Uia mai koia whakahuatia ake ko wai te whare nei e?
Ko Whitireia! Ko Whitireia!
If one were to inquire, what is the name of this house?
It is the flicker of brilliance, the spark of genius!
Whitireia!
“Ko Whāngārā te pūtahitanga o te tangata,
Ko Whāngārā te pārekereke o te kōrero”
The history of Whitireia holds deep significance for the people of Ngāti Konohi, standing as a marker of a period of extraordinary achievement and cultural richness in our heritage. More than eight decades ago, with the creation of Whitireia, our community received the gift of a splendid whare whakairo, a whare korero, a testament to our collective spirit and unity.
Whitireia is a creation crafted by esteemed leaders, experts, and influencers within Te Ao Māori led by Sir Apirana Ngata. who made these notes during the construction of Whitireia Whare:
"Whāngārā Mai Tawhiti was named after the famous Paikea, who with Pawa and Ira of the Horouta canoe, Kiwa and Tamatea of the Takitimu canoe, Rongomaitūaho (a son of Paikea born in Hawaiki) of the Tereānini canoe, Huturangi the Nukutere canoe, and our earlier settler, Toi-Kai-Rakau of Whakatane comprised the leading sires of the East Coast tribes from the Bay of Plenty to Wairarapa in the North Island and the Marlborough Sounds to Stewart Island in the South.
It may be said of Ngāti Konohi that they represent leading lines of East Coast ancestry and maintain an unbroken line of succession to the Hawaiki migrants of the fourteenth century, who colonised Turanganui A Ruamatua and Whāngārā Mai Tawhiti. This could not have been done without the services of warrior chiefs and the prestige of ancestors, famed as Ariki and priests. Among these, the eponymous ancestor, Konohi, was one of the most conspicuous. His exploits in war extended from Poverty Bay to North Eastern Bay of Plenty; and in one of these had given to him the celebrated Ngunguruterangi, grand- daughter of Rerekohu of Hicks Bay."
A series of hui were held to discuss the creation of the whare whakairo. Guided by Sir Apirana Ngata and experts from various neighbouring tribes the speakers included - Peta Kōmaru (Ngāti Kahukuranui), Te Wiri Wiri Wahu (Ngāti Horowai), Neri Maukau (Te Whānau a Rua), Hamana Mahuika (Ngāti Porou), Pahau Mirina (Ngāti Porou), Kani Te Ua (Te Aitanga ā Māhaki), Kawau Kingi ( Te Whanau a Taupara), Eparaima Te Whainga (Te Aitanga à Hauiti), Tiki Riiti ( Ngāti Konohí), Karaitiana Tamararo (Te Aitanga ā Hauiti), Ruku Hinaki (Ngāti Konohi), Patupatu Hinaki (Ngāti Konohi), Hira Paenga (Ngāti Konohi), Timi Wherihi (Ngāti Oneone), Wi Te Hauwaho (Tūhoe), and Te Waikatohu Tautau (Ngati Kahukuranui).
During this time Moni Taumaunu, a respected Rangatira and later master carver of the Iwirakau style, witnessed the collaborative efforts that brought Whitireia to life. He had the honour of observing the activities and participating in the discussions. His writings recall
In 1935,
“Ngāti Konohi of Whāngārā decided that a carved house would be built, and the name of the house would be Whitireía. The original Whitireia was a house of learning, owned by Paikea”.
He goes on to say that Paikea's burial cave is on the southern side of the island, Taha Tu o te Rangi, on the landward side.
“I have seen it with my own eyes, but it has been battered by the tides over the years. The elders gave their thoughts to Apirana. He agreed. At the time, carved houses were being erected everywhere, and due to Apirana's work, they now stand to this day, spread the land. The construction of the house began. The Totara logs arrived from Rotorua, and Apirana decided to call a meeting of all of the experts. The history of Whāngārā is extensive, and accordingly, it was necessary to ensure that the history of the carved house, as well as the genealogy, was correct”.
Moni Taumaunu says that those who attended the meetings realized that much of what was said in the Māori Land Court was incorrect, in fact, only a small amount was correct.
