Ngā Tūtohu Whenua o Ngāti Toa
Critical Histories shared with the community
On Tuesday, 7 March we unveiled four Pou Whenua at sites of significance across Porirua in an effort to educate our community about the significance of these landmarks, the history they have within our iwi, the traditional uses of these spaces and the importance of preserving this mātauranga for future generations.
These pou will be visited by thousands of people who enjoy our many walking tracks here in Porirua, and who visit our sites of significance daily without knowing the importance these landmarks play in the shaping of our modern community.
Directly beside the pou whenua are plinths containing QR codes where people will be able to scan and link directly to our website with videos going into more details about each site. You can view these videos here.
The pou can be found at Whitireia, Rangituhi, Pauatahanui and Te Awarua o Porirua (on Wi Neera Drive).
The designs on our pou whenua depict our tūpuna, kaumātua, whānau, rangatahi and generations still to come. The triangular pattern work links back to our Whare Tūpuna and the takitoru pattern seen in the rafters.
We hope these pou will be enjoyed by many future generations living in or visiting our beautiful little slice of paradise.
WHITIREIA
Whitireia may not be considered a mountain when compared to Taranaki or Ruapehu however, in terms of a strategic vantage point it was as lofty as any of the maunga in Aotearoa. From the peak of Whitireia you could see to the Kapiti Coast, along Wellington’s west coast and across Raukawa Moana (Cook Strait) to the South Island. It was an ideal trading post while also allowing any potential threats to be seen.
There is evidence of historic gardens along the north terraces of Whitireia that once grew kūmara.
Whitireia is notable for the 1877 court case taken by Wī Parata Te Kākākura vs The Bishop of Wellington, Octavius Hadfield. Wī Parata sought the return of the land at Whitireia which had been gifted to the Anglican Church for the sole purpose of building a school. The gifting of this land was based on the promise a school would be built for Ngāti Toa children. The school was never built and the land was retained by the crown.
RANGITUHI
Rangituhi is the traditional name for the site commonly known as Colonial Knob.
Under the ‘Ngāti Toa Deed of Settlement of Historical Claims’ (the document outlining the final settlement of all the historical claims under the Traty of Waitangi, resulting from Crown acts that impacted negatively on Ngāti Toa) the name of Colonial Knob was officially changed to Rangituhi/Colonial Knob.
Rangituhi can simply be translated as ‘Sky Glow’, this name ringing true with the setting sun and the colours that would permeate across the ridge line. Rangituhi was a site abundant with birdlife and plants. Many of the plants would be suitable for use as rongoā (traditional Māori medicine). Freshwater streams were easily accessible and provided drinking water and kai.
PAUATAHANUI
Te Rangihaeata was a prominent Ngāti Toa chief and was instrumental in the migration of the iwi to the Kapiti region. He can be associated with a number of significant Ngāti Toa war campaigns and skirmishes. Notably, Te Rangihaeata played a key role in the events that occurred around the area now known as Battle Hill.
In 1846, there were a series of raids by the British army, local militia and native allies to the Crown. It was during this time that Mātaitaua Pā was attacked, forcing Te Rangihaeata to lead 300 Ngāti Toa troops from Mātaitaua, through heavy bush along the Battle Hill ridge line towards Levin. Te Rangihaeata later settled in Poroutāwhao, Mātaitaua Pā was left empty, eventually taken over by the army who used it as a base for their road building projects in the Paremata area. Mātaitaua Pā was known as a fighting pā and was surrounded by palisades up to five metres high with gun pits throughout.
TE AWARUA O PORIRUA
Te Awarua o Porirua is the full name of the former Porirua Harbour. As part of the Ngāti Toa Historical Treaty Settlement the name of the harbour was changed to Te Awarua o Porirua. The name Awarua translates as the two waters.
The harbour is made from two tides, Ngā Pari e Rua - two flowing tides. The tide flowing from the east is known as Pāuatahanui and the tide flowing from the west is known as Onepoto.
Te Awarua o Porirua was one of the main reasons why Te Rauparaha decided to settle in the Kapiti region and is considered to be a taonga to Ngāti Toa.
Te Awarua was once plentiful, with kaimoana. Ngāti Toa kaumātua referred to the awa as the food basket for the iwi. It was well-known for the large pipi, pūpū and patiki (flounder). There were well established mahinga kai sites (natural resources from the environment). The accessibility of kai allowed cultural practices to flourish for Ngāti Toa as they gathered kaimoana for various events including tangihanga and hui. The ability to provide kai enhanced the mana of the iwi.
