Below are a series of e-mails sent to me by Sam Rerekura about the Matahourua canoe:
Original Message --- Sam Rerekura wrote:
>
> Kia Carol
>
> I have the book right infront of me on page 94 which speaks about simmons account on
> Matawhaorua. I worked at the Auckland Museum after David had left to retire. He has
> some good work. Prof. Biggs lectured me in a third stage maori paper at Auckland. Kamira
> is an excellent example of misleading pakeha by changing information around.
> He wrote his manuscript in his last days and had become somewhat forgetful where he
> states in Biggs translation that the mamari came to Aotearoa first and Ngatokimatawhaorua
> arrived much later, however, we in Te Hokianga-nui-a-Kupe Hokianga Whakapau Karakia know
> that these two canoes both made the migration together.
> It is the Hokianga people who are the direct uri of Kupe, it is from this original source
> where we get our account. All other foreign accounts are considered to be irrelevant.
>
> Nga Waka o Nehera is a very good book which is well written. However, when it comes to
> Matawhaorua and Ngatokimatawhaorua it is the people of the Hokianga wananga which should
> be asked which account is the closest to the original source.
>
> I surf the net for maori websites and enjoy getting into intellectual debates with
> people. Thanks very much for the discussion we had
today. sam
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Carol Whyte
> To: Sam Rerekura
> Sent: Wednesday, September 06, 2000 11:32 AM
> Subject: Re: Mataawaka
>
>
> Ki Sam
>
> Thank you for your message about the reporting of canoe voyaging and their accounts.
> I will keep it in mind while looking through various books :)
>
> There is also a good book out called "Nga Waka O Nehera" which lists the crew members of
> the canoes that travelled to NZ. I thought that was good reading.
>
> Cheers
>
> Carol Whyte
> --- Sam Rerekura wrote: >
>Subject: Re: Mataawaka
> Kia Ora
>
> Kupe's high priest who came with him on his canoe "Matahorua" as you refer to it was
> called Te Papaatara (Te Papatara) who also made a second trip to the Hokianga with
> Nukutawhiti on the same canoe readzed and given an extended name Ngatokimatawhaorua.
> Te Papatara was placed in a waka tupapaku upon his death and placed in the mystical
> caves of the sacred mountain Te Ramaroa-a-Kupe above the settlement of the Whirinaki
> valley, Te Hikutu. I have also read in books claiming that Nukutawhiti was the captain of
> the migrational canoe Mamari.
>
> Ruanui was the captain of the Mamari canoe. Oral tradition in the Hokianga has
> Nukutawhiti as the captain of Ngatoki. Our tupuna made intentional errors in their
> accounts to fool pakeha. this is only one example of my ancestors taking pakeha and
> others not from the area for a ride.
>
>I accept your spelling of my canoe as Matahorua. This approach is referred to by
> linguists as a, "Non-distinctive-phonemic-construction" meaning that the canoes
> Matahorua
> Matawhaorua
> Matahaurua
> Mataharua
> Matawharua
> and the like are all references to one in the same canoe.
>
> We in Hokianga Whakapau Karakia prefer, "Matawhaorua".
>
> Naku noa
>
> ----- Original Message -----
>
>From: Carol Whyte
>To: Sam Rerekura
>Subject: Re: Mataawaka
>Sent: Wednesday, September 13, 2000 10:12 AM
>Subject: Re: Mataawaka
> Kia Sam,
>
> Thank you for your reply (below), and, yes, you are correct in stating that some
> of the elders have altered the teaching for various reasons.
>
> Could I place a link to your e-mail message below as an explanation of this for
> others who need to research the Matahorua lines so they are aware of what you are
> saying? Please?
>
> Cheers
>
> Carol
>
> ----- Original Message -----
>
>From: Sam Rerekura
>To: Carol Whyte
>Subject: Re: Mataawaka
Date: Wed, 13 Sep 2000
that is fine Carol. Kia Ora.
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