I mōhio rānei koe, i te wā i ō tātou tūpuna, i tuakina te nuinga o te tohorā? I kitea tētahi parāoa taitama kua mate ki Te Oneroa-a-Tōhē, ā, kua tuakina i raro i ngā tikanga a Te Aupōuri. I tapaina te tohorā ki te ingoa ‘Waimahuru’ e ngā kaumātua i te mea koinā te ingoa o te wāhi i kitea ai te tohorā.
Hei tā tētahi uri o Te Aupōuri, hei tā Niki Conrad, “I te wā i ō mātou tūpuna, i tuakina e rātou ngā tohorā, engari i ēnei rā, kāore i a mātou tērā mātauranga nā runga i ngā ture e pā ana ki ngā tamariki a Tangaroa. Kei te tuku iho a Ngāti Wai i ō rātou mātauranga hei hāpai i a mātou, nō reira ka piki ake ō mātou mōhiotanga ki ngā tikanga me ngā taonga.”
Hei tā Te Kaurinui Parata, tētahi uri nō roto o Ngāti Wai, ki a 1News, “Ko te mea nui ki ahau i roto i tēnei mahi ki te kite i a tātou ngāi Māori, i a tātou ngā tangata whenua e whakamahi ana i tō mātou tino rangatiratanga” [sic].
He aha ngā hua i tuakina rā i te tohorā?
• Kauae: Hei waihanga i ngā taonga pēnei i ngā taputapu me ngā momo rākau a Tū.
• Niho Rei: Ka whakairotia hei kakau tokotoko, hei taputapu whaikīngi, hei kī rānei mō te piana.
• Wē Parāoa: Ko te tino hinu tohorā, ko tērā o te parāoa, ka whakamahia hei tahu rātana, hei hinu mō ngā momo mīhini anō hoki.
• Hinu Ngako: Ka whakamahia te hinu ngako i ngā rātana, i ngā hopi, i ngā pani whakapaipai, i ngā mahi tiaki taonga hoki.
• Kiri: Ka whakamahia te kiri tohorā hei ārai haumaru, hei kākahu rānei.
• Wheua: Ka whakamahia i roto i ngā momo kirihou.
• Iaia: He kai, ina mohou te āhua.
• Tūtae-tohoraha: Ka whakamahia ki roto i ngā wai kakara me ngā pani whakapaipai.
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ENGLISH TRANSLATION
Harvesting Sperm Whales
Did you know that our tīpuna used to harvest nearly all parts of the whale? An enormous, lifeless, young male parāoa (sperm whale) was discovered off Te Oneroa-a-Tōhē (Ninety Mile Beach) and has been harvested according to tikanga by Te Aupōuri. The whale was named ‘Waimahuru’ by kaumātua after the place where it was discovered.
“In our grandparents’ time, they used to harvest whale, but we don’t have that mātauranga now because of laws over ocean creatures. With Ngāti Wai sharing their mātauranga with us, we’re going to know much more about the values and taonga,” Te Aupōuri descendant, Niki Conrad said.
“Ko te mea nui ki ahau i roto i tēnei mahi ki te kite i a tātou ngāi Māori, i a tātou ngā tangata whenua e whakamahi ana i tō mātou tino rangatiratanga” [sic], Ngāti Wai descendant, Te Kaurinui Parata told 1News.
What was harvested from the tohorā?
- Jawbone: Made into taonga such as tools and weaponry.
- Ivory Teeth: Carved into items like walking stick handles, chess pieces, and piano keys.
- Spermaceti: The finest whale oil, exclusive to sperm whales, used for lighting lanterns and oil for machinery.
- Blubber oil: Lanterns, soaps, cosmetics, and taonga preservation.
- Skin: Whale hide, often repurposed for protective aprons or clothing.
- Bones: Used for products like plastic.
- Sinew: Used for ropes, fishing lines and nets.
- Meat: A source of kai, when fresh.
- Ambergris: For use in perfumes, fragrances, and cosmetics.
