Kapi ai e te kupu tuna ngā tuna wai māori, ā, hei ētahi wā karangatia ai te ngōiro (conger eel) me ētahi atu ika moana ka rite te āhua, he tuna.
He tino kai nā te Māori te tuna wai māori– tae atu ki te piharau (lamprey).
He maha ngā kōrero mō te tuna.
Tērā te kōrero mō Puna-kauariki. He puna tēnei kei te tihi o ngā rangi tūhāhā. Ko ngā kāhui ika o roto ko Para, ko Ngōiro, ko Tuna, ko Tuere. Ka maroke te wai i te rangi, ka heke iho te kāhui nei ki a Papatūānuku. Ko Tuna ka noho ki te wai māori, ko Para, ko Ngōiro, ko Tuere ka puta ki te moana nui.
Tērā anō te kōrero mō te tipua rā a Tuna, nāna ngā wāhine a Māui i whakamataku. Hei utu ka tapahia a Tuna e Māui kia rua ngā wāhanga; ko tētahi wāhanga o te tinana o Tuna ka rere ki te moana ka huri hei ngōiro, ko tētahi wāhanga o tōna tinana ka rere ki ngā awa ka huri hei tuna wai māori.
E rua ngā momo tuna wai māori ki Aotearoa, arā:
Neke atu i te 100 ngā ingoa kei ngā iwi mō ngā momo tuna wai māori, wehea ai i runga i te tae me te nui o tēnā tuna, o tēnā tuna.
Ko conger eel (Conger verrauxi) te kupu Pākehā mō te ngōiro (kōiro ki Te Wai Pounamu). He tuna wai tai tēnei, neke atu i te 1.8 mita te roa. Hopukina ai te ngōiro mā te tautau noke.
Ko ‘hagfish’ te ingoa Pākehā mō te tuere (Eptatretus cirrhatus), te napia rānei. I ētahi wā ka karangatia ai te tuere ko te tuna pura, kāore hoki ōna karu, ko te tuna hūpē rānei, nā tana whakapūrikoriko i tōna tinana ina whakaekea ai. Ehara te tuere i te tuna, i te ika tūturu rānei, nā te mea kāore ōna tuaiwi. Neke atu i te kotahi mita te roa o te tuere, ka mutu he reka hei kai engari me tango te hūpē i te tuatahi.
Ko te ‘frostfish’ te ingoa Pākehā mō te para (Lepidopus caudatus). Kei waenganui i te 1 ki te 1.5 mita te roa o te para. He rite tōna āhua ki te tuna, heoi, he hiriwa te tae, he unahi. He ika wai tai. Hei ngā rā hauhunga ka pae te mahi a te para ki uta – koinei te take kīia ai e te Pākehā ko te frostfish. Pakipaki ana ngā ngutu o te tangata i te reka o tēnei ika.
He pūrikoriko te piharau (Geotria australis). Tōna rite ki te tuna, heoi, kāore he poroiwi. Arā anō ōna ingoa, te korokoro, te kanakana rānei. Pērā ki te tuna, ka noho te piharau mō tētahi wā ki te wai māori, mō tētahi wā ki te wai tai. Hei mua i te mate wawenga, ka whakawhānau te piharau ki roto awa.
Ko te pā tuna tētahi o ngā tikanga matua mō te hopu tuna i ngā awa, i ngā kōawa, i ngā pūaha o ngā hōpua me ngā roto. Hei te ngahuru ka takoto ngā pā tuna, i te hekenga o te tuna ki te moana whakawhānau ai. Ka whai ngā tuna mā tētahi taiapa kei roto i te wai, ka kuhu mā tētahi kupenga, ki roto rawa ki te hīnaki. He pai mō te mahi a te pā tuna ngā wā waipuke.
Hei ngā pō heke ai te tuna, whai anō me noho tonu he tangata ki te putuputu i ngā hīnaki ka kī ana.
Ko te nuinga o ngā momo pā tuna he pā tauremu – arā, e rua ngā taiapa ka whāiti haere kia rere ai ngā tuna ki roto i te hīnaki.
Ka hangaa ngā taiapa i te mānuka, ka titia rawatia ki te papa o te awa. Ka purupurua a waenganui o ngā pou ki te peka mānuka me te rarauhe. Ka rere tonu te wai mā ngā taiapa, engari ko te nui o te tuna ka mau. He whānui te waha o te pā tuna, heoi, ka whāiti haere, ka whāiti haere kia tae ki te pūrangi, e kuhu ai ngā tuna ki te hīnaki.
