NGA TUHITUHI

Tu Tangata, Issue 35, 1 April 1987, Page 7

NGA TUHITUHI

Aue taukiri e. Na to hoa. Henry Tahawai Bird.

Tena koe

Mr Brightwell of Tuwharetoa and Ngati Porou extraction was completely ignored by the Minister of Maori Affairs, Mr Koro Wetere, for his epic voyage with four other crew members from Tahiti to Aotearoa. He proved to the world, especially to all New Zealanders that the early Maori did come from the middle of the Pacific, doing it with no modem technology.

He just used the stars, the currents, the winds and the other elements of nature to point the way to Aotearoa and made landfall at Orakei after riding out a storm sixty kilometres out. They finally landed at Orakei to be welcomed by the local kuia and koroua of Ngati Whatua. Where were our Government leaders, Koro Wetere, and the other members of Parliament, nowhere to be seen, especially on such a historic, heroic and aroha voyage successfully completed. There was no financial support or moral support. It was left to the Tahiti people, both native and French to do the right thing. Today it rests in the museum of Tahiti.

Our new museum which is to be built missed out on a wonderful opportunity. Millions of dollars from overseas tourists and local people would have coined many thousands of dollars to help pay the new museum’s costs. A million dollars perhaps would be coined, so great would this canoe’s attraction be. The takings of Te Maori, although big, would be peanuts in comparison. Our loss is the gain of the Tahiti people.

We of Ngati Manawa of Murupara and Ngati Whare of Te Whaiti nui a Toi contributed by providing the two totara free of charge from our bush at Minginui and also did the Rev. Petera Mangu, D.C.M. of Whanau Apanui who lifted the tapu in his karakia on our behalf to Tane Mahuta Te Atua o te ngahere. All this contributed to the total success of the voyage. We praise Mr Brightwell and his crew for this epic of heroism and courage unsurpassed anywhere in the world. E hoa ma e Koro kanui te pouri mete whakama. It would have given our new museum a big financial boost. A missed opportunity.

Naaku Na Henry Tahawai Bird o Ngati Manawa, Murupara me Bill Waiwai o Ngati Whare o Te Whaiti nui a Toi He poroporoaki tenei ki to tatau Rangatira ki a Dr William Parker o Ngati Porou. Haere i raro i to maunga tapu i a Hikurangi i roto i to awa i o Waiapu i roto tahi taua i te pikitia na i a Pukemanu i reira ka mohio ahau ki a koe. E rongo ana ahau i to reo i runga

o te Reo Irirangi. Nau i timata tera taonga i nga tau torn te kau ahu atu. Na reira ka aroha ki a koe i takoto i to marae i te Whanganui a Tara ki Pipitea Te Whare o Ngati Poneke. Na reira e te Rangatira haere i to ara whanui a Tane Turia Te Tatau o te Po ki Wharaurangi ki a Hine nui o te Po.