Ko Wharepūhunga te maunga
Ko Pūniu te awa.
Ko Tainui te waka.
Ko Raukawa ki Wharepūhunga te iwi.
Ko Ngāti Takihiku te hapū.
Ko Rāwhitiroa te marae
The whare tūpuna Takihiku is named after the youngest child of Raukawa and Turongoihi.
The first wharenui to stand at Aotearoa, was Takihiku I. All hapū of Ngāti Raukawa descend from Takihiku, who was the youngest child of Raukawa and Tūrongoihi. Takihiku married Maikukutara, a mokopuna of Māhanga, the eponymous tupuna of Ngāti Māhanga. They had five sons, Tamatehura, Wairangi, Upokoiti, Ngakohua and Pipito. When Takihiku I was burnt by a bush fire, our whanaunga down the line built Takihiku II at Pua o Tau (close to Levin), sadly it became derelict and dilapidated
Tūpuna moved between the kāinga surrounding Aotearoa and Rāwhitiroa freely - many tūpuna had homes both at Aotearoa, and Ōwairaka, and thus Takihiku III was built at Rāwhitiroa where he stands today.
Kurawari, sister of Takihiku, was the only daughter of Raukawa and his wife Turongoihi.
Kurawari married Whaereere and had a son named Whāita, and a daughter named Koroukore.
Maikukutara is the name of our wharekai, and is named after the wife of Takihiku.
Maikukutara is from Ngāti Māhanga, and was bought here by her people to Wharepūhunga to marry Takihiku. Her dowry included many taonga, including the patu 'Puhikura', which is referenced in the famed haka 'ko Te Aea o ia rangi'.
According to Marerahi Heta, Maikukutara was also a wahine mau taiaha, and it was through her that her sons were taught mau rākau with their Ngāti Māhanga whanaunga. They became known as 'Ngā Rei o Maikukutara' (The teeth of Maikukutara).
The connection to Ngāti Māhanga is mentioned in the pātere of Te Kapo-o-te-rangi, which the pūkōrero (orators) of Mātaatua use as a tauparapara '...Kei Kaharoa ko Māhanga, kei Wharepūhunga ko Raukawa...'.
Maikukutara also had a twin sister, Maikukutea, who was one of the wives of Whakatere, the second oldest brother of Takihiku.
Photo: Nā te Poukai tuatahi o Te Arikinui Kuini Ngawai hono i te po, i mua i tā rātou wehenga ki Rākaunui Marae.
The waharoa was unveiled on March 10th 2013 by Kaikarakia, the late Toiamoko Manaia and Paraone Gloyne.
Raukawa (Nā Quinton Tunoho i tapaina), showcases Turongo holding a ceremonial adze "Matariki", and Māhinaarangi wearing the Raukawa necklace around her neck representing the scent.
On the kōruru, you will see the Pae Atua, Rangitairi and Hinewaituhi on the ends.
The Kowhatu represents Waitete, Turongo’s kurī, etched and painted with non-traditional kokowai
There is also a representation of Wairere Falls depicting the direction Māhinaarangi traveled from.
There are no names for the raparapa; kārearea / kāeaea, but are representations of the dancing figures or motifs depicted on the Maihi of our Whare Tupuna.
Ringawhao / Ringatoi: Te Waamu McGrath (Ngāti Ruru, Ngāti Raukawa ki Wharepūhunga), Pita Broad (Te Rarawa, Ngāti Kahu), and Quinton Tunoho (NSW, Sydney City Roosters)
The kāuta, over 120 years old, sits aside Maikukutara. The kāuta belonged to our tupuna Marerahi Paraone and he lived there with his wife kui Tini. This is the first building to stand at Rāwhitiroa.
Marerahi and Kui Tini raised Koro Rewi in the kāuta. Although Koro Rewi (Ruble) didn’t remember the karakia, he remembered Marerahi would have a umu (hāngī) outside for Matariki.