Maki's Battles In Tamaki

len.george (63)in #history • 5 years ago

A history that is handed down verbally can slowly change, and, like the fish you caught, get bigger as time passes.

Here is the story of Maki, who was a friend and ally of Toa-Rangatira.

He travelled from Taranaki to Kawhia, and on the way, he reached Nukuhakara, where the tribe of Mounuhia were living.

Now Maki became very hungry, and he saw a Karaka tree with ripe berries, so he climbed the tree and began to eat the pulp of the ripe berries to ease his hunger.

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When the people of the Nukuhakara pa saw him eating the berries up in the tree they uttered a curse, saying,

“Who is that yonder, eating Karaka berries like a bird? leave those berries, they are the nits in your head”.

When Maki heard this, he climbed down out of the tree and continued on his walk to Marohopa, where he told Toa-Rangatira what had happened.

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When Toa-Ranatira heard this he said, “These people are continually wishful to kill and eat us”. “Very well, let us give them all the trouble they desire”.

So Toa-Rangatira, with his warriors, and Maki, once more marched forth upon the trial of battle.

They went to Nukuhakari, and when they appeared before the Pa [fortified village] the people of the village rose of their stockade and charged upon their foes.

But Toa and his men fell on them with great vigour and not only defeat them, the exterminated them, and now the name of the Mouauhia is only known in a memory.

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Toa-Rangatira and his followers then took possession of the land of the Mouauhui.

Maki, now decided to pay his sister Kaka a visit, she was married to a chief of the Ngati-Tahinga tribe, who lived at Karahea, at the mouth of the Waikato River.

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He stayed visiting for a while, then he went to the Manukau, near Auckland.

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He had a war party with him and he killed Whauwhau there, and his people.

The legend does not give the excuse for the battle, just records the defeat of Whauwhau.

This battle was on the plain near Manukau, and that is why the area is called Tamaki today.

He continued on to the Waitemata, and conquered the people there as well, again for an unrecorded reason.

Next, he went to Kaipara, and overcame some of the tribes living there, which is why one of the tribes still there is called “Te Kawerau a Maki” [the people of Maki]