page_title: Whakatau
hierarchical_section_title: Whakatau
caption_attribution_description: This image is part of the Learning Media Limited Te Pou Taki Kōrero educational resources transferred to Archives New Zealand. The work was either commissioned or created in the production of Te Wharekura publication for educational purposes. The art work created in 1988 is titled Nga Tamariki Iti o Aotearoa - Te Taitama/ The Boy from the Sea by Clare Bowes. The theme of this year’s festival, ‘kaitiakitanga’ (guardianship), gives us an opportunity to think about our role as guardians. For Māori, the atua (gods) were the first guardians. They included Tāne, guardian of the forests and birds, and Tangaroa, guardian of the sea and all its abundant life forms. Māori also have kaitiaki (guardians) in the form of birds and other animals, which protect us by warning us of danger. Archives New Zealand, Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga is the official guardian of New Zealand’s public archives. We gather, store and protect an extremely wide range of material. Our holdings include the originals of the Treaty of Waitangi, government documents, maps, paintings, photographs and film. Archives New Zealand works to ensure records of long-term value are kept permanently and people have access to these records. Archives Reference: ADCT 699 W5428 30/2 Matariki at Archives New Zealand
context_page_description: Whakatau was a supernatural person in Māori mythology.
  One day Apakura threw her apron into the sea, and a sea atua named Rongotakawhiu took it and worked it into human form, and Whakatau was born. The atua taught him the arts of enchantment. As the child grew older, people saw kites flying at sea, but could not see who held the strings. Whakatau loved to fly kites, and would run along the floor of the ocean with his toy. One day, he came ashore and the people tried to catch him. Whakatau was too fast a runner and would let no one catch him except his mother Apakura. He then lived on land with her, and grew up into a famous hero.
  In another account, Tūwhakararo was murdered by the men of the Ati Hapai tribe, and Whakatau set out on a quest to rescue the bones of his father, and to avenge his death. He assembled an army, and prepared his war canoes Whiritoa, Tapatapa-hukarere, Hakirere, Toroa-i-taipakihi, Mahunu-awatea, and others. The expedition set off, and Whakatau, with his best men, besieged a wharenui called Te Uru-o-Manono where the enemy were gathered. The house was burned and the people of Ati Hapai were wiped out.
context_section_description: Whakatau (or Whakatau-pōtiki) was a supernatural person in Māori mythology.
  One day Apakura threw her apron into the sea, and a sea atua named Rongotakawhiu took it and worked it into human form, and Whakatau was born. The atua taught him the arts of enchantment. As the child grew older, people saw kites flying at sea, but could not see who held the strings. Whakatau loved to fly kites, and would run along the floor of the ocean with his toy. One day, he came ashore and the people tried to catch him. Whakatau was too fast a runner and would let no one catch him except his mother Apakura. He then lived on land with her, and grew up into a famous hero.
  In another account, Tūwhakararo was murdered by the men of the Ati Hapai tribe, and Whakatau set out on a quest to rescue the bones of his father, and to avenge his death. He assembled an army, and prepared his war canoes Whiritoa, Tapatapa-hukarere, Hakirere, Toroa-i-taipakihi, Mahunu-awatea, and others. The expedition set off, and Whakatau, with his best men, besieged a wharenui called Te Uru-o-Manono where the enemy were gathered. The house was burned and the people of Ati Hapai were wiped out.
  In some accounts, Whakatau was a son of Tūhuruhuru (son of Hinauri), and a nephew of Tūwhakararo.
caption: 1988 depiction of Whakatau running along the seafloor flying his kite, under Rongotakawhiu's watch. The vague appearance of Papatūānuku can be seen as the island.
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