Waitaiki me Poutini

Introduction

The story of Poutini and Waitaiki is one of the more popular stories about the origins of pounamu told to Ngai Tahu children from generation to generation. This is a story about Poutini, a monster, who saw a young woman named Waitaiki bathing near Tūhua (Mayor Island), a place in the North Island, he abducted her and fled South. (Nathan, 2016) Tamaāhua, her husband, while pursuing his wife used a magical dart as guidance. This magical dart would lead her husband to key locations where the monster had made campfires to keep Waitaiki warm. Poutini, on the verge of capture, turned Waitaiki into greenstone, and stashed her in the riverbed at the Arahura river before fleeing to the sea. Waitaiki would become the motherload of all greenstones found around the Arahura river. (Sheehan, 2017) In this essay, I have given a brief outline of the story’s origins namely the Ngai Tahu tribe. Furthermore, I will also examine this story and formulate my interpretation showing how it is relevant to both traditional society and contemporary society.

Poutini and taniwha

Poutini was a taniwha, a giant water being. He was guardian for Kahue (Ngahue), the atua or deity of pounamu, greenstone. The only being that Poutini feared was another taniwha named Whatipū, the guardian for Hinehōaka, the atua of hōaka, sandstone. Grinding with sandstone 'knives' was the only way the tūpuna could cut the tough pounamu stone. (Nathan, 2016) So, from the very beginning of the story, we already begin to gain valuable knowledge about how to shape the stone, pounamu. Taniwhas in general are large supernatural beings that live in deep pools, in rivers, dark caves or in the sea, especially in places with dangerous currents or deceptive breakers (giant waves). (Best, Maori Religion and Mythology Part 2, 1982) They are highly respected guardian spirits and very predatory beings which for example would kidnap women to have as wives, just as we have seen in this story. These stories of taniwha show the importance of respect for the great dangers hidden in nature; a respect taught in Māori societies from the time of childhood.

Tamaāhua and his pursuit

This story is really an oral map of the ancient quarries from which the tūpuna took their valued stones. From the obsidian found at Mayor Island where Poutini began his journey to the greenstone found at Arahura river where Poutini stashed Waitaiki in the riverbed. And in addition, let us not forget all the locations of the fires created by Poutini are all locations for these valued stones. So not only was this an interesting story for people to tell at campfires, but it was also a way to give people some of the necessary information for acquiring these valuable resources. In fact, this story could be considered one of the earliest examples of a geological Survey of New Zealand. (Nathan, 2016)

Conclusion

In this essay, my goals were to examine this story, understand it's meaning, give my interpretation and give possible lessons that can be learnt for the purpose of teaching valuable lessons to our contemporary society. We are introduced to Poutini whose fear of Whatipū, a taniwha, gave us valuable insight into its use. we looked at monsters, their significance, their meaning and how they are still relevant today. We also looked at the pursuit of Poutini and Tamaāhua, how that is an oral map for valued stones and how this first geological survey shows the importance of understanding your environment for navigating its resources. And surely, this story was definably full of valuable lessons for all generations

Māori version

Kupu Whakataki

Ko te pūrākau mō Poutini rāua ko Waitaiki tētahi o ngā pūrākau rongonui mō te orokohanga o te pounamu, he pūrākau i kīa ai ki ngā whakatupuranga ki ngā tamariki o Ngai Tahu. He pūrākau tēnei mō Poutini, he taniwha i kite ai i tētahi kōtiro ko Waitaiki i kaukau ai ki te taha o Tūhua, he wāhi kei Te Ika-a-Māui, ka kāhakitia e ia, ka oma ki te tonga. (Nathan, 2016) I a Tamaāhua, ko tāna tane, e whai ana i tāna wahine, ka whakamahia e ia he pere mākutu hei ārahi. Mā tēnei pere mākutu e ārahi i tāna tane ki ngā wāhi nui i mahia e te taniwha ngā ahi hopuni kia mahana ai a Waitaiki. Ka tata a Poutini kia hopua, ka huri a Waitaiki hei pounamu, ka purua ki te awa o Arahura i mua i tāna rerenga ki te moana. Ka noho a Waitaiki hei ūkaipō o ngā pounamu īnanga katoa ka kitea i te taha o te awa o Arahura. (Sheehan, 2017) I roto i tēnei tuhinga roa, kua hoatu e au he kōrero poto mō te orokohanga o ngā pounamu he pūrākau nō te iwi o Ngai Tahu. I tua atu, ka tirotirohia e au tēnei kōrero me te whakatakoto i tāku whakamārama e whakaatu ana i te whaitake ki te hapori tuku iho me te hapori o nāianei.

