Kaumatua Speaks
 

The words of the elders of Waitaha can be found mirrored by many Maori today, who respect the knowledge handed down to them through generations from their ancestors – ancestors drawn from many peoples. New Zealand carries a rich heritage from these ancient times, one that must be acknowledged if it is to be protected. Here are the words of one kaumatua, who agreed to speak openly if he was not named.

“It’s pretty well known among Maori that when Kupe arrived in New Zealand, he found there were people already here – he found them digging for fern roots with digging tools. The bones of these people are everywhere – I’ve been up north and down south and spoken with members of different tribes. In Rotorua, they pointed to a forest in the distance and said, “It rained for a long time and the hill collapsed. Bones were uncovered from old skeletons that were 7-8 feet tall. These tall bones have been found up north and also at Port Waikato. Very old human bones have been found set in limestone. I have seen bones myself that were old – so very old that the wind would blow them right out of your hand.
“There were different reports handed down of the small people who were seen – they were short and thick set. Before the arrival of European, there were many full blooded Maori with red hair, and people with blue-green eyes. My mother’s tupuna could be recognised when he came over a hill with the sun behind him. His red hair stood out like flames.
“You hear about the seven canoes of Kupe, but you don’t hear about the people of Maui, who were known right throughout the Pacific. They go right back. They were very wise and well settled in New Zealand before the arrival of the seven canoes, a lot later. We are talking about the sort of time when the sea levels rose and fell and it’s said that people could ‘pop’ from one island to another. Maori today have lost that ‘ocean thing’, but in those times, canoes came backwards and forwards all the time across the water. They went by the winds and the ocean currents and followed the migration of tuna and other fish. When the Japanese sent their fishing boats to New Zealand, they read the Maori mythology to find the fishing spots.
“The people of Maui had a higher plane of thought. They believed in a divine God. They lived off the land, fishing and eating plants and birds. The toki, or adzes, that were made by the first peoples were perfect – they were expert stone workers. Later adzes were inferior to theirs. We know this because these artefacts are in the Bromley Collection.
“Some of our place names in New Zealand were named by the people of Maui. Place names give good indications of the origins of the people who came here long ago. A relative of mine wanted to explore the links with South America, so he went there and talked to the people. He found they had place names like Popo and Oruru. He showed them a picture of old Maori digging implements. People in South America still use identical tools. They have religious beliefs that include the symbol of three big holes – the same as the three baskets of learning for Maori. The people there were amazed at what my relative showed them and asked if his people across the water were their ancestors.
“Up and down the country there are rock mounds everywhere and areas with the remains of stone houses. Different types of rock were carried and traded – people were sailing and trading all around the country, sailing to New Zealand and staying, arriving and leaving. It was a busy place over a long time.
“The people who came later were a different atua to the people of Maui. Through intermarriage with the people of Maui, two religions became one. Over the years, many thousands of people have made their homes on the ancient pas and there are many pa sites around the country that had acres and acres of gardens. Stone walls were used as boundaries for family garden plots. When you know what to look for, it jumps out at you. You can see the settlements and gardens, where others might see ridges and mounds in the ground. When war came, defences were put on the pa.
“It is so important to protect all of these sites. They are our heritage.”