Kahupeka of Ngāti Whanaunga
Here is an extract from an article by George Graham concerning whāngai. He recounts a story pertaining to Kahupeka, a well known kuia of Kaiaua. 'A granddaughter was born unto a Ngati Whanaunga chief of fame of recent times. His ohahi was that the girl was to be an ingoa (namesake) for him. The name indicated was “Kahupeka,” his grandmother's name. In due course he, in Maori customary way, bestowed a piece of land (tukua he whenua) as an abiding-place for his ingoa. Her family settled down there, built their houses, fenced and cultivated the land for some years. However, the old gentleman without prior reference to his ingoa's parents, sold that land to a Pakeha. This act was regarded as kohuru (treachery), and wiped out all respect for his ohaki. First destroying all the houses by fire, chopping down the fruit trees, fencing, etc., they vacated the land, leaving a curse thereon. They migrated to another place where forgetting not, they forgave not. Later the...
