ZLL/0783

Lake Tūtira

Lake

A lake adjacent to State Highway 2. Feature shown on: NZMS260 V20; NZTopo50-BJ39 361513.

Yes (what does this mean?)

Via public road(s): State Highway 2; 3 unnamed road(s)

Via DOC track(s): Galbraith Track; Kahikanui Track; Lake Tutira Walkway R Rd To L Tutira; Waikopiro Tk

Via park(s): Tiwaewae Memorial Historic Reserve; Lakes Orakai, Tutira, and Waikopiro Wildlife Refuge; Tutira Domain Recreation Reserve

The land surrounding Lake Tūtira was an important area of settlement for Ngāti Tu, Ngāti Kurumokihi and Ngai Tatara. Ngai Tatara had an important settlement on the island Tauranga-koua, and although they abandoned that pa following their defeat and the death of the fighting chief Tiwaewae, they still retained rights to the land at Lake Tūtira. The chief Ngāti Tū chief Kohipipi also had settlements at Lake Tūtira. According to Guthrie-Smith one whakatauaki of Ngai Tatara was: ““Ko to ratou pa ko nga rekereke”—“their pas were in their heels””. Due to the means of their survival it was necessary for the tribe to align their settlement patterns with the seasons. Says Guthrie-Smith, “[t]he Ngai-Tatara during winter, and whilst planting of crops was in progress, dwelt chiefly about the estuaries of the local rivers. The climate of Tūtira was rather too cold and wet, the land usually too poor for the cultivation on a great scale of such exotics as the taro (Colocasia antiquorum), the hue (Lagenatia vulgaris), and the kumara (Ipomœa batatas). On the other hand, the flax (Phormium tenax)1 growing about its swamps was celebrated for strength, the shallows of the lake were paved with mussel-beds—kakahi (Diplodon lutulentus), the flavour of its eels was unsurpassed. They were speared in the lakes, they were caught in enormous numbers in eel-weirs—patunas—or in whare tunas built along the edges of streams. In the forests of the interior, pigeon (Carpophaga Novœ Zealandiœ), tui (Prosthemadera Novœ Zealandiæ), and kaka (Nestor meridionalis) abounded; they were captured by means of decoy birds, or snared by natives ambushed beneath selected trees. often a superabundance of birds preserved in their own fat was bartered for the delicacies of other hapus. Tools of wood and weapons of stone were manufactured. These relics of bygone days—pounders for the softening of flax-fibre, adzes, eel- spears, and bundles of bird-snares hidden in rocks—are still from time to time discovered.”In the later nineteenth century much of the land at Tūtira was leased to private individuals, in particular Guthrie-Smith, and then acquired by the Crown, although a small portion of Māori freehold land remains, some of which includes a part of the lake itself. Some kaumatua of MTI recall living at or utilising the resources of Tūtira. Eels were of course plentiful within the lake, on the land surrounding the lake large quantities of flax could be obtained, amongst other plant-life. one wahi tapu, according to Mrs Kuia Gray, was located where a shearing shed now[?] sits; she was taught that this was the site of a battle and following the battle was made tapu. The following, recorded by Guthrie-Smith is a waiata which makes reference to Tūtira: “e hine e tangi nei ki te makariri i a ia, Kaore nei e hine te rau o te ngahere i a taua, Pinea rawatia ki Tūtira ra; Ki te ue pata, ki te kai rakau. A ehara e hine i te roto hou; he roto tawhito tonu na matou ko o nui. Ina tonu te raro i potau atu ai e hine: Ko hine-rau- wharariki te hahanu noa nei: Ko tini o hunga ki roto kakati ai e hine. o maiden, who art weeping because of the cold, We own no garments of forest-leaves, o child. Let us gather together to Tūtira Where are eel-weirs and fruit-laden trees. The lake, my little girl, is not a new lake, But an ancient lake possessed by thy ancestral great ones. It is only just now that the food has gone: Hine- rau-wharariki is preparing the fibre: Suppressing the hunger-pangs gnawing within.”

• [ZLP/HB-0034] Lakes Orakai, Tutira, and Waikopiro Wildlife Refuge

Hawke's Bay

Hastings District

Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairoa country

NZTM2000: 1936121, 5651329

RF80ks