his wife was pregnant.

At the time of the birth Rākaitekura found herself in great pain. Tūmaro was anxious (because this may have been a sign) so he began to recite the names of all the men in the village. When he spoke the name of Te Aohikuraki the child was born immediately. The boy was named Hikutawatawa-o-te-Raki.

As a result of the recitation, Tūmaro then knew that Rākaitekura had been unfaithful and that Te Aohikuraki was the boy’s father. After a time, when Rākaitekura had recovered, Tūmaro went to her and said, “Dress your hair and adorn yourself and your child.” She went down to the creek to check her reflection and that is why that stream was named Koukourarata.

Tūmaro took Rākaitekura and Hikutawatawa-o-te-Raki to the house of Te Aohikuraki so he could take her as his wife. He then left Hātaitai and came across to the South Island to live with his father.

As Hikutawatawa grew up the elders watched him closely. One noted, “He is not just a normal bastard, this one.” Hikutawatawa heard this insult and asked his mother where his father was. Rākaitekura said he is at the setting place of the sun.

So Hikutawatawa left to search for Tūmaro and arrived at Waimea and the village of his grandfather Kahukura-te-Paku. He and his party entered the house and then Kahukura-te-Paku instructed his people to prepare the ovens.

Meanwhile inside the house Hikutawatawa lay on his back and gazed at the house decorations. He noticed one particular feature and said, “These are the same as the carved battens of the house of my ancestor, Kahukura-te-Paku, who abandoned me across the strait at Kauwhakaarawaru.” A sentry who was standing at the window overheard the comment and conveyed what he had heard to Kahukura-te-Paku.

Kahukura immediately instructed his people to extinguish the fires, release the prisoners and gather at the altar. Hikutawatawa could see the fires still smouldering once he got to the sacred site so he was seething with rage as he knew they were meant for him. This is the reason that he was named Tūāhuriri.

He returned to his home and then after a period of time Kahukura-te-Paku sent a message to Tūāhuriri to come across and assist during harvest time. But Tūāhuriri decided to wait and travelled in the wintertime arriving at Waimea with 100 of his people.

The visitors consumed everything the village had, including their food stored for winter, then they returned to Hātaitai. Not long afterwards, the house of Kahukura burned to the ground and the land beneath it grew over with native turnips. Because the people were starving, they began to eat the turnips even though they were growing on sacred land. They fell ill, their bodies writhed and all of them died.

Upon his return to his home an altercation occurred between Tūāhuriri and Hikaroroa. The wives of Tūāhuriri were killed by the hand of Tutekawa, who then fled to the South Island and settled there with his people.

Meanwhile a vengeful heart was growing within Tūāhuriri.

He said to his people that they should all cross to the South Island. They travelled by canoe and so Tūāhuriri also set off to cross Cook Strait. Suddenly the wind known as Te Hau o Rokoroko blew strongly and overturned the canoe of Tūāhuriri. He drowned but his children continued south and eventually settled the entire Banks Peninsula and Canterbury area.

His son Moki was a fighting chief who travelled upon the canoe Makawhiu and had many important conquests for his people. His other son Tūrakautahi was famous for establishing the defensible fort, Kaiapoi, that stood in North Canterbury until it was destroyed in 1829.

These two ancestors established permanent and enduring rights for Kāi Tūāhuriri in the Canterbury region.