Pāoa, an extract from the manuscript by Tukumana Te Taniwha (1929) of Ngāti Whanaunga, Ngāti Pāoa

This lithograph - showing Kaitōtehe Pā in the foreground and Taupiri in the background - was based upon an 1844 painting by George Frederick Angas. The ancestor Pāoa originally lived at this pā on the Waikato River (opposite Taupiri) before migrating to Hauraki. See here.

This version of the story of the ancestor Pāoa was extracted from a manuscript entitled 'Marutuahu', written by Tukumana Te Taniwha of Ngāti Whanaunga and Ngāti Pāoa in 1929. The manuscript is held in the Library of the Auckland War Memorial Museum. You can see the catalogue entry for the manuscript here.

The story covers the following events in the life of Pāoa:

• Pāoa's lineage, being the younger sibling of Paretahuri and Mahuta of Tainui and Te Arawa
• Pāoa is embarrassed during the visit by his older brother Mahuta to his home at Kaitotehe Pā, near Taupiri, Waikato.
• Pāoa departs Waikato and moves to Mirimirirau, a pā on the banks of the Piako River, Hauraki.
• Pāoa receives an invitation from Tukutuku (daughter of Taharua, granddaughter of Tamaterā) to visit her at her home on the Waihou River.
• Pāoa follows the Piako River to Tīkapa (Firth of Thames) and then makes his way down the Waihou, When he arrives at Kerepēhi, he is invited to pull ashore. Pāoa responds by saying 'Pāoa taringa rahirahi me ū ki uta'. (‘Pāoa with thin ears, will pull ashore.') 
• While at Kerepēhi, Pāoa is presented with all kinds of food which he receives with good grace. This prompts the hosts to say 'Tā te rangatira pai, kāore he papare i te kai aha koa he aha te kai.' (He is chiefly as he will eat what ever the food is.)
• Pāoa continues his journey and arrives at Ngāhinapōuri where he conceals himself in a whanake, a rough garment made from the whanake plant. A welcome is arranged for the visiting group where varieties of perfumed plants are employed and dances of welcome are performed. Pāoa does not reveal himself for two days before meeting with Tukutuku. After some initial exchanges Pāoa and Tukutuku finally marry.
• Pāoa and Tukutuku have five children, and it is the descendants of these children who became 'Ngāti Pāoa'.
• Later Pāoa is invited to visit his older children from his first marriage in Waikato. Horowhenua, Pāoa's son by Tukutuku, is suspicious believing it to be a trick of some kind. He says to his father that he should not go back to Waikato. Pāoa persists, returns to Waikato where indeed he is prevented from returning to Hauraki. Horowhenua and Tipa travel to Waikato where they wrest Pāoa back from their elder siblings and they return to Hauraki.
• They subsequently live at a number of pā - Whatitokarua on the Piako River, Te Kui near the mouth of the Waitoa River and Te Ruaki at Waitakaruru (where Tipa, son of Pāoa, was later killed by Ruamano of Ngāti Huarere.)

Here is the story of Pāoa, as told by Tukumana Te Taniwha in his 1929 manuscript entitled 'Marutuahu':

54.
Paoa
Ko Paoa no Waikato. Ko te korero o nga
iwi o Te Rawhiti i haere mai i Te Whai a Paoa.
Ki ta nga uri o Paoa he teina tenei Paoa
no Mahuta, i puta mai ia Heke
i te rangi raua ko Hekemaru.
Ko Paretahuri to mua, i muri ko Mahuta
i muri ko Paoa.
Ko te kainga o Paoa i moe ai i Tauhaka
ri
Ko Kaitotehe te kainga i whanau ai
ana tamariki ko Toawhane, ko Toapoto
me Koura. Ka tae mai a Mahuta

55.
Ka kite i a Paoa ka tonu atu te tanga
ta e Paoa, ki te wahine, kia
tahuna mai he kai ma te manuhiri. Ka
Ka ki mai te wahine, "ka mate aku tamariki i te
kai". Ka mea atu a Paoa ki te tuakana
"He aha te pai o te korero. Ma roto ki a tika
Ka pai ai te korero. Me hoki." Ka pouri a Paoa.
Haere mai nei a Paoa. Ka mahue atu tana wa
hine me ana tamariki i a Paoa Noho rawa
mai i Mirimirirau. Ka noho nei, ka haere nga
tangata, a ka tae ki Ruawehea, ka korero a Paoa
ka mea mai a Tukutuku, "Kaore ranei tena tanga
ta e haere mai ki konei?" Ka mea atu, "Aue. Ka hoki
mai nga tangata ka korero i te patai mai a Tu
kutuku, a te tamahine a Taharua.
Ka mea a Paoa "Ka haere ano ranei nga ranga
tira ki reira?" Ka kia mai "Ae, kia raumati,
kia mahana." Ka tae koa ki te wa i mohiotia
ai hei haerenga, ka haere te iwi nei. Hare ake
erua nga waka. Ka tae ki Te Kerepehi,
ka powhiritia kia u ki uta. Ka mea a Paoa
"Paoa taringa rahirahi me u ki uta." Ka mahora

