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.