Āraiteuru
| Great Māori migration waka | |
| Iwi | Ngāi Tahu |
|---|---|
In Māori tradition, Āraiteuru is the canoe which brought the ancestors of the Ngāi Tahu people of the South Island.
The canoe was conveyed to New Zealand by the north-east wind, carrying the chiefs Kirikiri-ka-tata, Aroarokaehe, Mangaatua, Aoraki, Kakeroa, Te Horokoatu, Ritua, Ngamautaurua, Pokohiwitahi, Puketapu, Te Maro-tiri-a-te-rehu, Hikuroroa, Pahatea, Te Waioteao, and Hapekituaraki. The fishing net and the water gourd (calabash) of Āraiteuru were turned into stone at Moeraki in the South Island, where they can still be seen in the form of the Moeraki Boulders. The canoe itself remained at a place called Matakaea (Shag Point) (Tregear 1891:20, White 1887-1891, II:178-179).
The main marae in central Dunedin is named Araiteuru Marae after the canoe.
References
- E. R. Tregear, Maori-Polynesian Comparative Dictionary (Lyon and Blair: Lambton Quay), 1891.
- J. White, The Ancient History of the Maori, 7 Volumes (Government Printer: Wellington), 1887-1891.
See also