TAMATEAPŌKAIWHENUA CARVED MEETING HOUSE & DINING ROOMS

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May 5th, 1956, will remain for a long time as a red letter day for the Māori community at Judea, if not for Ngāti Ranginui tribe as a whole. On this day took place the culmination of over 4 years of communal work, voluntary and unpaid, in the construction of the two houses. The carved meetinghouse Tamateapōkaiwhenua and the Dining Rooms - top storey Iwipupu and the lower one, Ihuparapara Not since the third generation back from the present was there Māori decorative work incorporated in the communal houses The prize of achievement is certainly more satisfying than anything that money can supply. So it is with the Judea community, men, women and children. For another reason, too, is there satisfaction. This was the first occasion when the present Māori King had graced a marae of the Ngāti Ranginui tribe It was a great honour to them that King Koroki should consent to perform through his elders the ancient Tainga Kawa Ritual for the Tamateapōkaiwhenua Carved House The ritual is traditional. It is rendered by Tiaki Hira of Tūākau a constant companion of the Māori King on his travels. Tiaki Hira is one of the few living repositories of ancient ritual.

The ritual, in brief, lifts the tapu from the building imposed through the operations of the male carvers and others using the timbers. Moreover, the ancient craft of carving, strictly speaking, is attended with tapu and at the opening ceremony such tapu is raised so that nothing continues in the atmosphere of the building that may cause misfortune and trouble. In Māori thought King Koroki possesses those powers that enables all these things to be done

The houses as is customary, are called after the ancestors of the tribe. Here the names are Tamateapōkaiwhenua for the meetinghouse; and Iwipupu and Ihuparapara, his wives, for the parts of the Dining Rooms. Appropriately, the assembly chamber is called after the male ancestor and the Dining Rooms which offer hospitality to visitors, are called after the lady or ladies of the tribe

The tribe concerned is Ngāti Ranginui. Ngāti Ranginui descended from Ranginui whose father was Tamateapōkaiwhenua whom the Judea people recognise as Captain of the Takitimu Canoe that sailed from Hawaiki, central Polynesia, in or about 1350 A.D. Popular history speaks of Tauranga as being the dwelling place of one tribe, and that is the Ngāi Te Rangi tribe Traditional history, social organisation and genealogies however, clearly indicate that there have always been two major tribes occupying Tauranga. In fact, traditional accounts state that the original inhabitants of Tauranga were the progenitors of the Ngāti Ranginui tribe. Tamateapōkaiwhenua lived with his family including Ranginui at Pāpāmoa. His pā has suffered of late from the devastation of Pākehā so called progress in the interests of roadmaking, despite the protestations of the Māori people

Authorities such as Best, Judge Wilson and others bear witness to the prior occupation of Tauranga by Ngāti Ranginui. Today the social centres of the Ngāti Ranginui tribe are intact. These include Te Puna, Wairoa, Judea and Hairini as the main ones.

The decorative work in the meetinghouse consists of carvings, tukutuku panels on the walls and the kōwhaiwhai painted designs on the rafters and against the walls.

An interesting feature of the carving is that being done by local boys after a measure of instruction, it attempts to portray something of Māori mythology and traditions For instance, the journey of Kupe is found on the large barge boards over the porch The story tells of the chase made by Kupe and Ngahue after their pet Octopus that belonged to Muturangi, the old Tohunga of Hawaiki The story does not sound quite so incredible since a University Department has discovered the existence of a giant squid in Cook’s Strait, for it was there that the final battle was engaged and Kupe and Ngahue slew the Octopus.

The upright in front left portrays the struggle of Tanemahuta to separate Rangi and Papa the primeval parents so well preserved by Governor Gray in his writings. On the opposite upright in front is portrayed the exploits of the incorrigible Maui-Tikitiki-o-Taranga. He holds the fishhook made from the jawbone of his ancestress Murirangawhenua with which he fished up lands here and in the Pacific Then he is seen snaring the sun-God so that the days would be long for the people to finish their work. At bottom Maui is seen already disappearing into the vagina of the old goddess of the night. The Fantail his companion, could no longer contain himself, his tittering awakens the old woman and Maui is choked and thus death and mortality became the lot of humankind

The side or wall posts in the porch represent well known ancestors, both of the local tribes and of other peoples in the country. For instance, at left looking in and in front is Taurikura. An ancestress of the Ngāti Ranginui tribe, she lived with her father up the Judea River. Reprimanded by her father she sulked, and to avenge herself on her father she caused herself to be turned into a Tuatara and swam out to Karewa Island This started the Judea River on its present course and began a line of creatures unique in very many ways The Pākehā scientists may speak of relics from another age: Ngāti Ranginui and especially the people at Judea know that the Tuatara is Taurikura. She is carved on the figure. And so, we may go on.