Ka tiakina te hauora o te tuna e te mauri. He kōhatu te mauri i te nuinga o te wā. Ka waihotia te mauri kia tata ki ngā pā tuna, me kī, ki te pou o te pā tuna kei te pito whakararo.
He rerekē te momo pā tuna ki te awa o Whanganui, nā te nui o te tāwhaowhao. Kotahi te taiapa i te pā auroa, ka takoto whakarara i te taha whakarunga o te tāheke. Ka heke ngā tuna, ka whai haere mā te taiapa kia kuhu ki te pūrangi. E rua ngā pou hei toko i te pūrangi. Me pakari te hanga o te pā auroa mō te wā o te waipuke.
I te rau tau atu i 1800 ka tutū te puehu i waenganui i te Pākehā me te Māori mō ngā pā tuna. Ka hiahia ngā Pākehā kia wāwāhia ngā pā tuna kia pai ai te haere o ō rātou waka i ngā awa. Taka rawa ki te tekau tau atu i 1880, neke atu i te 350 ngā pā tuna, e 92 ngā utu piharau e tū ana i te awa o Whanganui. Heoi, kei waenganui i ngā tau 1886 me 1888, neke atu i te 500 ngā uri o te awa ka petihana i te kāwanatanga kia rāhuitia ō rātou pā tuna. Hauwarea ake. Kia tae ki te tīmatanga o te rau tau 1900 kua tata ngaro te pā tuna.
He rite te hanga o te hīnaki ki te kete, ka purua ki te mōunu, ka tukuna ki te wai, ka mahia rāneitia i te pā tuna. He mīharo ngā auahatanga toi i ētahi hīnaki.
Kotahi te kuhunga ki te hīnaki tukutuku. Mehemea kāore he pā tuna, ka whakanōhia te hīnaki kia anga whakararo tōna waha. Waihoki, ka rongo te tuna i te kakara o te mōunu, ka hoki ka kauhoe whakarunga kia rapu kei hea. Mā te kōhatu, te pou, te rākau, te turu, ka tau te noho o te hīnaki ki roto i te wai.
He nui te hanga o te hīnaki tarino, ka whakamahia ki te awa o Waikato me ōna kautawa.
E rua ngā waha o te hīnaki waharua, ka whakanōhia ki ngā awa hōhonu, ki ngā hōpua. He mea hanga te hīnaki waharua i te harakeke. He rite te whakamahia o te waharua ki te awa o Manawatū.
Kāore e pai te whakamahi ngātahi i te hīnaki waharua, te hīnaki tarino rānei me te pā tuna.
Kīia ai te tomokanga ki te hīnaki, ko te akura. Kua oti te porowhita i tōna waha me ngā rārā. Ka anga whakaroto ēnei rārā kia whāiti a waenganui, kia āhei ai te kuhu a te tuna ki roto, tē puta. Arā ētahi hīnaki ka kati i te puta o te tuna mā tētahi kupenga iti kei roto i te akura.
Tērā te kōrero mō Māui, nāna ka pai atu te mahi a te hīnaki. Ka whakatika ōna tuākana ki te hopu tuna me te hīnaki. Heoi, ka kuhu ngā tuna ki roto i te hīnaki ki te kai i te mōunu kia pau, kātahi ka puta ki waho. Ka hangaa i a Māui te akura tuatahi rawa – arā, he pūarero rārā ka whāiti haere, ā, kia tae ki te pito kua pā tētahi rārā ki tētahi atu. Ka kuhu noa te tuna ki te hīnaki, engari tē puta, kei werohia e ngā rārā.
Ka whakamahia nuitia te noke, tae rawa ki te manu, hei mōunu. Ka purua te mōunu ki roto i tētahi pūkoro iti kīia ai he pū toke, ki roto rānei i tētahi kete harakeke kīia ai he tōrehe. He wā anō ka herea noatia te mōunu ki roto i te hīnaki. Ko tā Ngāti Porou he tuitui noke ka here ki te kōrari, ka waiho ki roto hīnaki mānu ai.
Ki te whakamahia te hīnaki i ngā pā tuna, kāore he mōunu.
I te nuinga o te wā ka hangaa te hīnaki i te kōrari o te mangemange (Lygodium articulatum). Ka tipu te mangemange ki ngā takiwā whakateraki anake. He rākau kaha, he rākau ngāwari te mangemange. Mēnā he tawhiti te waha i te hīnaki, ka rūmakina ki roto i te wai kia pai ai te pēhi, kia papatahi ai, kia āhei te here ki ngā pou. Ka wetekina ana ngā here, kua tūpana ake te hīnaki.
