Matahi is a rural valley in the Whakatāne District and

Bay of Plenty Region The Bay of Plenty ( mi, Te Moana-a-Toi) is a region of New Zealand, situated around a bight of the same name in the northern coast of the North Island. The bight stretches 260 km from the Coromandel Peninsula in the west to Cape Runaway ...

of New Zealand's

North Island The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but much less populous South Island by the Cook Strait. The island's area is , making it the world's 14th-largest ...

History and culture

20th century

Rua Kenana Hepetipa Rua Kenana Hepetipa or Rua Kēnana Hepetipa (1869 – 20 February 1937) was a Māori prophet, faith healer and land rights activist. He called himself Te Mihaia Hou, the New Messiah, and claimed to be Te Kooti Arikirangi's successor Hepetipa ...

, a Māori prophet,

faith healer Faith healing is the practice of prayer and gestures (such as laying on of hands) that are believed by some to elicit divine intervention in spiritual and physical healing, especially the Christian practice. Believers assert that the healing ...

and land rights activist, established the settlement in 1910. He had established the settlement of Maungapohatu three years earlier. For several years, Rua lived between Matahi, with his youngest wife Te Atawhai Tara or Piimia, and Maungapohatu, with his first wife Pinepine Te Rika. From 1912, Matahi went through a period of growth, while Maungapohatu went through decline. Rua spent an increasing amount of time in Matahi, and was there when he died in 1937. During the

1918 flu pandemic The 1918–1920 influenza pandemic, commonly known by the misnomer Spanish flu or as the Great Influenza epidemic, was an exceptionally deadly global influenza pandemic caused by the H1N1 influenza A virus. The earliest documented case was ...

, the area did not have the high mortality rate of other parts of eastern Bay of Plenty. The Matahi Bridge was destroyed and the area was cut off by landslips during severe flooding in March 1964. One of Rua's grandsons had to be rescued by helicopter after being badly injured in the severe weather. By 1986, some descendants and followers of Rua returned to Matahi with young families to live closer to their marae and a traditional way of life.

21st century

In 2010, Bay of Plenty man Pomare Mason was killed by his younger brother Whairiri Tamataonui Terewa in the valley, during an argument about the ownership of a home. The valley was cut off, and Matahi Valley Road was closed, due to flooding and slips in April 2014. The valley was also affected by flooding in March and April 2017. In July 2016 a mother and four children went missing in Te Urewera protected area, and Lions Hut on Matahi Valley Road became the base for the search operation. Relatives searched the area on their own, against official advice, and found the group about 30 minutes' from the valley road.

Marae

The valley is the '' rohe'' (tribal area) of the Tuhoe people. It has several marae. Matahi Marae and Te Huinga ō te Kura house is affiliated with

Ngāi Tamatuhirae Iwi () are the largest social units in New Zealand Māori society. In Māori roughly means "people" or "nation", and is often translated as "tribe", or "a confederation of tribes". The word is both singular and plural in the Māori language, an ...

and was established in 1925. In October 2020, the Government committed $508,757 from the Provincial Growth Fund to upgrade

Tataiāhape Marae Waimana is a rural valley in the Whakatāne District and Bay of Plenty Region of New Zealand's North Island. It is located in the northern Te Urewera. Waimana River, originally known as Tauranga River, runs through the valley, joining the Ohinemat ...

Piripari Marae Waimana is a rural valley in the Whakatāne District and Bay of Plenty Region of New Zealand's North Island. It is located in the northern Te Urewera. Waimana River, originally known as Tauranga River, runs through the valley, joining the Ohinemat ...

, Matahi Marae and

Tanatana Marae Waimana is a rural valley in the Whakatāne District and Bay of Plenty Region of New Zealand's North Island. It is located in the northern Te Urewera. Waimana River, originally known as Tauranga River, runs through the valley, joining the Ohinemat ...

, creating 9.8 jobs. Omuriwaka Marae and Te Tātua o Hape ki Tūārangi house is affiliated with

. Tuapo Marae and Te Ao Hou house is affiliated with Tamakaimoana. Whakarae Marae and Toi te Huatahi house is affiliated with Whakatāne Hapū and

Ngāi Tama Iwi () are the largest social units in New Zealand Māori society. In Māori roughly means "people" or "nation", and is often translated as " tribe", or "a confederation of tribes". The word is both singular and plural in the Māori language, ...

and was established in 1930.

Education

Te Kura Mana Māori o Matahi is a co-educational state Māori language immersion primary school for Year 1 to 8 students, with a roll of as of .

References

{{coord, -38.254113, 177.110312, region:NZ_type:city_source:GNS-enwiki, display=title Whakatane District Populated places in the Bay of Plenty Region