56.
mai he tuna, ka hari mai nga tapora tuna
Ka tuku atu a Paoa ki te kai, ka mea mai nga
tangata "Ta te rangatira pai, kaore he papari (papare?)
i te kai, aha koa he aha te kai." Ko te ka
kahu o Paoa, he whanake. Ka ao te ra, ka
hoe, ka puta ki waho, ka huri i te awa,
ka tae ki te kainga a Taharua, ki Ngahina
pouri, ka u te iwi nei. Tera kua rongo
noa atu kei te haere atu a Paoa i roto
i te iwi ra, kua wharikitia te whare mo te
hui. Tiki rawa nga raukawa hei wha
kakara, te kopuru, te mairehau, tena
rakau, tona kakara. I waho ano
te tangata e haere atu ana, kua patu
noa mai te kakara. Tutaki rawa kia
tae atu rano te hui; ka whakapuare
kia mau roa ai te kakara.
Ka u atu te iwi nei, ka pa te powhiri
"Haere mai! Haere mai! E te manuhiri tu
a rangi. Na taku potiki koe i tiki atu ki
te taha o te rangi! Kukume mai ai!
Haere-mai! haere mai!" Ka riro i nga
(Mau tonu iho tenei whakatauki "Paoa taringa rahirahi,
Paoa puku nui.")

57
tane, "Toia mai te waka! Ki te urunga
te waka! Ki te takotoranga, nga i, ta
koto ai te waka!" E karanga ana te
wahine "Haere mai! haere mai!"
E tangi ana, Karanga ana nga tangata
whenua kia haere tonu ki te whare. E ta
ngi ana, me te haere ki te whare. To Paoa
haerenga atu ki te whare, tomo tonu
ki roto i te whare, te poutokomanawa
o te whare, ka noho, uhia iho ano te wha
nake. E karanga ana te tangata whe_
nua. Ka tu atu ano te hui. Ko te titiro
mai kei whea a ra a Paoa?
Kaore noa iho e kitea, ka mahora te
kai, noho tonu mai a Paoa i tona
takotoranga o te taenga atu ai. Ka ha_
ria atu he kai mana ki te whare tana

Po noa, ka whaona te whare e te tangata
whenua, Tuohu tonu a Paoa i roto i tana
whanake. Te tuarua o nga po, kua tahuna ahi i nga
te marae, kia pai ai nga haka. E tu a
na te tangata whenua ki te haka. Na te

58
kai takoto ana te arero i waho me te rape
me te karu ano kia puta ake te marama
i te pae, tau rakau e Tamatera, e mahi
ana te tangata whenua. Ka mutu, ka rere
te rakau ki te hui - tu titi haere ana.
i mua i te hui, ka takoto te rakau.
Kei runga te hui ki te haka, Ngarue ana
te whenua i te waewae, i te waha. Ka puta
nga potete ki mua i nga kapa haka kei te
tehi taha nga karu, kei tetehi taha te tou
Ka kitea ra i kona te tuhituhi o te moko
o te rape, i nga papa. Te whao a Mata
ora, ara ki tenei mea te moko. E titiro haere
ana a Tukutuku, kia kite ia i a Paoa.
Kei roto tonu a Paoa i tana whanake
e tuohu ana. Ka mutu, ka whaowhia
te whare o te hui e te kotiro wahine
E hara, ka kitea a Paoa e Tukutuku i tana?
tawhiti. E hara, kua piri raua Ku
a toro te ringa ka pana mai e Paoa
te ringa o te wahine ra. Ka pana ano
I te toru o nga toronga atu o te ringa o te

59
wahine nei, kua kore e pana Kua mohio
te wahine kua pai. Tera koa, kua ki
atu a Tukutuku ki te matua e mea ana ia
Kia Paoa hei tane mana. Ka mea mai te
matua, "E pai ana, nau i kite tona ta
ngata hei tane mau, kei a koe te tikanga."
Kati, ka mea atu a Tukutuku Kia Paoa
Kia haere raua ki te whare o ona matua
Kaore i hamumu atu a Paoa, kua mohio
a Tukutuku e wehi ana. Ka mea iho a
Tukutuku ki a Paoa "Ka tae mai ano he
tangata ki te tiki mai i a koe" ka hoki
te wahine ra. E whariki ana te moe-
nga, ka tukua mai nga kotiro ki
te tiki mai i ta ratou tane. Tae mai
Kia Paoa ka mea atu, "I haere mai matou
ki te tiki mai i a koe. Kua tae nga matua
o Tukutuku ki te whare, tatari mai ai i a koe
ka haere tatou." Ka haere a Paoa, i moe
tonu atu i a Tukutuku. I te ata, kua
rangona kua moe a Paoa i a Tukutuku,
i te tamahine a Taharua.

