Go to the Mountains
HAERE KI TE MAUKA
Waitaha is one of the early Māori iwi (tribes) of the South Island (Te Waipounamu). Historically, Waitaha were known as peaceful and deeply spiritual people.
As we journeyed through Canterbury, the ancestral homeland of Waitaha, we passed by Lake Ōhau, Lake Pūkaki, and Lake Tekapo. These regions hold profound significance for Waitaha and other Māori tribes.
We truly felt the magic and power of these sacred places!
We came across several Māori heritage monuments along our route, each with its own matching environment. Some of them reference Te Maihāroa, a prominent prophet and leader of Waitaha. In 1879, he led his followers on a journey known as Te Heke ki Te Ao Mārama (“The Migration to the New World of Light”) a peaceful resistance against land dispossession, seeking to reclaim ancestral lands.
We know how tragically this story continued. The impacts of colonization are still deeply felt today, and Māori continue to push for greater self-determination, land returns, and systemic change.
However, it was gratifying to read that in 1998, as part of the Ngāi Tahu Treaty Settlement, the New Zealand government officially restored the original Māori name of ‘Mount Cook’ to Aoraki. The mountain was also legally returned to Ngāi Tahu (the dominant iwi of the South Island today), who then gifted it back to the people of New Zealand as an act of goodwill. Ancestral heritage and the preservation of the timeless wisdom of indigenous cultures are topics that have been important topics for us.
We wanted to learn more about Māori culture, that’s why we spent a day in the Te Papa Tongarewa Museum in Wellington. Worth a visit!!!
We deepened our understanding of Māori history, traditions and the coexistence of several cultures living together in modern times.
Below you find some visually appealing impressions that touched me very much while strolling trough the museum.
“Never again let there be war as there has been this day. Do not kill.”
Nunuku-Whenua, Moriori leader 1835
The renowned leader Nunuku-Whenua spoke these words on Rekohu many generations ago. He renewed the covenant of peace laid down by our ancestors Rongomaiwhenua, Mũ, Weke, and Pakehau. Our people have stood by this promise throughout the centuries.
Our ancestors numbered about 2,500 when European sealers and whalers arrived in the early 1800s. Peace was preserved, but we suffered greatly from loss of resources.
In 1835, two Mãori tribes (Ngäti Mutunga and Ngäti Tama) used an English sailing ship to invade Rekohu. Our young men suggested we fight back, but our elders stood by our covenant and refused to fight. We upheld our promise, and we kept our integrity as the manawa (heart) of Rekohu. Around 300 Moriori were killed, and the rest enslaved.
By 1862, only 101 of us remained.
Hooking Into Plenty
The ancestors of Māori brought extensive knowledge of fishing with them when they migrated to Aotearoa. They adapted fish-hook designs to local species and used local bone, stone, shell, and wood.
The huge variety of hooks and other fishing gear Mãori made represent the many kinds of fish caught. These ranged from voracious surface feeders like kahawai and barracouta, through coastal fish such as terakihi and snapper, to big fish such as sharks, and those that dwell deep like hapuku (groper).
