Rākaihautū
Captain of the Uruaokapuarangi canoe
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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 | |
|---|---|
| Born | 9th century? Eastern Polynesia |
| Spouse |
|
| Children |
|
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,[a] and their people from Te-patunui-o-āio[b] 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, on 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.
| External videos | |
|---|---|
 Rākaihautū and the creation of Lake Pūkaki on Vimeo (2 mins 43 s) |
[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 Ōhau, 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][c] though the founders of Kāti Māmoe[d] and the lesser known Te Kāhea,[e][f] 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][g] The ancient Hāwea tribe is sometimes said to descend from Toi,[7][h] 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]
See also
Notes
- Spelled Rokohuia by Sir Tipene O'Regan in Waitangai: Maori & Pakeha Perspectives of the Treaty of Waitangi.[1][3]
- Kāti Māmoe's namesake lived around eight generations after Waitaha,[7] and originated in the Hastings District in the North Island.[18]
- Ngāi Tahu's ancestress Tūhaitara married a Hastings local of Kāhea descent.[19] Tūhaitara herself had some Ngāti Māmoe ancestry.[7]
- 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.