Hinemoana Story

“The waka is named Hinemoana. Hinemoana is the mother of the oceans, the guardian of the seas and the wife of Kiwa, the great chief of the waters.

She protects those who traverse the oceans.

Hers is a voice of great caution and also the pathway to the great maiden of the night”

Tepene Mamaku

The story of Hinemoana is given in the four main features of the waka tētēkura.

Tauihu
The tauihu features two kaitiaki, who are navigational aides in the realms of sky and sea.

The first is an aihē (dolphin), a guiding force in the ocean, able to surf through turbulent waters creating its own bow wave.

The eagle, held by the First Nations People as a visionary guardian and master of aerial navigation, flies in the wake of the aihē and is orientated to see far into the distance.

Taurapa
Hine-tī-tama sits at the base heralding the new dawn, pushed skyward by the force of Tūtara-kauiha, the whale pod leader.

Rauawa
The two side panels acknowledge famed ancestors of waka leadership, navigation and nautical feats across Moananui-a-Kiwa.

Hinemoana waka tētēkura was launched at Te Tii beach, Waitangi on 5 February 2007 and accompanied by the Ngāti Awa waka taua, Mataatua Toroa (built for the 1990 Waitangi waka pageant).

Toi Māori Aotearoa has continued to support the kaitiaki, Ngā Waka Toi, to present Hinemoana at Waitangi, providing a vehicle for the ongoing development of kaihoe and representing Mataatua waka and Te Tai Tokerau at this important event.

Hinemoana resides at the whare waka on the Whakatane waterfront alongside the Mataatua Toroa, which was refurbished by Te Hau o Te Rangi Tutua a master carver, and expert on traditions and customs of the Mataatua people, Te Hau Tutua was assisted by Whakatane District Council and Te Runanga o Ngāti Awa.

Hinemoana History

Aotearoa-Canada Connections
In 1998 Garry Nicholas attend the 1st meeting of Canadian Native Artists in Ottawa. Garry was invited by the Canadian Arts Council to speak on the behalf of Toi Māori as a representation for the indigenous artists. On the last evening of the conference, Garry attended a screening of a film about the Tahltan-Tlingit artist leader, Dempsey Bob, and took the opportunity to introduce himself. Ending their conversation on good terms, Dempsey provided a copy of the film for Toi Māori.

The next day, as Garry was boarding his flight to Calgary, he found himself sitting and talking with Dempsey Bob and his nephew Stan Bevan. Dempsey ended the conversation with one last request

Dempsey quoted “Now you invite me to New Zealand!”

Toi Māori Aotearoa and Te Runanga Whakairo
In 2002, Toi Māori Aotearoa established Te Runanga Whakairo, the national carvers committee, which was inaugurated at Pātaka Museum in Porirua during the New Zealand International Festival of the Arts. Garry proposed that Te Runanga Whakairo created a waka for Toi Māori Aotearoa to connect with carvers and indigenous art communities of the Northwest Coast. Darcy Nicholas, General Manager of Community Services at Porirua City Council and Director of Pātaka, recommended that Dempsey was invited to Aotearoa to develop this proposal.

Hosted by the Mataatua roopu, Ngā Waka Toi, led by Tepene and Hine Mamaku in 2003, Dempsey immediately recognised the spirit of his own people in Aotearoa and enthusiastically responded to the concept of a waka tētēkura to bind relationships between peoples and provide leadership training for rangatahi. Dempsey generously donated the proceeds from the sale of one of his sculptures to initiate the construction of a waka tētēkura and was adopted by the Mamaku whānau as a member of Ngā Waka Toi. He Awhi Tikanga, of which Tepene Mamaku was a long-standing member, and Te Runanga Whakairo also contributed to the construction fund.

