A tale of two pataka: Te Puawai o Te Arawa and Te Oha
Welcome to this week’s preview of Tamaki Paenga Hira, an informative program currently featuring on Maori Television exploring 13 taonga Maori from the Auckland War Memorial Museum collections.
Episode 9: A tale of two pataka: Te Puawai o Te Arawa / Te Oha
This week’s program investigates two special pataka (food store houses) in the care of the Auckland Museum, ‘Te Puawai o Te Arawa’ and ‘Te Oha’.
Raureti Hemana, Napi Waaka and Jim Schuster, descendants of the carvers who built these pataka, introduce us to the histories behind these beautiful taonga.
Te Puawai o Te Arawa was commissioned by the Ngati Pikiao chief Te Pokiha Taranui (also known as Major Fox, of the famed Arawa contingent that pursued Te Kooti). Te Pokiha hired esteemed Ngati Tarawhai carvers Wero and Tene Waitere to build and carve the pataka in or about the 1870s. It eventually stood at Maketu for many years.
This pataka was known by two names: Te Puawai o Te Arawa – The Flower of Te Arawa, and Tuhua Kataore – The Pit of the Taniwha: named after the house owned by Te Pokiha’s father, Taranui. Te Puawai o Te Arawa was purchased from Te Pokiha by the Auckland Museum in 1894.
Te Oha stood at Te Waerenga, on the northern shores of Lake Rotorua. It was completed about 1825 by Manawa and his son Tahuriorangi of Ngati Pikiao.
Te Oha
The pataka was eventually sold by Tahuriorangi’s son Te Mata Tahuriorangi to F.D Fenton for 50 pounds. After Fenton’s death, the pataka was purchased for the Auckland Museum with a special subscription by the citizens of Auckland. Te Oha was accessioned into the Auckland Museum in 1885.
Te Puawai o Te Arawa is on display in the Maori Court of Auckland Museum. Te Oha is currently on long term loan to Rotorua Museum.
Tamaki Paenga Hira, Episode 9: Te Puawai o Te Arawa / Te Oha screens on Maori Television, Wednesday 14th December 2011 at 8.30
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