Paddling a Waka

Paddles at the ready at the Ngai Tahu Hui-a-Tau at Puketeraki

Karitane November 2010
Karitane is a blissful little seaside settlement about 40 minutes north of Dunedin. In addition to its ocean beach, it has a beautiful estuary area and that's where those attending Ngai Tahu's annual Hui-a-Tau (this year hosted by Puketeraki Marae), could turn their hand to a bit of waka ama paddling. I've written a heap about waka ama before - just click on the words in the below label line if you want to know more about the difference between waka ama and waka taua etc.

A Portrait - 18

Young Girl on a Waka Unua

Kaikoura

April 2010. Ajr

Moko and A Cultural Journey

These are two of my favourite photographs, taken at the Waka Wananga at Kaikoura back in April. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time as this young Ngai Tahu waka ama (outrigger canoe) paddler lent a hand to raise the sail on the beautiful waka unua (double-hulled voyaging canoe) that was the focus of the weekend workshop on the history and rennaissance of Maori ocean voyaging and celestial navigation traditions. An independent group of Ngai Tahu waka ama enthusiasts had organised the weekend to prepare their crew of 20 for their first waka unua voyage around Hauraki Gulf in Auckland. You can read more about this in my previous blog entries by clicking on Waka or Voyaging Waka in the label line below this entry.

Introductory Words on Waka

When most people think of a Maori waka (canoe), they think of a waka taua - a war canoe - one of those magnificent traditional craft carved out of a totara or a kauri log, and paddled by a muscly crew of dozens. This is the sort of thing I'm talking about - above - this being the supreme waka taua, the biggest of them all, Ngatokimatawhaorua, which was carved in 1935 for the 1940 centennial celebrations at Waitangi. It requires 120 paddlers and now resides at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds in Paihia, Northland.

It is easy to get confused of course, especially when you bring waka ama and waka unua into the mix. A waka ama is an outrigger canoe, as illustrated above and below.Waka ama come in a range of sizes from one-man, two-man to the larger versions as shown below.

Unlike a waka taua, which is tapu and ritualised and does not permit female paddlers, a waka ama is a popular racing craft that permits both male and female crew.

A waka unua is another kettle of fish altogether. These are the large, double-hulled voyaging waka that ancient Polynesian cultures, including Maori, used to navigate the oceans. These are the waka that brought Maori to New Zealand shores. These are the waka that few people have seen in action. These are the waka that are the focus of a revival of interest in early Polynesian voyaging and celestial navigation. Among New Zealand Maori, the 'godfathers' of that revival are Hekenukumai Busby (Ngapuhi),Matahi Brightwell (ngati Porou) and Hoturoa Barclay-Kerr (Tainui).

I recently attended a Waka Wananga at Ngati Kuri'sTakahanga Marae in Kaikoura. It was organised by a group of enterprising young Ngai Tahu waka ama enthusiasts, who are passionate about and committed to the revival of Ngai Tahu voyaging traditions. There to impart his rich knowledge of waka unua and voyaging traditions, was Hoturoa Barclay-Kerr (above & below), a man with nearly 30 years of experience on all types of waka. Among his many achievements in the field, is the fact that he has paddled as crew (since he was 17) and now as captain of Taheretikitiki, the royal waka taua of Turangawaewae, for both the late Maori Queen and now the Maori King.

Under Hoturoa's tuition, the 20 young Ngai Tahu crew members received a crash course in the finer details of sailing waka unua, in the lead up to their week-long voyage around Hauraki Gulf, out from Auckland, on the full-sized waka unua, Aotearoa 1 - a journey that started on April 25. Hoturoa and his whanau had driven down from Hamilton with his smaller training waka unua, Pumaiterangi, which out out to sea at Jimy Amers Beach, in Kaikoura. It was an historic moment and probably the first time a waka unua had sailed in Ngai Tahu waters for hundreds of years. Everyone who sailed on her came ashore 'buzzing' with excitement. Organiser of the wananga, Eruera Tarena (Ngai Tahu) summed it up: "This is it. This is the beginning of something big for all of us. We've been passionate about waka ama and the possibility of bringing Ngai Tahu's maritime traditions back to life for the last decade. Now we're on our way. This is one step closer and it's a pretty special moment," he says, with waves washing around his legs. www.ngaitahu.iwi.nz www.tekaraka.co.nz