“These elders met at length, whilst Apirana listened to the speeches. One would speak, followed by the next. At that time I saw the ability of the elders to orate, to infuse their speeches with humour, to manipulate genealogy, and in some cases, to deliberately mislead.” He says, “when the discussions had concluded satisfactorily, the meetings ended and the names of the carved figures throughout the inside and outside of the whare had been decided”.
Carved between 1936-1939 by a group of 8 respected carvers, the construction phase saw elders sharing wisdom and humor. Ringatu Poi led the kowhaiwhai panel painting and Hinewaka Paenga was prominent in the creation of the tukutuku panels. Local volunteers contributed to the mahi in many ways, embodying the communal spirit that defines our people.
Whitireia has been deliberately constructed to hold the stories of our people which are masterfully integrated into the whakairo, tukutuku and kowhaiwhai.
The mahau (verandah) displays our ariki connections back to Hawaiiki. The apai (front wall) tells the history of carving beginning with Tangaroa.
The two poutokomanawa are Huturangi and Moeahu who carry the senior lines of whakapapa of the Tairawhiti. The tuarongo (rear wall) relates to the coming of the kumara, sustainability and intertribal connectedness across the Tairawhiti. The whole wharenui provides much rich korero under the mantle of Paikea Ariki, proudly visible as he sits atop his whale as the tekoteko.
Sir Apirana Ngata returned to Whāngāra during the construction and said that the Paikea haka composed by Wi Pewhairangi would be performed for the opening of the whare. The men and women gathered to learn Paikea, both the men's and women's haka. Wi Pewhairangi was from Te Whānau a Ruataupare and was an expert orator who was unable to be contradicted in his knowledge of history and genealogy.
As custodians of Whitireia, it is our responsibility to preserve and transmit the knowledge and traditions enshrined within its walls, ensuring that future generations draw inspiration from its historical and cultural significance.
Whitireia stands as a testament to our identity and heritage, encapsulating the essence of who we were, who we are, and who we will be.
“Patua ki Tahatūoterangi waihō te tangata haere wā kia haere ana”
Strike towards the horizon, granting passage for others to chart their course.
Nā matau o te marae komiti.
Ngāti Konohi would be nothing without its people. Whāngārā Mai Tawhiti is home to many great and high achievers who have helped usher our people into the future. Here in this clip are a few out of the many people who have helped lead our people into a better tomorrow. Without our Rangatira we would have not been able to achieve so much. Our kaitiaki lead our iwi every day in their fields and help contribute to a better and brighter future for Ngāti Konohi.
Whale Rider depicts the journey of Pai (Keisha Castle-Hughes), a young Māori girl who defies convention and reconnects with her whakapapa to discover the resilience needed to guide her iwi into the future. This beautiful film is based on the purākau of Paikea (Kahutia Te Rangi) and his arrival on the shores of Whāngārā Mai Tawhiti. The main location for this film was based in Whāngārā Mai Tawhiti alongside other whare and locations throughout Ngāti Konohi including Whāngārā School and whare that are located down Pā Road, the main street of Whāngārā Mai Tawhiti.
Whāngārā Mai Tawhiti Kapa Haka roopu was initially founded in 1961 and experienced a resurgence in 1976. The roopu reemerged in 1995 in response to appeals from local Whāngārā kaumātua, who sought to preserve the customs and traditions of Ngāti Konohi. Whāngārā Mai Tawhiti has won 1st place at Te Matatini (National Kapa Haka Competition held every 2 years) twice since the start of Matatini, the last being in 2017. Guided by the expertise of the esteemed Rangatira, Sir Derek Lardelli, Whāngārā Mai Tawhiti has solidified its national standing over the years.
Paikea Whalers was established in 1979 after a disagreement with the rugby union commissioner. The commissioner at the time asked the 'Whangara Rugby Union team' to change their name. The reply that was given to this demand was "How do you change your tipuna?". The man who gave that reply was the creator of the Paikea Whalers, Rutene Kokiri. Since then, the Paikea Whalers have grown into Men, Women, and all ages Rugby League teams and now have Netball teams as well. The logo for The Whalers was designed by Moni Taumaunu and it resembles the Bailer that Te Pokai Rangatahi used in their waka to send back the message of what happened during the battle Te Huripureiata.