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Making New Zealand vol 01 no 02: The Maori

Tribes Trace their Origin to the Canoes of the Great Migration

page 8

Tribes Trace their Origin to the Canoes of the Great Migration

A sketch of the Paepaeaotea, a rocky island near White Island in the Bay of Plent, which R. Mair, the Maori scholar, described as 'The threshold of Aotearoa—a joyful sight to the weary voyagers' after their migration. It is stated in Maori traditions that the coastline behind this rock was one of the first landfalls of the migrating canoes.

A sketch of the Paepaeaotea, a rocky island near White Island in the Bay of Plent, which R. Mair, the Maori scholar, described as 'The threshold of Aotearoa—a joyful sight to the weary voyagers' after their migration. It is stated in Maori traditions that the coastline behind this rock was one of the first landfalls of the migrating canoes.

The crew of each canoe that arrived in New Zealand with the great fleet of 1350 A.D. settled in a different part of the country. Thus the people of the Aotea canoe and their descendants formed the tribes of the west coast area. The Mataatua canoe made its landfall at Whakatane, and from this canoe descend many of the tribes of the Whakatane and Bay of Plenty districts. From the Arawa canoe, which beached at Maketu, come the people of the Hot Lakes and Taupo region. Tribes of the King Country and the Waikato call the Tainui canoe their own. Taranaki tribes claim descent from the Tokomaru and Kurahaupo canoes. From Takitimu and Horouta canoes come the people of the East Coast.

These and other voyagers claimed their tribal areas by right of naming and settlement. They brought with them from their homeland the kumara, the taro, the yam. The native Polynesian dog came with them as an invited guest on.their canoes, but the rat probably came by mistake as a stowaway.

G. F. Angas drew Maketu House, Otawhao Pa (East Coast, North Island), and described it as being 'constructed entirely of wood, and thatched with raupo . . . . the carving bestowed upon the figures that so profusely adorn this "war temple" exhibits a wonderful degree of labour and skill.' This is an interesting drawing of an old-time Maori meeting house—not a 'war temple' as Angas states.

G. F. Angas drew Maketu House, Otawhao Pa (East Coast, North Island), and described it as being 'constructed entirely of wood, and thatched with raupo . . . . the carving bestowed upon the figures that so profusely adorn this "war temple" exhibits a wonderful degree of labour and skill.' This is an interesting drawing of an old-time Maori meeting house—not a 'war temple' as Angas states.

page 9

From the very nature of its founding, each tribe was composed of people more or less closely related to one another by blood. As the tribes increased in numbers, one group of relatives might break away to form a sub-tribe. But all the members of the largest tribal grouping would proudly trace their ancestry back to the founder of the tribe after whom the tribe was named.

Each tribe kept closely to the area of land which it claimed as its own and off which it made its living by cultivation, hunting and fishing. The people were settled in small villages, each near its own cultivations. In times of warfare the people retired to their fortified village or pa where they lived until danger was over.

The houses making up the village were all rectangular in shape. There was a rough cookhouse for each family. The sleeping house used by several families was built for warmth. It was anything up to thirty feet long, with low walls banked with earth, a low door, a small window. There was no chimney. A small fire was kept burning during cold weather and the smoke escaped where it could. In larger houses logs of wood were laid on the floor to mark off resting places and to keep the bedding fern from drifting about the floor.

A map showing the approximate landing places of the canoes of the great migration and the boundaries of the land areas originally settled by members of the crews. The map form which this sketch is taken hangs in the Auckland museum.

A map showing the approximate landing places of the canoes of the great migration and the boundaries of the land areas originally settled by members of the crews. The map form which this sketch is taken hangs in the Auckland museum.

The pride of the village was a large carved dwelling house occupied by the chief or reserved for honoured guests. It was sometimes seventy feet long, built with mighty carved timbers. The walls were lined inside with ornamental reed work and the rafters painted with intricate designs in red and white. These meeting houses of important and powerful tribes were works of great art.

Storehouses, both large and small, were built on raised foundations. They were intricately carved on the outside and painted with red ochre. As with the meeting house, the work in decorating the storehouse was meant to indicate the wealth and prestige of the tribe.

Dumont d'Urville's artist made this pleasing representation of a typical inlet on the East Coast of the North Island. Prominent in the picture are the Maori canoes, the trees growing to the water's edge, and the sea-worn rocks.

Dumont d'Urville's artist made this pleasing representation of a typical inlet on the East Coast of the North Island. Prominent in the picture are the Maori canoes, the trees growing to the water's edge, and the sea-worn rocks.