Poutini me ngā taniwha

He taniwha a Poutini, he tipua wai he nunui hoki. He tiaki ia mō Kahue, te atua o te pounamu. Ko te mea anake i wehingia e Poutini ko Whatipū te ingoa, te kaitiaki o Hinehōaka, te atua o te hōaka. Ko te huri ki te hōaka te huarahi anake e taea ai e te tūpuna te tapahi i te kōhatu pounamu he mārō hoki. Nā, mai i te tīmatanga o te pūrākau, kua tīmata kē tātou ki te ako i te mātauranga kahurangi mō te hanga a te kōhatu, te pounamu. (Nathan, 2016) Ko te nuinga o ngā taniwha he tipua kaitā e noho ana i roto i ngā puna hohonu, i ngā awa, i ngā ana pōuri, i te moana rānei, ina koa ki ngā wāhi e kino ana te au o te moana, te ngaru tinihanga rānei. (Best, Maori Religion and Mythology Part 2, 1982) He wairua kaitiaki, he tino kaikino rātou, hei tauira ka kāhaki rātou i ngā wāhine hei wahine, pērā kua kite kē tātou i tēnei pūrākau. Ko ēnei pūrākau mō te taniwha e whakaatu ai i te hiranga o te whakaute mō ngā matepā nui e huna ana i te taiao; he whakaute i akona i roto i te ao Māori mai i ō rātou tamarikitanga.

Tamaāhua me tāna whainga

He mapi ā-waha tēnei pūrākau o ngā rua keri kōhatu o nehe i tīkina e ngā tūpuna ā rātou kōhatu utu nui. I te tūhua i kitea i Tūhua i tīmata ai a Poutini i tāna haerenga ki te pounamu i kitea i te awa o Arahura i reira ka huna e Poutini a Waitaiki ki te kūkūpango. Āpiti atu, kaua e wareware ko ngā wāhi katoa o ngā ahi hopuni i hangaia e Poutini he wāhi katoa o ēnei kōhatu utu nui. Nō reira ehara i te mea noa iho he kōrero whakamere noa tēnei mā ngā tāngata ki te kōrero i te ahi hopuni, engari he huarahi anō hei hoatu ki ngā tāngata i ētahi o ngā kōrero e matea ana ki te whiwhi i ēnei rawa utu nui. Inā, ko tēnei pūrākau tētahi o ngā tauira tōmua o tētahi tirohanga matawhenua o Aotearoa. (Nathan, 2016)

Kupu Whakakapi

I roto i tēnei tuhinga roa, ko āku whāinga he tirotiro i tēnei pūrākau, kia mōhio ki te tikanga, kia whakamāramatia tāku whakamāoritanga, kia tukua ngā akoranga ka taea te ako mō te kaupapa o te whakaako i ngā akoranga whakahirahira ki tō tātou ao o nāianei. I whakamōhiotia tātou ki a Poutini i wehi ai i a Whatipū, he taniwha, ka whakaatu tēnei i aua whakamahinga hei rawatoi. I titiro tātou ki ngā taniwha, tō rātou hiranga, tō rātou tikanga, me tō rātou whai tikanga tonu i ēnei rā. I titiro hoki tātou ki te pūrākau o Poutini ki te whāinga a Tamaāhua hoki, he mapi ā-waha tērā mō ngā kōhatu utu nui ka whakaatu mai tēnei rangahau matawhenua tuatahi i te hiranga o te mōhiotanga o tō taiao kia whakatere i ōna rawa. He pono, kua kī tonu tēnei kōrero i ngā akoranga whaihua mō ngā reanga katoa.

Grammar Lesson

In Te Reo Māori, when using verbs after the sign 'me,' there is a slight irregularity in the way they are conjugated:

Use of Active Form: The active form of the verb is always used, and you should not use the passive form, even if the meaning and sense of the sentence may be passive.

Let's break down some examples:

"Me pānui e te minita tētahi o ngā īnoi."

Translation: One of the prayers must (will be) read out by the minister.

In this sentence, "pānui" (read) is in its active form. You use "pānui" rather than "panuitia" (the passive form).

"Me aha a Ihu e rātou?"

Translation: What should be done to Jesus by them?

Here, "aha" (do) is used in its active form instead of "ahatia" (the passive form). This is common when forming questions in Te Reo Māori.

"Me hopu e koe ngā hōiho."

Translation: You should (had best) catch the horses.

In this sentence, "hopu" (catch) is in its active form, and you use "hopu" rather than "hopuitia" (the passive form).

So, in summary, when using "me" in Te Reo Māori, remember to use the active form of the verb, even if the sentence's meaning appears passive. This is a unique feature of the language's grammar.