18.7 Rarotongan Heke Traditions
313
an island at the entrance to Waitemata and the name Taurere “which occurs on an
island which forms the extremity of a long chain of shoals and islets on the eastern
side of Porapora” to a place on the Tawake River in New Zealand.
The recording and preservation of such detail in Maori tradition makes more
sense for migrants explaining the circumstances that led to their migration across
“the great ocean of Kiwa” to New Zealand than for migrants moving from one
place to another within New Zealand. The high profile of Uenuku as Rarotongan
and Tahitian ancestor has ensured preservation of the same stories in Rarotonga and
the meshing of traditions in New Zealand, Tahiti and Rarotonga.
18.7 Rarotongan Heke Traditions
The specific causes of the enmity of Uenuku that drove some of the migrants
from Ra’iatea to New Zealand are detailed in the Te Arawa, Aotea and Tainui
canoe traditions and the dangerous escalation in conflict that preceded migration also made clear. A good example is the story of the conflict between
Turi, captain of the Aotea and Uenuku. Turi’s son, a little boy called Potikiroroa, tripped when entering the priest’s house bringing first harvest offerings.
Uenuku killed him for this breach of tapu (sacredness). In retaliation, Turi killed
Uenuku’s child Hawe-potiki, cooked his heart and sent some of it to Uenuku hidden
in a food offering being made by a woman of the tribe. After he had eaten it, Uenuku
discovered the terrible insult offered to him. Rongorongo, Turi’s wife, overheard
Uenuku chanting a song which made it obvious he was preparing to exterminate
Turi’s people in revenge. Rongorongo persuaded her father to give Turi his canoe so
they could flee to New Zealand.
Hoturoa, captain of the Tainui, had also come into conflict with Uenuku in a
dispute over two cultivations named Tawaruangi and Tawaruararo. Kelly tells us that
Hoturoa managed to keep his people clear of actual warfare but found his position
so precarious that when he saw Turi of the Aotea and Tamatekapua of the Te Arawa
preparing to migrate, he and his companions decided to join them.
That the Kuruhaupo and Mataatua were part of the fleet is clear from the tradition that when the Kuruhaupo was damaged at Rangitahua (believed to be in
the Kermadecs), most of its people were transferred to the Aotea and Mataatua
canoes. The role of a fleet in rescuing members of a foundering canoe was undoubtedly one reason for the persistence of migration fleets from earliest times down to
the last migration to New Zealand. To ocean rescue we can add the advantage of
locating a target with the canoes of a fleet strung out in an arc, within visual or hailing distance of one another, greatly enhancing their joint chances of sighting land.
This advantage was, of course, particularly relevant within Eastern Polynesia where
island targets were small. Smith estimates that a fleet of ten canoes spaced 5 miles
apart within signalling distance would cover a 50 mile arc [19]. (More accurately
they would form a 45 mile arc.) A third advantage was, of course, that simultaneous transportation of a large group of colonists enhanced the chances of the survival
313
an island at the entrance to Waitemata and the name Taurere “which occurs on an
island which forms the extremity of a long chain of shoals and islets on the eastern
side of Porapora” to a place on the Tawake River in New Zealand.
The recording and preservation of such detail in Maori tradition makes more
sense for migrants explaining the circumstances that led to their migration across
“the great ocean of Kiwa” to New Zealand than for migrants moving from one
place to another within New Zealand. The high profile of Uenuku as Rarotongan
and Tahitian ancestor has ensured preservation of the same stories in Rarotonga and
the meshing of traditions in New Zealand, Tahiti and Rarotonga.
18.7 Rarotongan Heke Traditions
The specific causes of the enmity of Uenuku that drove some of the migrants
from Ra’iatea to New Zealand are detailed in the Te Arawa, Aotea and Tainui
canoe traditions and the dangerous escalation in conflict that preceded migration also made clear. A good example is the story of the conflict between
Turi, captain of the Aotea and Uenuku. Turi’s son, a little boy called Potikiroroa, tripped when entering the priest’s house bringing first harvest offerings.
Uenuku killed him for this breach of tapu (sacredness). In retaliation, Turi killed
Uenuku’s child Hawe-potiki, cooked his heart and sent some of it to Uenuku hidden
in a food offering being made by a woman of the tribe. After he had eaten it, Uenuku
discovered the terrible insult offered to him. Rongorongo, Turi’s wife, overheard
Uenuku chanting a song which made it obvious he was preparing to exterminate
Turi’s people in revenge. Rongorongo persuaded her father to give Turi his canoe so
they could flee to New Zealand.
Hoturoa, captain of the Tainui, had also come into conflict with Uenuku in a
dispute over two cultivations named Tawaruangi and Tawaruararo. Kelly tells us that
Hoturoa managed to keep his people clear of actual warfare but found his position
so precarious that when he saw Turi of the Aotea and Tamatekapua of the Te Arawa
preparing to migrate, he and his companions decided to join them.
That the Kuruhaupo and Mataatua were part of the fleet is clear from the tradition that when the Kuruhaupo was damaged at Rangitahua (believed to be in
the Kermadecs), most of its people were transferred to the Aotea and Mataatua
canoes. The role of a fleet in rescuing members of a foundering canoe was undoubtedly one reason for the persistence of migration fleets from earliest times down to
the last migration to New Zealand. To ocean rescue we can add the advantage of
locating a target with the canoes of a fleet strung out in an arc, within visual or hailing distance of one another, greatly enhancing their joint chances of sighting land.
This advantage was, of course, particularly relevant within Eastern Polynesia where
island targets were small. Smith estimates that a fleet of ten canoes spaced 5 miles
apart within signalling distance would cover a 50 mile arc [19]. (More accurately
they would form a 45 mile arc.) A third advantage was, of course, that simultaneous transportation of a large group of colonists enhanced the chances of the survival