Hirawanu Tapu ( 1824–1900) was a notable New Zealand
Moriori
The Moriori are the native Polynesian people of the Chatham Islands (''Rēkohu'' in Moriori; ' in Māori), New Zealand. Moriori originated from Māori settlers from the New Zealand mainland around 1500 CE. This was near the time of th ...
leader. He was born in
Te Awapatiki,
Chatham Islands
The Chatham Islands ( ) (Moriori: ''Rēkohu'', 'Misty Sun'; mi, Wharekauri) are an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean about east of New Zealand's South Island. They are administered as part of New Zealand. The archipelago consists of about te ...
, New Zealand.
He was a major source for
Alexander Shand's works on Moriori history, traditions, chants and
vocabulary
A vocabulary is a set of familiar words within a person's language. A vocabulary, usually developed with age, serves as a useful and fundamental tool for communication and acquiring knowledge. Acquiring an extensive vocabulary is one of the la ...
, and about 90 percent of all extant knowledge of his people's culture and language passed through his hands.
References
1900 deaths
Moriori people
People from the Chatham Islands
Last known speakers of a language
Year of birth uncertain
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