Letters for Tuesday October 19, 2021

Dear Editor,

About 1000 to 1800 years ago, three whakas arrived in the Southern Cook Islands. Whaka 1 – Taunganui by Uke Ariki, a warrior known as Rangatira, Whaka 2 – Tokomaru by Kupe, the chief navigator, and Whaka 3 – Tai Tonga by Ruatea or Ruatapu, the chief stonemason and marae and road builders.

Whaka 1 arrived at Mauke, Whaka 2 at Rarotonga and Whaka 3 Aitutaki.

Ruatea or Ruatapu Ngati Whatua of Auckland told me he is Ruatapu and not Ruatea. It is a well-spoken story by the people and Rangatira tanga of Te Au O Tonga – Ruatea, Rongo Taua, Paroro, Toi, Mareko, Atonga, Vakapora, Anautoa, Tamaiva, Rupe, Kapo, Iva and Tumutoa were the warriors that built the marae and the road Arai Te Tonga.

My grandfather told me Ruatea was the stonemason toi toka (rock art). He started his work in Tauae on Maungatea but later abandoned his work there because the stone was not the right one for his work.

However, they discovered the stone they wanted on Ikurangi. The quarry was established on the foot of Ikurangi. The stones were moved to Arai Te Tonga marae where they stand today.

Toi, Atonga, Mareko and Rupe then started the road project, they got to Rangiatea Matavera when they heard news of a massive land discovered by Kupe in the south west. When he sailed there on the Tokomaru, Kupe came back to Rarotonga to tell the discovery. He said there were plenty wood for canoes, big birds for meat, big land mass for kumaras, the rivers and the sea full of fish and shellfish.

All the projects on Rarotonga came to a full stop. The preparation for the big migration was put on full swing, three more whakas were built for the trip. The Takitumu put to sea from Avana. The Arawa put to sea from Avaiki tautau Avarua harbour and Te Au o Tonga put to sea from Avaikitautau Avarua harbour. All big Tou Tamanu tira trees were harvested for the whaka projects.

The master navigator Kupe formed a ‘School of Maori Navigation’ in Takuvaine valley. Every young man and woman were rounded up and trained the art of navigation by Kupe. They were all trained by Kupe on the Tokomaru, they set sail from Rarotonga around the southern Cook Islands and back so many times until they were able to sail the Whaka by themselves.

The women that interest me is the Whahinetoa, my grandfather told me my mother is named after Rongonuikaiariki but George Ngapare of the House of Ariki told me her name was Ranginui te whahinetoa not Rongonui. But I know for a fact that this woman became a chief navigator and sailed the Tokomaru around the Cook Islands as a whaka masters.

Kupe told his young navigators if things go wrong in the ocean, they can’t park the whaka on the side and make repairs otherwise they will drown. ‘We must make sure we are prepared for the sea’, Kupe enforced that law by demoting anyone who fails to unga status – a nobody. The true warriors move on to next stage of training.

This will be all for now Mr Editor. The third part of the project soon. God Bless.

Puna Dyer

Muri, Ngatangiia