Arawa (canoe)
| Great Māori migration waka | |
| Commander | Tama-te-kapua |
|---|---|
| Priest | Ngātoro-i-rangi |
| Landed at | Tauranganui, Whangaparaoa |
| Iwi | Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Tapuika, Waitaha, Te Arawa |
| Settled at | Maketu ki Tongariro, Bay of Plenty |
In Māori mythology, Arawa was one of the great ocean-going, voyaging canoes that was used in the migrations that settled Aotearoa.
The Te Arawa confederation of Māori iwi and hapu (tribes and sub-tribes) based in the Rotorua and Bay of Plenty areas of New Zealand trace their ancestry from this waka.
Eventually, a large tree was felled and from this the waka which eventually came to be known as Te Arawa was formed. The men who turned this log into a beautifully decorated canoe were Rata, Wahieroa, Ngaahue and Parata. "Hauhau-te-rangi" and "Tuutauru" (made from New Zealand greenstone brought back by Ngaahue) were the adzes they used for this time-consuming and intensive work. Upon completion, the waka was given the name Ngaa raakau kotahi puu a Atua Matua (also known as Ngaa raakau maatahi puu a Atua Matua).
The waka was eventually completed and berthed in Whenuakura Bay while Tama-te-kapua, in his capacity as rangatira (chief) of the canoe, set about trying to find a tohunga (priest) for the journey. Ngātoro-i-rangi and his wife Kearoa were tricked by Tama-te-kapua to board the canoe to perform the necessary appeasement incantations to the gods prior to the canoe's departure. However, while they were on board, Tama-te-kapua signalled his men to quickly set sail, and before Ngātoro-i-rangi and his wife could respond they were far out to sea.
One of the more dramatic stories pertaining to the voyage to Aotearoa occurred because Tama-te-kapua became desirous of Kearoa. Ngātoro-i-rangi noticed the glint in Tama-te-kapua's eye and took precautions to protect his wife during the night while he was on deck navigating by the stars. This was done by tying one end of a cord to her hair and holding the other end in his hand. However, Tama-te-kapua untied the cord from Kearoa's hair and attached it to the bed instead. He then made love to her, following this pattern over a number of nights. One night however, he was nearly discovered in the act by Ngātoro-i-rangi, but just managed to escape. In his haste he forgot the cord. Ngātoro-i-rangi noticed this and therefore knew that Tama-te-kapua had been with Kearoa. He was furious and, in his desire to gain revenge, raised a huge whirlpool in the sea named Te korokoro-o-te-Parata ("The throat of Te Parata"). The waka was about to be lost with all on board but Ngātoro-i-rangi eventually took pity and caused the seas to become calm (Steedman, pp 99-100).
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