Ko te whakapae, ko te kawekaweau tēnei mai i ngā kōrero tuku iho a ngā iwi Māori. E 37 henimita te roa o tēnei kawekaweau. E ai ki ngā kōrero, he kawekaweau tā te tipuna rā a Kahungunu, whakanōhia ai ki tētahi kumete. Ka whakaaturia e Kahungunu tana mōkai hei whakamataku i ōna hoariri. Nō te tau 1990 te whakaahua nei, ko Wim Spiekman tērā e aromātai ana i tētahi kawekaweau i te whare taonga o Aotearoa i Te Whanganui-a-Tara. Nā te aha rā, i noho mokemoke te ngārara nei ki te whare taonga taiao o Marseilles i Wīwī, mai i te tau 1869 rā anō. Kia tae rawa ki te tau 1986, kātahi anō ngā kairangahau o taua whare taonga rā ka whakaaro, tērā pea i ahu mai te ngārara rā i Aotearoa. Whāia, ka whakahokia te taonga nei ki Aotearoa i te tau 1990, kia whai wāhi ai ki ngā whakanuitanga o te tau 150 mai i te hainatanga o te Tiriti o Waitangi.