Whenua: Māori Pūrākau of Aotearoa
Isobel Joy Te Aho-White
Whenua: Māori Pūrākau of Aotearoa
Isobel Joy Te Aho-White (2025)
Little Moa/Hachette
Māori legends, 90 pages
Hardback
ISBN 978 1 86971 588 5
Isobel Joy Te Aho-White has chosen eleven pūrākau to
retell, beginning with ‘The Waka of Aoraki.’ Four bickering brothers, children
of the sky gods, decide to visit their auntie Papatūānuku, the Earth Mother. Unfortunately,
the brothers’ arguments distract Aoraki as he chants the spells which would
have enabled their canoe to fly safely. The waka crashes and the brothers
scramble on to its upturned hull. Aoraki throws his korowai [cloak] over them.
‘There they stayed, shivering under the korowai, as the centuries passed …
Slowly the brothers began to turn to stone…’ Thus the snow-covered brothers
become Kā Tiritiri-o-te-Moana (the white caps of the ocean), the Southern Alps.
This retelling really brings the stroppy brothers to life and also fulfils the
purpose of the tale: making a landscape memorable, in a tradition to be passed
on. There is also some truly memorable prose: ‘Never again would the
brothers join their mother or their father in the sky and Aoraki’s chant can
still be heard blowing through the surrounding valleys of Kā
Tiritiri-o-te-Moana.’
Then there are the illustrations by the author. There are
colour pictures on every page of this 90-page book! The six pages of the Aoraki story have
paintings, decorative designs and a map, all of which help carry the story. The best picture in the book shows Aoraki’s
canoe in full flight over the continent of Australia. Turn the page and the
canoe is plunging to destruction, with Aoraki’s korowai sweeping over the
foreground. Turn the page and the korowai enfolds the brothers, as it takes on
the familiar outline of the mountains.
Three more stories from Maui’s canoe (the South Island)
follow. I was lucky enough to hear the legend of ‘Rākaihautū and Tuhiraki’
being told at Rehua Marae, Christchurch. Four decades later I still remember
the active digging motions of the storyteller, as he spoke of Rākaihautū carving
out the lakes and rivers. Isobel Joy Te
Aho-White adds a reminder that the names of people, places and things are
important. ‘Landmarks, tribal areas, houses, waka and even weapons have
names.’ Sure enough, Rākaihautū’s ‘trusty ko (digging stick) is named Tū
Whakarōria. And the mountain where Rākaihautū set this ko up to rest from its
work, Tuhiraki, still stands looking over Akaroa.
‘The Sleeping Giant’ is a traditional just-so story which
explains the origin of the Moeraki boulders, and does it with flair and
well-characterised heroes. ‘Poutini and Waitaiki’ is a poignant love story
which tells of the origin of the West Coast’s unique, pale, flecked greenstone.
It also has the instantly memorable reminder that Poutini, the taniwha who is
the kaitiaki of pounamu, is only frightened of one thing – the sandstone teeth
of his sister, Whatipū. Just so.
The other seven stories are all equally well retold and
illustrated. Once again, volcanoes and hot springs are created as freezing
explorers are saved. Wellington Harbour is formed as taniwha struggle to escape
the confines of Pōneke Lagoon. Lovesick mountains battle in vain for the love
of Pīhanga. Okatia, the spirit living in a giant totora, carves out the Tararua
and Ruahine ranges. Whātonga’s troubles with his two wives results in the
discovery of a plentiful forest home. An angry tohunga and an annoying young
whale change the landscape around Wairoa forever. A battle between fairy folk
creates the volcanoes of Tāmaki Makaurau. Whenua is indeed the right title for
this book.
Using the Māori tradition of Maui’s canoe and Maui’s fish,
Isobel Joy Te Aho-White has also created some maps of Aotearoa New Zealand
which will really get young brains working and – above all - seeing things from
another point-of-view. Which is really what these eleven pūrākau do as well.
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