Rākaihautū was the captain of the

canoe A canoe is a lightweight narrow water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using a single-bladed paddle. In British English, the term ...

() and a Polynesian ancestor of various , most famously of Waitaha and other southern groups, though he is also known in the traditions of Taitokerau, and in those of

Rarotonga Rarotonga is the largest and most populous of the Cook Islands. The island is volcanic, with an area of , and is home to almost 75% of the country's population, with 13,007 of a total population of 17,434. The Cook Islands' Parliament buildings a ...

. In Māori traditions, once Rākaihautū landed the at the top of the

South Island The South Island, also officially named , is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand in surface area, the other being the smaller but more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman ...

, he moved southward and dug up many of the island's major lakes using a magical (digging stick), filling them with food for his many descendants.

Origin

Rākaihautū originally sailed with his wife Waiariki-o-āio, their son Te Rakihouia, and their people from Te-patunui-o-āio aboard the canoe over 34 generations ago. The crew included some of Rākaihautū's kin who were of the tribes Te Kāhui Tipua, Te Kāhui Roko, and Te Kāhui Waitaha. Rākaihautū's daughter Te Uhi-tataraiakoa stayed behind in Te-patunui-o-āio. On the journey to the South Island the heavens and the ocean blocked the canoe's path, until Rākaihautū chanted a and cut a passage with his

adze An adze (; alternative spelling: adz) is an ancient and versatile cutting tool similar to an axe but with the cutting edge perpendicular to the handle rather than parallel. Adzes have been used since the Stone Age. They are used for smoothing ...

. He eventually landed the at

Nelson Nelson may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey * ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers * ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...

, at the top of the South Island.

Exploration

From Nelson, Rākaihautū and his wife separated from Te Rakihouia and began to explore the

Southern Alps The Southern Alps (; officially Southern Alps / Kā Tiritiri o te Moana) is a mountain range extending along much of the length of New Zealand's South Island, reaching its greatest elevations near the range's western side. The name "Southern ...

. Te Rakihouia and Te Kāhui Waitaha took the canoe and continued down the east coast, eventually landing it near the

Clutha River The Clutha River (, officially gazetted as Clutha River / ) is the second longest river in New Zealand and the longest in the South Island. It flows south-southeast through Central and South Otago from Lake Wānaka in the Southern Alps to the P ...

. In the tradition of Ngā Puna Wai Karikari o Rākaihautū, Rākaihautū dug out the large lakes from Lake Rotoiti,

Lake Rotoroa Lake Rotoroa (Māori: "long lake") may refer to the following New Zealand lakes: * Lake Rotoroa (Northland) * Lake Rotoroa (Tasman) * Lake Rotoroa (Hamilton, New Zealand) (or "Hamilton Lake"), Hamilton City, Waikato, New Zealand * Lake Rotoroa (W ...

, and Rangitahi in the north to

Lake Te Anau Lake Te Anau is in the southwestern corner of the South Island of New Zealand. The lake covers an area of , making it the second-largest lake by surface area in New Zealand (after Lake Taupō) and the largest in the South Island. It is the larg ...

and

Lake Manapouri Lake Manapouri is located in the South Island of New Zealand. The lake is situated within the Fiordland National Park and the wider region of Te Wahipounamu South West New Zealand World Heritage Area. Māori History According to Māori people, ...

in the south. For this purpose he used a digging stick named . Upon reaching

Foveaux Strait The Foveaux Strait, (, or , ) separates Stewart Island, New Zealand's third largest island, from the South Island. The strait is about 130 km long (from Ruapuke Island to Little Solander Island), and it widens (from 14 km at Ruapuk ...

he then travelled back up along the east coast, reunited with Te Rakihouia, and settled in

Banks Peninsula Banks Peninsula is a peninsula of volcanic origin on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It has an area of approximately and encompasses two large harbours and many smaller bays and coves. The South Island's largest cit ...

where he thrust his stick into a hill called above

Akaroa Harbour Akaroa Harbour, is part of Banks Peninsula in the Canterbury region of New Zealand. The harbour enters from the southern coast of the peninsula, heading in a predominantly northerly direction. It is one of two major inlets in Banks Peninsula, ...

