Rākaihautū

Rākaihautū was the captain of the Uruaokapuarangi canoe (waka) and a Polynesian ancestor of various iwi, most famously of Waitaha and other southern groups, though he is also known in the traditions of Taitokerau, and in those of Rarotonga.[1]

Rākaihautū
Born9th century?
Eastern Polynesia
Spouse(s)
  • Waiariki-o-āio
Children
  • Te Rakihouia
  • Te Uhi-tataraiakoa

In Māori traditions, once Rākaihautū landed the Uruaokapuarangi at the top of the South Island, he moved southward and dug up many of the island's major lakes using a magical kō (digging stick), filling them with food for his many descendants.[2]

Origin

Rākaihautū originally sailed with his wife Waiariki-o-āio, their son Te Rakihouia,[lower-alpha 1] and their people from Te-patunui-o-āio[lower-alpha 2] aboard the Uruaokapuarangi canoe[5][6] over 34 generations ago.[4][7] The crew included some of Rākaihautū's kin who were of the tribes Te Kāhui Tipua, Te Kāhui Roko, and Te Kāhui Waitaha.[8][9] Rākaihautū's daughter Te Uhi-tataraiakoa stayed behind in Te-patunui-o-āio.[7]

On the journey to the South Island the heavens and the ocean blocked the canoe's path, until Rākaihautū chanted a karakia and cut a passage with his adze. He eventually landed the Uruaokapuarangi at Nelson, at the top of the South Island.[10]

Exploration

From Nelson, Rākaihautū and his wife separated from Te Rakihouia and began to explore the Southern Alps.[5] Te Rakihouia and Te Kāhui Waitaha took the canoe and continued down the east coast, eventually landing it near the Clutha River.[8]

In the tradition of Ngā Puna Wai Karikari o Rākaihautū,[11] Rākaihautū dug out the large lakes from Lake Rotoiti, Lake Rotoroa, and Rangitahi[12] in the north to Lake Te Anau[13] and Lake Manapouri[14] in the south.[5] For this purpose he used a digging stick named Tūwhakarōria.[5] Upon reaching Foveaux Strait he then travelled back up along the east coast, reunited with Te Rakihouia, and settled in Banks Peninsula where he thrust his stick into a hill called Pūhai above Akaroa Harbour, renaming it (the stick) to Tuhiraki.[5] The stick became the rocky peak that is known to Pākehā as Mount Bossu.[14][15]

Specific lakes that Rākaihautū is credited with digging include Lake Tekapo, Lake Pukaki, Lake Ohau, Lake Hāwea, Lake Wānaka, Lake Wakatipu, Whakatipu Waitī, Te Aitarakihi near Washdyke, Lake Ellesmere / Te Waihora, and Lake Forsyth.[9]

Legacy

Namesakes of Rākaihautū include Te Pataka o Rākaihautū (The Storehouse of Rākaihautū)[16] and Te Kete Ika o Rākaihautū (The Fish Basket of Rākaihautū).[17]

He is most famously known as an ancestor of Waitaha,[5][lower-alpha 3] though the founders of Kāti Māmoe[lower-alpha 4] and the lesser known Te Kāhea,[lower-alpha 5][lower-alpha 6] iwi are both said to be descendants of Te Uhi-tataraiakoa's great grandson Toi. Ngāpuhi and Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu are also said to be descended from Toi through the ancestor Rāhiri.[4][lower-alpha 7] The ancient Hāwea tribe is sometimes said to descend from Toi,[7][lower-alpha 8] or they could have arrived on their own canoe—the Kapakitua under Taiehu's captaincy—earlier than the Uruaokapuarangi.[21] Kapakitua might have otherwise been the name of Rākaihautū's adze onboard the Uruaokapuarangi when it arrived to the South Island.[8]

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See also

Notes
  1. Spelled Rokohuia by Sir Tipene O'Regan in Waitangai: Maori & Pakeha Perspectives of the Treaty of Waitangi.[1][3]
  2. Another name for Hawaiki, sometimes recorded as Patunui-o-waio.[4]
  3. Waitaha's namesake(s) lived around 12 generations after Te Uhi-tataraiakoa.[7][12]
  4. Kāti Māmoe's namesake lived around eight generations after Waitaha,[7] and originated in the Hastings District in the North Island.[18]
  5. Te Kāhea's namesake lived around 9 generations after Te Uhi-tataraiakoa.[7]
  6. Ngāi Tahu's ancestress Tūhaitara married a Hastings local of Kāhea descent.[19] Tūhaitara herself had some Ngāti Māmoe ancestry.[7]
  7. Rāhiri lived around 20 generations after Te Uhi-tataraiakoa.[7]
  8. When Ngāti Māmoe crossed to the South Island, all ancient tribes (Te Kāhui Tipua, Te Kāhui Roko, Te Rapuwai, Ngāti Hawea, and Ngāti Wairangi)[20] that had been present there were collectively called Waitaha, including the original group with that name.[1] This also happened with Kāti Māmoe when Ngāi Tahu migrated after them;[18] of which the previous groups are now often considered sub-groupings.

References
  1. "Ngāi Tahu – Kaikōura History". Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  2. Phillips, Jock (2008). "Rural mythologies – Rākaihautū, Brian Flintoff". Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  3. Kawharu, I.H. (1989). Waitangai: Maori & Pakeha Perspectives of the Treaty of Waitangi. Oxford University Press. p. 236. ISBN 0 19 558175 X.
  4. "Notes and queries, p 385-387". Journal of the Polynesian Society. 1925. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  5. Taonui, Rāwiri (2005). "Canoe traditions – Canoes of the South Island". Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  6. Tau, Te Maire (2005). "Rākaihautū sculpture, Chris Booth". Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  7. "Te heke-o-nga-toko-toru. (The migration of the three.) by George Graham, p 190-192". Journal of the Polynesian Society. 1922. Retrieved 16 May 2020. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  8. Stephenson, Janet; Bauchop, Heather; Petchey, Peter (2004). Bannockburn Heritage Landscape Study (PDF). p. 29.
  9. "Rākaihautū". University of Canterbury – Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  10. Tau, Te Maire (2005). "Ngāi Tahu – Ngāi Tahu and Waitaha". Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  11. Parliamentary Council Office – Te Tari Tohutohu Pāremata (2014). "Ngāi Tahu Claims Settlement Act 1998 No 97 (as at May 2014), Public Act Schedule 58 Statutory acknowledgement for Te Ana-au (Lake Te Anau)". New Zealand Legislation. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  12. Mitchell, Hilary and John. "Te Tau Ihu tribes - Early Traditions". Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
  13. "Te Anau". Queenstown.com. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  14. Tau, Te Maire (2005). "Lake Manapouri photo, Lloyd Homer". Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  15. Tau, Te Maire (2005). "Tuhiraki photo, John Wilson". Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  16. "Horomaka or Te Pataka o Rakaihautū — Banks Peninsula". Christchurch City Libraries. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  17. "Whakaora Te Waihora". Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  18. "tauparapara continued". Te Rūnaka o Ōtākou. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  19. Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu (2012). "Manawa Kāi Tahu – Waiata mō Huirapa". Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  20. Te Taumutu Rūnanga. "Our History". Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  21. "Ancient Iwi – Ngāi Tahu". maori.nz. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
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