On the opposite wall among others is Kahungunu, ancestor of the great Ngāti Kahungunu Tribe of Hawke’s Bay, a son also of Tamateapōkaiwhenua, who migrated to the East Sir James Carroll and other Māori leaders come from tupuna.

On top of the building is the figure holding a taiaha or spear. It represents Tahuriwakanui, a warrior chief of not long ago whose skill with the taiaha is well known.

At the foot of the front posts, are two other figures one on top of the other. The top one is Turongo a chief from the Tainui Canoe. Below him is his wife Mahinarangi, a chieftainess of the Takitimu Canoe, she holds their child Raukawa. The significance of these figures is that they represent the ancestors in a direct line of the Māori King At Ngāruawāhia in the Tūrangawaewae Marae are the two houses The large guest house built by the late Princess Te Puea is called Mahinarangi, the adjoining residence of the Māori King is named after Turongo.

Inside the building to the left is the place where the local people recline, while distinguished guests always sit on the opposite side near the front window But there again the captains of the canoes and the ancestors of the local and visiting tribes are represented in the carved wall posts throughout the building The Figure watching by the post in the middle of the building is Muriwai. She was a sister of Toroa, captain of the Mataatua canoe and she in turn was the grandmother of the ladiessisters - Ihuparapara and Iwipupu who became the wives of Tamateapōkaiwhenua.

The two main posts against the walls, one in front and the other at the back, have figures which represent - front – Toitehua-tahi and Whatonga during that adventure so well told in the text books when at long last they all arrived at Whakatāne in New Zealand. At the back the figures portray navigating priests of the Takitimu Canoe - Rongokako father of Tamateapōkaiwhenua, Tupai and Ruawharomen who also fashioned the canoe from the timber called Puwhenua in Hawaiki

Among the carved wall figures are such well known Māori personalities as Tamatekapua and Tuhourangi of Te Arawa; Rahiri of Northland; Toroa of the Mataatua Canoe; Hoturoa, Captain of the Tainui Canoe; Porourangi of Ngāti Porou ancestry and others. This wide spread gives the house an added importance to outsiders for it gives them some point of contact with the building, the local tribe and the occasion

While the carved timbers were made from tōtara woods, and the body and frame of the house from rimu, the hekes or rafters are Oregon pine.

The tukutuku panels set into the walls behind the carved wall posts consist of kiekie and slats and wooden dowlings for backing The designs are made by weaving the kiekie through the slats and around the pieces of wooden dowling at the back. There is a name for each design or pattern. The myriad of crosses is called purapura whetu; the ladder or step shaped pattern is the well-known poutama. In olden times and in some modern buildings a special reed or kakaho is used for backs for the tukutuku. The dowling is easier to get, though it tends to make the patterns rigidly symmetrical, whereas the kakaho stalks with their greater degree of elasticity makes for individuality of construction Experts say that the kakaho is less liable to the ravages of the borer and the destruction of fire.

The tukutuku panel is done by women. The work includes preparation of kiekie by boiling, and the use of dyes to gain the right colours. Two persons work opposite each other, one in front and the other at the back of a frame in which the panel for the time rests The male job is to make the panels

The painting on the rafters and along the upper and lower parts of the walls, is here the work of a group of young men. The red, black, and white colours are attempts at reproducing something of the old patterns. The patterns and designs on the ceiling rafters are, in the main, traditional Each has its own name; some are more complicated than others An experiment was conducted by the painters here, in originating a combination of design units.

Some pleasing results are seen, particularly on the tāhuhu or main beam holding up the building, where sections are set of different patterns that correspond before and aft the main upright post in the middle.

The motifs for the painting designs have come from nature, the curling frond of fern, the upward whirl of the waves and so on. There is a popular belief that all Māori Art is symbolic. While this is generally true, decoration also takes a very big place In fact, it is the feeling for colour, for form and for movement, that characterises the art of any people This is true of the Māori. The artist takes an idea, he considers his material and then sets his hand to the task using conventional methods and techniques.

The kōwhaiwhai patterns on the rafters according to one authority, continue the spirit of the tāhuhu or main horizontal beam to link up with the carved ancestral figures on the wall posts below The patterns connect the tāhuhu with the poupous The significance is that in any tribe there is a genealogical tāhuhu or main beam that links the people up with an ancestor. This is the main line of descent from which families may take their own branch of the genealogy down to themselves. Thus, in this way is the whole kinship system, the scheme of interrelationships between people of one descent, symbolised in the kōwhaiwhai patterns and designs

The kōwhaiwhai patterns decorate the Dining Rooms around the walls. Iwipupu has the main beam down the ceiling also decorated for artistic rather than for any symbolic reason. The carving in the porch of the Dining Rooms present a design or decoration seen on the pātaka or store house of olden times. The pātaka was elaborately carved The Māori in this way showed his high evaluation of food as something of social significance closely linked to the high qualities of generosity, gift making and hospitality which were the true marks of a well-bred person of rank. The cuts on the figure as part of its decoration are called the taratara-a-kai pattern. This cut is right for the Dining Rooms, the modern counterpart of the pātaka of old.

