In late August, the Whakauae team visited the former Potaka Pā site at Mōkai as part of our commitment to learning more about Ngāti Hauiti, its people and its sites of significance. Richard Steedman (Ngāti Hauiti, Ngāi Te Ohuake, Ngāti Tamakōpiri, Ngāti Whitikaupeka), Hapū / Iwi Facilitator and Strategic Advisor for the Mōkai Pātea Waitangi Claims Trust as well as a former director of Whakauae, was our iwi guide for the day.
After convening at the Hauiti office in Utiku, we left State Highway 1 travelling east along Mōkai Road through the Awarua blocks to Mōkai Station. From here it was a hῙkoi of two – three hours over farmland to reach the Potaka Pā site beneath the foothills of the Ruahine Ranges. Expansive views across the RangitῙkei whenua were afforded from the Pā site. Here, Richard shared kōrero, whakatauākī and waiata with us about some of the key iwi events that have taken place at, and around, Potaka Pā.
On the return hῙkoi, we side-tracked to explore a small stand of bush that included the largest and oldest tōtara tree most of us had probably ever seen. Richard explained some of the uses our iwi had historically made of the various kinds of foliage growing in this stand of bush. We returned to Whanganui late in the afternoon well exercised (!) and having added to our shared kete of knowledge.
In late August, the Whakauae team visited the former Potaka Pā site at Mōkai as part of our commitment to learning more about Ngāti Hauiti, its people and its sites of significance. Richard Steedman (Ngāti Hauiti, Ngāi Te Ohuake, Ngāti Tamakōpiri, Ngāti Whitikaupeka), Hapū / Iwi Facilitator and Strategic Advisor for the Mōkai Pātea Waitangi Claims Trust as well as a former director of Whakauae, was our iwi guide for the day.
After convening at the Hauiti office in Utiku, we left State Highway 1 travelling east along Mōkai Road through the Awarua blocks to Mōkai Station. From here it was a hῙkoi of two – three hours over farmland to reach the Potaka Pā site beneath the foothills of the Ruahine Ranges. Expansive views across the RangitῙkei whenua were afforded from the Pā site. Here, Richard shared kōrero, whakatauākī and waiata with us about some of the key iwi events that have taken place at, and around, Potaka Pā.
On the return hῙkoi, we side-tracked to explore a small stand of bush that included the largest and oldest tōtara tree most of us had probably ever seen. Richard explained some of the uses our iwi had historically made of the various kinds of foliage growing in this stand of bush. We returned to Whanganui late in the afternoon well exercised (!) and having added to our shared kete of knowledge.