In early 2006, Hekenukumai Busby began the construction of the waka hiwi (hull) with felled logs selected from Pureora Forest in the Central North Island, a process facilitated by He Awhi Tikanga Chair and Pouwhakahaera at the Department of Conservation. After careful examination of the logs at his Aurere workshop, Hector determined that the logs were unsuitable—full of dry rot after sixty years on lying on the forest floor. This finding threatened to postpone the project until Hector offered one of his own logs, though this was shorter than the average length of a waka tētēkura.

Hector completed the 14m long and 1.5m wide waka hiwi in late 2006. In January 2007, Te Runanga Whakairo master carvers, Jack Brooking and Tamati Holmes travelling to Aurere to work with Hector on the tauihu, taurapa and rauawa incorporating an eagle mask completed by Dempsey Bob and his nephew, Stan Bevan. Finally, Teresa Reihana added painted colour to the carvings.

Hinemoana Activities and Events

Hinemoana significant events attended:

6th February 2007
Launch of Hinemoana in Waitangi
Launch day in Waitangi. Hinemoana was the focal point of the event, the waka tētēkura was used to promote mana wahine and revive the traditions and protocols around waka. The waka began in the Haruru Falls and made its way to Te Tī Beach in Waitangi.

April 2007
Māori Market, Wellington
Established to showcase and celebrate contemporary Māori art and culture. Hinemoana is an excellent presentation to promote contemporary art. as the waka tētēkura is a combination of two cultures while maintain the art traditions and protocols.

October 2007
Maraenui Marae, Bay of Plenty
Maraenui located at Te Kaha in Bay of Plenty, the waka was used as a display to showcase the waka and the significance to the marae and the people.

December 2007
Mataatua Maori Sports Award, Whakatane
Mataatua Māori Sports Award was held in the local area of the waka Hinemoana, Whakatāne. The waka was a display to promote waka, and all the Māori art forms that comes along with it.

6th February 2008
Annual Waitangi Pageant, Te Tii Beach Waitangi
Every year waka taua, waka tētēkura, and waka hourua attend the event held in Waitangi to celebrate and promote waka with all the traditions, protocols, and significance. The waka tētēkura Hinemoana is mainly filled with women and children, due to the small size and traditions behind the waka.

23rd February 2008
Mataatua Kapa Haka Regionals, Torere Bay of Plenty
Mataatua Kapa Haka regionals is a regional competition between highly skilled kapa haka performers. Kapa Haka is one of the many Māori Art Forms. Sitting the waka tētēkura as a display promotes all Māori arts especially waka.

May 2008
World Worldwide Women’s Festival, Whakatane river
In the World Worldwide Womens Festival, women in the event paddled the waka Hinemoana along the whakatāne river to gain experience and knowledge of the traditions and protocols of waka.

November 2008
Takitimu Festival, Hastings
From the 12th to the 15th of November held the Takitimu Festival. This festival focuses on promoting Māori atisans and their Artforms alongside Ngāti Kahungungu. Hinemoana was presented along with selected kaihoe by Tepene Mamaku. Hector delivered a presentation regarding traditional navigation.

6th February 2009
Annual Waitangi Pageant, Te Tii Beach Waitangi

6th February 2010
Annual Waitangi Pageant, Te Tii Beach Waitangi

6th February 2011
Annual Waitangi Pageant, Te Tii Beach Waitangi

6th February 2012
Annual Waitangi Pageant, Te Tii Beach Waitangi

2014
Kokiri Putahi, International Indigenous Artists Gathering, Kohewhata marae, Kaikohe

11th March 2015
WOMAD Festival, Te Paepae Oakura Marae
Toi Māori Aotearoa were invited to participate at WOMAD festival in 2015 by including Hinemoana waka at Te Paepae site. The waka and the team were greeted by Ngāti te Whiti hapu of Taranaki in a welcoming ceremony at Ngamotu Beach, symbolising and acknowledging the literal presence of the “ĀHI KĀ”.

6th February 2016
Annual Waitangi Pageant, Te Tii Beach Waitangi

6th February 2019
Annual Waitangi Pageant, Te Tii Beach Waitangi

6th February 2020
Annual Waitangi Pageant, Te Tii Beach Waitangi