, renaming it (the stick) to . The stick became the rocky peak that is known to

Pākehā Pākehā (or Pakeha; ; ) is a Māori term for New Zealanders primarily of European descent. Pākehā is not a legal concept and has no definition under New Zealand law. The term can apply to fair-skinned persons, or to any non-Māori New Ze ...

as Mount Bossu. Specific lakes that Rākaihautū is credited with digging include

Lake Tekapo __NOTOC__ Lake Tekapo ( mi, Takapō) is the second-largest of three roughly parallel lakes running north–south along the northern edge of the Mackenzie Basin in the South Island of New Zealand (the others are Lake Pukaki and Lake Ohau). I ...

Lake Pukaki Lake Pukaki is the largest of three roughly parallel alpine lakes running north–south along the northern edge of the Mackenzie Basin on New Zealand's South Island. The others are Lakes Tekapo and Ohau. All three lakes were formed when the te ...

Lake Ohau A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much larger ...

Lake Hāwea Lake Hāwea is New Zealand's List of lakes in New Zealand#Largest lakes, ninth largest lake. The lake is in the Otago Region at an altitude of 348 metres. It covers 141 km² and reaches 392 metres deep. Lake Hāwea is named after a Māor ...

Lake Wānaka Lake Wānaka is New Zealand's fourth-largest lake and the seat of the town of Wānaka in the Otago region. The lake is 278 meters above sea level, covers , and is more than deep. "Wānaka" is the South Island dialect pronunciation of , which ...

Lake Wakatipu Lake Wakatipu ( mi, Whakatipu Waimāori) is an inland lake (finger lake) in the South Island of New Zealand. It is in the southwest corner of the Otago region, near its boundary with Southland. ''Lake Wakatipu'' comes from the original Māori nam ...

, Whakatipu Waitī, Te Aitarakihi near

Washdyke Washdyke is an industrial suburb in the north of Timaru, in south Canterbury, New Zealand. State Highway 1 passes through Washdyke on the way north out of the city. The northern terminus of State Highway 8 is in Washdyke. Washdyke is home of T ...

Lake Ellesmere / Te Waihora Lake Ellesmere / Te Waihora is a broad, shallow coastal lake or waituna, in the Canterbury region of the South Island of New Zealand. It is directly to the west of Banks Peninsula, separated from the Pacific Ocean by the long, narrow, sandy ...

, and

Lake Forsyth Lake Forsyth (known to Māori as Te Roto o Wairewa) is a lake on the south-western side of Banks Peninsula in the Canterbury region of New Zealand, near the eastern end of the much larger Lake Ellesmere / Te Waihora. State Highway 75 to Akaro ...

Legacy

Namesakes of Rākaihautū include (The Storehouse of Rākaihautū) and (The Fish Basket of Rākaihautū). He is most famously known as an ancestor of Waitaha, though the founders of

Kāti Māmoe Kāti Māmoe (also spelled Ngāti Māmoe but not by the tribe themselves) is a historic Māori iwi. Originally from the Hastings area, they moved in the 16th century to the South Island which at the time was already occupied by the Waitaha. A ...

and the lesser known Te Kāhea, iwi are both said to be descendants of Te Uhi-tataraiakoa's great grandson Toi.

Ngāpuhi Ngāpuhi (or Ngā Puhi) is a Māori iwi associated with the Northland region of New Zealand and centred in the Hokianga, the Bay of Islands, and Whangārei. According to the 2018 New Zealand census, the estimated population of Ngāpuhi is 165, ...

and

Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu Ngāti Tumutumu is a Māori iwi of New Zealand, named after the eponymous ancestor Te Ruinga, son of Tumutumu. They live at Te Aroha in the Hauraki District. See also *List of Māori iwi This is a list of iwi (New Zealand Māori tribes). Lis ...

are also said to be descended from Toi through the ancestor

Rāhiri Rāhiri (estimated to have lived sometime between 1475-1585) is the ''tūpuna'' (ancestor) of Ngāpuhi of Northland Region, Northland and Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu of the Hauraki District in New Zealand. The Ngāpuhi today is the largest Māori people ...

. The ancient Hāwea tribe is sometimes said to descend from Toi, or they could have arrived on their own canoe—the under Taiehu's captaincy—earlier than the . might have otherwise been the name of Rākaihautū's adze onboard the when it arrived to the South Island.

Notes

References

{{Reflist Māori mythology Legendary Polynesian people Year of birth missing Year of death missing Polynesian navigators