In Māori tradition of New Zealand, Tama-te-kapua, also spelt Tamatekapua and Tama-te-Kapua and also known as Tama, was the captain of the '' Arawa'' canoe which came to New Zealand from Polynesia in about 1350. The reason for his leaving his homeland was that he and his brother Whakaturia had stolen

breadfruit Breadfruit (''Artocarpus altilis'') is a species of flowering tree in the mulberry and jackfruit family (Moraceae) believed to be a domesticated descendant of ''Artocarpus camansi'' originating in New Guinea, the Maluku Islands, and the Philippi ...

(''kuru'' or ''poroporo'') from a tree belonging to a chief named Uenuku. They had stolen the fruit in revenge for the theft and consumption of a dog belonging to Haumai-tāwhiti by Toi-te-huatahi and Uenuku. The two brothers fled after tribal war broke out because of the incident. Tama Te Kapua also took two women who were the wives of other men with him, one of whom was

Whakaotirangi Whakaotirangi was a Māori experimental gardener. Her name has been translated as "completion from the sky" or "the heavens complete". In some accounts, Whakaotirangi was the daughter of Memeha-o-te-rangi, and the wife of Ruaeo, but she was ki ...

. The other was the wife of Ruao. Tama-te-kapua asked Ruao to fetch an axe left by his house, and while he was ashore, Tama-te-kapua raised the anchor and left Ruao behind. Some legends describe Tama-te-kapua asking

Ngātoro-i-rangi In Māori tradition, Ngātoro-i-rangi (Ngātoro) is the name of a tohunga (priest) prominent during the settling of New Zealand ( Aotearoa) by the Māori people, who came from the traditional homeland Hawaiki on the '' Arawa'' canoe. He is the an ...

, tohunga and navigator of the '' Tainui'' waka, to come aboard the ''Arawa'' with his wife to bless the vessel. Once they boarded, Tama-te-kapua set sail and kidnapped the pair. Several other canoes fled at the same time, including the ''Tainui'' and '' Matatūa''. When the ''Arawa'' landed at Whangaparaoa, in the North Island, Tama found that the ''Tainui'' had arrived before them and claimed possession of the land, but through strategic cunning, Tama managed to disprove their claim. The ''Arawa'' then went on to Maketu, where Tama-te-kapua settled. His descendants peopled this part and the

Rotorua Rotorua () is a city in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand's North Island. The city lies on the southern shores of Lake Rotorua, from which it takes its name. It is the seat of the Rotorua Lakes District, a territorial authority encompass ...

region. Today their descendants say of the ''Arawa'' canoe that the bow piece is Maketu and the stern-piece is Mount Tongariro. Tama-te-kapua was said to be very tall – – and the son of Haumai-tāwhiti (also spelt Houmai Tawhiti) of Hawaiki, the ancestral home of the Polynesian people. Tama-te-kapua had two sons, Tuhoro and Kahu-mata-momoe. He was buried at the top of Mount Moehau (on Cape Colville, the northernmost tip of Coromandel Peninsula). Kahu-mata-momoe placing a mauri stone on

Boat Rock Boat Rock is a tiny sandstone island in the Waitematā Harbour of Auckland, New Zealand. Boat Rock is a vanishing island, which is submerged at high tide. Geology The rock is a piece of Waitemata Group sandstone exposed in the Waitematā Harb ...

is associated with the naming of the Waitematā Harbour in Auckland. The meeting house at Te Papaiouru Marae is named after Tamatekapua.

References

Māori mythology Arawa (canoe) Legendary Polynesian people Polynesian navigators {{Māori-myth-stub