60.
Noho tonu atu a Paoa i reira, a
whanau noa a raua tamariki.
Ko nga ingoa tenei o nga tamariki
a Paoa raua ko Tukutuku:-

Kei nga uri nei ka karangatia te ingoa o Nga-
ti Paoa i roto i a Marutuahu. Ko te pa nei
Ko Mirimirirau i Piako te pa o Paoa. Ka kaumatua
a Paoa ka tonoa mai he tangata e nga
tamariki a Paoa kei Waitoa ki te tiki mai kia haere a
atu a Paoa ki kitea hoki ratou, a ka
hokimai ai. Ka mea a Horowhenua
"He maminga, akuanei, ka purutia tonutia
atu hei karakia kumara ma ratou.
Koinei i tukua mai ai." Ka mea nga tuakana
a Horowhenua, "Me whakaae. E pai ana hoki
kia kite i ana tamariki ka hoki mai
ai." Ka whakaae a Horowhenua. Ka mea
atu a Horowhenua ki te matua "Ka kite
koe i o tamariki, a, ka hoki mai ai?"
Ka mea mai te kaumatua ra "Ki te puru

61.
tia mai ahau, kaore e meho? atu."
Ka ki atu a Horowhenua "Ki te purutia atu
koe, ka tae atu ahau ki te tiki atu i a
koe." "Kaore, ka hoki tonu mai ahau."
Ka haere nei te kaumatua nei, a ka
tae, a ka mea te kaumatua ra, "Ka hoki
kei tatari roa mai a koutou mokai.
Kua kite koutou i au. Ko tenei, e noho"
Ka mea mai nga tamariki, "Kaore koe
e hoki, me noho koe. Kua tae mai koe,
me noho." Ka mea atu te kaumatua ra
"Te kupu mai o ta koutou mokai", ka mea
mai nga tamariki "A wai?", Ka ki atu te
kaumatua ra, "Horowhenua, a, i mea mai
ki te purutia ahau, ka tae mai ia ki te tiki
i ahau." Ka mea nga tamariki
"Na wai tena uaua kiore kia tae mai
ki nga kawau pu?" Ka mea atu te kauma
tua ra "E tama ma, he nanakia kia to koutou
tenei, he ika haehae kupenga." "E ki, ka tae
mai te uaua kiore!" Ka mea atu te kaumatua
ra "ki taku mohio ka tae mai o koutou te

62.
ina." Ka mea mai ano nga tamariki
"Ki te tae mai ratou, kia pona, hapu ana
ratou i te whenua." Ka mau atu te kauma
tua ra, ka meatia hei karakia kumara
Ka tatari mai nga tamariki, Ka roa, ka mea
a Horowhenua, "Kua kiia atu ra hoki e au, kaua
hei tukuna. He maminga, e mea ana he
karakia kumara. Kua mohio koutou
kua tika taku. Ko tenei, me haere." Ka mea
a Tipa, "Ae, me haere, ki te purutia atu,
e hoki mai ana. Heoi, kua kite tatou
i to tatou koroheke." Haere ake ana hoko-whitu
i te ahiahi. Kaore i whakaroa te poo.
Ka haere tonu te ope nei, ka eke ki te tau
ka tae ki Tikitikimaurea, E titiro atu ai
ki Te Hoe a Tainui. Ka mea a Tipa, "Hei
konei taua okioki ai, Kia awatea, ka whaka
heke iho ki raro. " Ka okioki te ope nei, kimo
iho, kua oho a Tipa. Kua mea, "E kai ana
te taha, ko te whakaariki." Ka rotua iho ano,
Kua maranga ano a Tipa. "He nanakia, e rua
nukanga ki waho, e rua ki roto, i au ano

