Our history
Te Aitanga a Mahaki trace their beginnings from the waiata "Haramai a Paoa". The maunga in shape the haumi, and the land where Paoa found the totara to repair Horouta. The quotation is immortalised in the land, "Te manga i tu ai te rakau a Paoa", Mangatu.
Ko Maungahaumi te maungaKo Mangatu te whenuaKo Waipaoa te awaKo Te Aitanga a Mahaki te iwi
Haramai a Paoa i runga i tona waka i a HoroutaKa pakaru ki Tuaranui o KanawaKa haramai ki uta ki te rapa haumi, ki te rapa punakiKa kitea te haumi, ka kitea te punakiE kai kamakama, ka miia tona mimiRere ana Motu, rere ana WaipaoaKo Kopututea te putanga ki wahoKi a unu mai tona kuri, e pakia mai neiE nga ngaru o te moana, e takoto neiKa huri ka huri te haere a PaoaKi te Tairawhiti e!
Our traditional history begins with the arrival of the Horouta waka at Ohiwa in the Bay or Plenty. In an attempt to cross a sandbar named Tukerae o Kanawa, the haumi of the Horouta snapped in half. To make repairs to the waka, Paoa took a party of warriors inland to search for a suitable tree. On a large mountain they found what they sought, and named the mountain Maungahaumi, where Paoa needed to relieve himself forming Te Mimi a Paoa, (the Waipaoa River), flowing south, and the Motu River, flowing north of the mountain.
The repaired waka headed east, rounding the East Cape following the coastline south, greeting the descendants of Toi, replenishing water and food as they went. Some of the Horouta descendants remained and settled with the Toi descendants on the way, whilst the rest continued south until they reached a large bay where Kiwa set up a rahui tuahu claiming the area in the names of the remaining crew of Horouta. The landing place was named Turanganui A Kiwa. To celebrate their discovery, Hineakua the daughter of Paoa, was given in marriage to Kahutuanui, the son of Kiwa, producing the future descendants of Turanganui A Kiwa.
The marriage of Rakaikoko, a descendant of Hine Hakirirangi, sister of Paoa, into the Kiwa - Paoa family, was an important alliance. Hine Hakirirangi was the ancestor who, it is said,to have nurtured and brought the kumara from Hawaikii in her sacred kete, and planted the vines at Manawaru and Araiteuru, as sustenance for the tribe.
Haramai a Paoa i runga i tona waka i a HoroutaKa pakaru ki Tuaranui o KanawaKa haramai ki uta ki te rapa haumi, ki te rapa punakiKa kitea te haumi, ka kitea te punakiE kai kamakama, ka miia tona mimiRere ana Motu, rere ana WaipaoaKo Kopututea te putanga ki wahoKi a unu mai tona kuri, e pakia mai neiE nga ngaru o te moana, e takoto neiKa huri ka huri te haere a PaoaKi te Tairawhiti e!
Our traditional history begins with the arrival of the Horouta waka at Ohiwa in the Bay or Plenty. In an attempt to cross a sandbar named Tukerae o Kanawa, the haumi of the Horouta snapped in half. To make repairs to the waka, Paoa took a party of warriors inland to search for a suitable tree. On a large mountain they found what they sought, and named the mountain Maungahaumi, where Paoa needed to relieve himself forming Te Mimi a Paoa, (the Waipaoa River), flowing south, and the Motu River, flowing north of the mountain.
The repaired waka headed east, rounding the East Cape following the coastline south, greeting the descendants of Toi, replenishing water and food as they went. Some of the Horouta descendants remained and settled with the Toi descendants on the way, whilst the rest continued south until they reached a large bay where Kiwa set up a rahui tuahu claiming the area in the names of the remaining crew of Horouta. The landing place was named Turanganui A Kiwa. To celebrate their discovery, Hineakua the daughter of Paoa, was given in marriage to Kahutuanui, the son of Kiwa, producing the future descendants of Turanganui A Kiwa.
The marriage of Rakaikoko, a descendant of Hine Hakirirangi, sister of Paoa, into the Kiwa - Paoa family, was an important alliance. Hine Hakirirangi was the ancestor who, it is said,to have nurtured and brought the kumara from Hawaikii in her sacred kete, and planted the vines at Manawaru and Araiteuru, as sustenance for the tribe.
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Maungahaumi.
Pawerawera, the pā of Māhaki — is located adjacent to State Highway 2, just before the Ōtoko Hill.
Pukepoto Pa.
Above photos courtesy of: Nga Maunga Korero,
By Wananga Te Ariki Walker.