LEWIS WILLIAMS, PHD

illustrated in that both Ngāi Te Rangi, and Ngāti Ranginui went to fight alongside Tanui at the
time of the invasion of the Waikato by colonial forces under General Cameron in 1863. This
signalled the beginning of military intervention, war and rapautu (land confiscation) in
Tauranga the following year 10 .
According to Mr Brian Dickson, C.E.O, Ngāi Te Rangi:
Tainui
“The connection with Mauao starts with the waka......Well it starts for everyone with the
waka……..for example, Tākitimu and Tainui. Those landed here in Tauranga. The waka of
Mataatua passed by here and eventually landed in Whakatāne………So I think that‟s where it
starts for everybody. It‟s actually through your whakapapa where that connection that begins”.
Tainui under Hoturoa made landfall at Whangaparaoa before following the coast down to the
Bay of Plenty. The waka however, foundered on a sandbank on the ocean ward side of
Matakana. Oral tradition relates that Hoturoa sourced the cause of this mishap in an elderly
woman Wahinerua, and had her thrown overboard. Following her dismissal the waka was able
to move off the sandbar and continue its journey. Tainui oral tradition says that her body
floated away and came to rest on a rock, called Te Kuia, after this incident 11 12 .
Today the rock is regarded as a wahi tapu area. When people go on fishing trips it is customary
to feed something to Kuia rock, for the Kuia. This rock is also known as Tokatapu and
according to one account is the most sacred part of the alignment. The people of Tanui stayed
on Matakana for a few months, but because they found the area already occupied by many
people, decided to move on, before finally resting at Maketū, 13 .
10 On 21 st January 1864 some 600 troops under Colonel Carey landed at Te Papa. The stated objective of this
expedition was to create a `diversion` to prevent anymore Tauranga Māori joining their traditional allies, Tainui in
the land wars or sending supplies. However government motives were mixed and the situation rapidly
deteriorated. In mid April General Cameron moved his headquarters to Tauranga and more troops landed to swell
the numbers to 1,600. Under the Command of Cameron troops attacked Gate Pa on the 29 th April, 1864. In Stokes,
E. (1980). A History of the Tauranga County. Dumore Press, Palmerston North.
11 In Stokes, E. (1980). A History of the Tauranga County. Dunmore Press, Palmerston North; and
12 Other tradition as told by Mr Ngāi Te Rangi, Rangatira Kihi Ngatai has it that Te Kuia Rock is named after a Kuia
whose dog on seeing a wakataua (war canoe) out at sea, ran down Mauao and into the sea at the location. The
Kuia was said to run after her dog straight into the sea.
13 Mauao I, Waitangi Tribunal Casebook, Tauranga Moana Claims, 1997.
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