63.
te mutunga tatua." Ka mea a Horowhe-
nua "Ko au e haere ki te titiro. Ki te kite au
ka riro mai i au." Ka haere a Horowhenua.
Ka tata atu, ka rongo atu i te kaumatua ra
kua tae mai ki te paenga o nga maara
kumara, haere tonu atu, tu ana i te ta-
ha, ka papaki iho te ringa. Ka huri ake te kauma
tua ra, ka pehia ia e te tamaiti, ka mea atu
"Ka haere taua." Ka patai mai te kaumatua ra
"Ko wai i manaake koutou?" Ka utua mai
"Katoa" Ka ngunguru te kaumatua ra
ka mea atu "E toru rau te tangata e nga
ri me hoki." Ka mea atu a Horowhenua
"E waha ki runga i au, ka haere taua."
Ka awatea, ka tatari mai nga tangata
kia rangona te waha o te kaumatua ra
e karakia ana.
A, ka roa, a, ka mea "kei te taha pea o to
paenga e moe ana. Ka tiki mai
Ka tirohia, ka whakataki haere, ka kite
nga takahi e takoto haere ana. Ka mohio
tia kua riro. Ka hoki nga tangata ki te pa

64.
Ka karangatia "Kua riro! Kua riro! a Paoa!"
Ka tata te eke ki runga, kua marama rawa
kua kite mai te tangata, e haere ake ana kaore
ano i roa kua piki ake kua waihotia e Horo
whenua te matua. Katahi ka huri. Te huri
nga tonutanga atu kua puta rawa a Toa-
whane , waiho tonu te patu kia Horowhenua.
Tukua atu ka hemo, me te karo atu. Katahi
ki te whanaunga, tuaruatia ka hemo, me
te karo tonu, karua ki te whanaunga, ka
whiua te toru o nga patu iraro tonu ano ta Horo
whenua, ka hemo, ka whiua mauitia te patu
ko Toawhana. Kua hinga a Toawhana. E whai
ana te teina ta Toapoto, tomokia tonu-
tia atu ko Toapoto. I a Toawhena ano rawa ko
Toapoto ka hinga. Ka whati te toru rau i te
hokowhitu. Ka riro mai a Paoa i a Horo
whenua, i a Tipa, ka noho i te pai, raro mai
o Whatitokarua, i te awa o Piako, i te Kui, i raro
mai o te puaha o Waitoa. Muri mai
ka noho i Te Ruaki - te pa i Waitakaruru.
I mate a Tipa i te ope o Ruamano
ki Te Ruaki.

(From a manuscript entitled 'Marutuahu' by Tukumana Te Taniwha, in George Graham Papers, MS 90/5, Auckland War Memorial Museum.)

Kaitotehe Pā, Waikato River (near Taupiri)

Writer Lesley Kelly provides the following information about Kaitotehe Pā:

Pāoa lived at a pā called Kaitotehe, located near Taupiri and on the banks of the Waikato River. It is shown here on a map which appears in an article entitled 'Taupiri Pa' written by Leslie Kelly. It was published in the Journal of the Polynesian Society in 1940. See here. Kelly writes:

'(Paoa)...occupied a settlement on the bend of the Waikato immediately opposite Taupiri mountain, called Kaitotehe. The home of Paoa was a delightful spot, but unfortunately it proved too handy to the river which even in those days was an important highway for travellers. Kaitotehe became a favourite calling-place for canoe-parties, with the result that continual demands were being made upon the hospitality of the people. On one occasion, when the food supplies were particularly low, Mahuta paddled down on a visit to his younger brother, and Paoa, learning of his arrival, sent a man to Tauhakari, his wife, requesting her to prepare a feast for his visitor. Aware of the state of supplies, the woman remarked, “Ka mate aku tamariki i te kai” (My children shall become starved for food). Paoa was overcome with shame at his apparent lack of hospitality, and said to Mahuta, “He aha te pai o te korero; ma roto kia tika, ka pai ai te korero; me hoki” (What is the use of talking; if the inside is in order, then it will be well to talk; you had better return). Ashamed that he was unable to maintain the position befitting a chief of his rank, Paoa departed from his home and travelling up the Manga-wara river, crossed over to Hauraki where he started life anew and became the ancestor of Ngati-paoa.'

From an article entitled 'Taupiri Pa' by Lesley Kelly, published in the Journal of the Polynesian Society, Volume 49, No. 193, pp. 148-159

Whatitokarua, Te Kui

Pāoa later lived in two pā near where the Waitoa and Piako Rivers meet.

This image shows the area where the Waitoa and Piako Rivers meet. This area is near the settlement of Tāhuna and where the Mangawara Stream enters Hauraki. This was the stream that Pāoa followed during his journey from Taupiri in Waikato to Hauraki, passing through settlements and significant places such as Te Hoe-o-Tainui and Waitī. It also shows the location of Maukoro, a small puke significant in Ngāti Pāoa history. Two of Pāoa's kāinga - Whatitokarua and Te Kui - are located in this area. A third, Te Ruaki, is located at Waitakaruru, to the north.