Clio’s Armada: Ngātokimatawhaorua and the Waitangi Treaty Grounds

I spent almost two years in New Zealand/Aotearoa and found some magnificent examples of heritage boat-building among the Indigenous Maori and the settler Pakeha peoples. One of my favourite stories was Ngātokimatawhaorua, a waka (canoe), built in the 1930s. It taught me so much about how heritage boatbuilding can be meaningful to communities, both to pass on heritage skills, and to leave a lasting tangible and beautiful object behind.

This waka was inspired by a desire to see the revival of boat-building traditions, and the makers envisaged a giant fleet built in time for the anniversary of the Treaty of Waitangi, the founding document of New Zealand. Ngātokimatawhaorua was completed, but the fleet would have to wait (it has since come true).

Fittingly, while still used for re-enactments, Ngātokimatawhaorua is housed at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, a national historic site and museum complex.

Specifications

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Benefits of the Build

The desire to build a new war canoe came from the community and its leaders, but they found a challenge in finding a craftsman. Eventually, Te Puea, the inspiration behind the project, found Rānui Maupakanga, a tohunga tārai waka (expert canoe builder) who had built a waka for her grandfather. The community set about rescuing and restoring an aging waka and in this way were able to pass along expertise to younger craftsmen such as Poutapu, who led the ensuing build.

As they began work on Ngātokimatawhaorua, Te Puea also allowed documentary footage of the process in order to capture the skills and uplift Maori craftsmen. Nearly a hundred years later the skills are better known and practised throughout Aotearoa.

I think one of the highest ideals of heritage boatbuilding is to preserve the intangible cultural heritage inherent in the skills involved.

Life after Launch

Occasionally you see watercraft that were built for the purpose of building them and with no plan for their use, they can be challenging. Unless they are vitally important, like Ngātokimatawhaorua, many museums are dubious about the time and money it takes to maintain a boat (time and money being things museums are famously short of). And use or non use will both lead to deterioration.

Ngātokimatawhaorua was restored in 1974 and 2010 and has been paddled periodically since, often for important celebrations. It is on display at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds and tell and important story about cultural revival and intangible cultural heritage.

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You can find out more about the building of this amazing canoe here or try to get a copy of the book by Jeff Evans.

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Clio’s Armada is a blog series Tom is writing based on his passion for heritage boatbuilding and examples he has seen of it around the world. Read about over twenty examples from the 1860s to the 2010s!