The whole project is a fine example of communal cooperation typical of ancient tribal life and so much needed in modern endeavours. The idea of building a new meetinghouse came from the parents of the present generation of people at Judea. The timber came from a communally held bush at Te Akeake The original plan for the building was drawn by Mr Vernon Brown, an Auckland Architect, Mr Roy Matthews, a member of the community here adapted the plan. Mr Henare Toka who was responsible for the carving instruction of the men at the Pā supplied Mr Vernon Brown with the Māori data. Adult Education initiated the plans for instruction in the decorative crafts to enable the work to be done to standard. The money was raised by local drives for funds through dances, and sales of work, monthly contribution by the local people over four years helped to swell the finance A timely subsidy by the Māori Department was most acceptable Then there were the donations from the Tauranga Borough Council, the Tauranga Historical Society, the 20, 000 Club, the Chamber of Commerce and other Pākehā friends for which acknowledgement is hereby made.

The monetary value of the work, material and construction of the two buildings is in the vicinity of £12, 000 In this amount is not included the extras such as cost of conferences and meetings etc. The importance of the effort put forward by the local Judea community is readily realised when the economic background of the people is known. Practically landless and dependent on manual labour for wages, they have nevertheless achieved this goal with little outside help Not only that, but the bulk of the work has been substantially voluntary

What then has been the incentive? The driving force has come from the leadership of the matriarchs - elders of the group; the sentiment and feeling for the leaders who have passed on whose last word was for the buildings to be completed. Their spirits have been present throughout. Then there has been the inherited pride in a closely-knit community The feeling of pride is strong But above all is this concern lest the word of the ancestors remains dormant

At the completion of the projects the pride and self-respect of the people have assumed a more positive and constructive form, for in achieving their goal they have also added to their own stature. Indeed one can expect a strengthening of the whole tribal fibre as at last a living symbol is raised in the midst of marae, the buildings in which have not been conducive to the production of much elation in the past, though these have served their purpose well.

It is important that the real meaning of the meetinghouse to the people concerned should be grasped. Something of this meaning is seen in what is said already. Behind everything however, is the fact that the meetinghouse and dining rooms are the ancestors In Māori thought the buildings tend to symbolise and give concrete form to the history of the people With it all goes the tendency for the unity of the people to be deepened and reinforced and for the organisation of the people to be more orderly than in the state of being without such buildings. The top storey of the Dining Rooms has a forward look about it. Facilities for youth in the form of club rooms etc. are made available And there again the pride of the people is strengthened for nowhere else among the Māori people is there any such twodecked construction

Intertwining the buildings is the fact of the kinship interrelationships of the group. They are all related vertically to a common ancestor and horizontally to one another. This is the basis of the social organisation of the people that gives it some sort of form and body. This feature of the Māori community presents certain problems of local government For instance, it means that within the local government system set up for all the people of New Zealand, there is this other scheme that caters for the needs of the Māori that arise from his tribal background. Local Māori communal buildings have to be built and maintained, roads constructed, electricity and water laid on. On the other hand, there are wider responsibilities in the way of rates etc

This dual system for the Māori poses certain questions. Should not the fact that the Māori has to maintain a separate community entitle him either

(a) To group representation on Borough and City Councils

(b) To some kind of exemption from rates etc

This is the dilemma of the Māori community that dogs the steps of the Māori as he attempts to work out his destiny in a dual system. The meetinghouse today underlines this problem once more. The Māori is giving his own answer and that is to try to make the best of the two worlds. The real answer however comes only when, with the help of the Pākehā he is able to merge the two worlds into one - in which he enjoys the best from the two cultures

The Pākehā interest in the Judea Carved Meetinghouse is most heartening; This shows the Māori that his Pākehā friend appreciates arts and crafts and the culture of the Māori. These things have a place of their own in the community. More broadly too, the Pākehā can feel that the Māori has something to contribute in a quite unique way to the development of the district as a whole Many people rightly regard the meeting house carved and decorated, as an asset to the district, not merely as just another Māori building New Zealand is growing up in this respect and people are no longer looking down their noses at Māori things.

It is interesting to note that in the building itself Pākehā have taken a practical hand. The architect was a Pākehā. Some of the rafter patterns were analysed by a Pākehā for simpler painting by the men, and what is more, the same Pākehā gentleman did one of the carvings in the building

The Tamateapōkaiwhenua Komiti Marae with all its auxiliary committees and organisations considers the carved meetinghouse as the property of the people, both Māori and Pākehā, of Tauranga.