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, cultural traditions, and other voyages, Ngātokimatawhaorua is housed at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, a national historic site and museum complex. Its stewardship is shared between the Iwi (Tribes) involved in its creation and the historic site.

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 served its centennial purpose. Alongside another similarly built waka, it helped re-enact and commemorate the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1940. 

With the Second World War and post-war depression, however, it then sat unused for over thirty years until the visit of Queen Elizabeth provided the northern Maori another good reason to revive their waka traditions, which continue to this day.

Ngātokimatawhaorua was restored in 1974 and 2010 and has been paddled periodically since, often for important celebrations and for greeting incoming voyaging vessels, such as Hōkūleʻa. Important figures have been inspired and involved with the vesssel like Hec Busby, the waka’s longtime kaitiaki or guardian and a waka builder himself. Brothers Joe and Stan Conrad, sons of one of Ngatokimatawhaorua’s original crew, have also taken up important roles. Stan became the captain of Te Aurere and was honoured in the Micronesian Pwo ceremony for his role in supporting traditional Polynesian voyaging.

A quote from Jeff Evans’ book below, will be sufficient to close. He records one unidentified crewmember speaking to a reporter in 1974:

“When I first climbed into the canoe and settled myself down I had the strangest feeling. It seemed as if I was surrounded by the spirits of my ancestors. I felt at one with all those who had lived here in the past. A part of the history of my people. The motion welled up inside me and I felt tears coming into my eyes, and the man in front of me turned and looked at me. ‘You’re sweating too,’ he said, and the tears were running down his cheeks. It was an extraordinary feeling and something I shall never forget.”

Ngatokimatawhaorua is on display at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds and tell and important story about cultural revival and intangible cultural heritage.

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Sources

Evans, Jeff. Ngātokimatawhaorua: The Biography of a Waka. Massey University Press, 2023 

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!