Ka mahia mai te hīnaki e ngā iwi o Ōtaki i te pakiaka o te kiekie me te kōrari o te aka-tororaro. Hei ētahi wā ka whakamahia te piritā engari kāore e tino pai. Hangaia ai ētahi hīnaki rangitahi i te harakeke.
Hei ngā pō kai ai te tuna, whai anō hei ngā pō puta ai te tangata ki te hopu i te tuna, mā te rama, mā te tao, mā te kōtutu (hand net).
Ka tangohia te māpara o te kahikatea hei rama. Nā te pai o te kāpia kauri hei rama, ka tāpaea ki te rau harakeke maroke. Ka mahia mai ngā rama o Te Wai Pounamu i te mānuka me te pirita maroke ka purupurua.
Nāwai ā, ka hangaa haeretia ngā rama hou. Anei he kōrero nā te kaituhi rā nā Patricia Grace mō te rama tuna i te rau tau 1900:
I te ahiahi ka whakapau kaha rātou katoa ki te auaha rama hei heri ki te awa. He roa, he torotika ngā mānuka. Ka whakamau he kēne ki runga, he karukaru kei roto i ngā kēne, kua rumakina ki te penehīni. 1
Kia tae ki ngā tau whakamutunga o te rau tau atu i 1900 kua uru mai ngā rama pūhiko.
Ka nanao a Ngāti Porou ki te kōrapa. He kupenga whakatutu tēnei ka whakamahia hei ngā pō. Ka mau ana he tuna ka hīkina te tutu kia ngahoro ai te tuna ki roto i te kupenga.
Waihoki ki te hī ika, ka whakahaerehia te hopu tuna i runga i ngā tohutohu a te maramataka. Ko ngā pō tōmua e ono me ngā pō tōmuri e whitu ngā pō pai mō te rama tuna. Kāore he take o ngā pō mārama.
Whakamahia nuitia ai te matarau i te hopu tuna. Kotahi mita pea te roa o te kakau, e whitu ngā tara. Kīia ai ngā tao whai tara kotahi, he taotahi (pātia ki Te Wai Pounamu). Ka auahatia ngā tara o te matarau i ngā rākau pērā i te māpara, tae atu ki te iwi tohorā.
Mō te matarau i ēnei rā, ka hokona he tara maitai mai te toa, ka herea ki te kakau rākau.
Ko tētahi tikanga hopu tuna ko te toi, ko te tautau rānei ki ētahi. Ka tuia te rau harakeke, te rau tī rānei ki te noke, ki te mokoroa rānei. He mea here te tautau ki te matira mānuka. Ka mau ngā niho o te tuna ki te muka, ka māmā te piu ki te one.
He haere pō te tuna, kāore e rata ki te awatea – nā reira mahia ai te toi tuna i ngā pō me ngā wai ehu.
Kīia ai te tautau noke he mōunu, he tui rānei. Ko te tui toke ka mahia me te noke, ko te tui huhu ka mahia me te huhu. Ka purua e ngā iwi o Ōtaki he pūngāwerewere ki roto kete ririki. Ka tuia e ngā iwi o Te Wai Pounamu te wīwī ki te noke waiū. Tatū ki ēnei rā, hangaia ai ngā mōunu i ngā noke kua tuia tahitia.
Anei ngā whakamārama a Teone (Hōne) Taare Tīkao, kaumātua o Te Wai Pounamu i ōna rā, mō te hopu ngōiro mā te toi:
Ka hopukina te ngōiro mā te tautau noke kīia ai he whakapuku. Mahia mai ai te whakapuku i te whītau ka whīwhiwhia ki te mōunu. Ka waihotia ki te wai mō te rā katoa, mō te pō katoa rānei. Ko te ngōiro anake te momo ika ka tareka te whakapuku te ngau; engari ka noho ki tōna puku mau ai, kia haramai rā anō te kaihī ki te tango. 1
Ko te rapu tētahi atu tikanga hopu tuna. Waihoki, ka whāwhā i ngā tahatika o te awa, kōawa rānei mā ngā ringaringa me ngā waewae, ki raro pari tahataha, ki raro kōhatu, ki ngā wai ehuehu hoki.
Tērā te tikanga hopu tuna kīia ai ko te takahi tuna. Ka tū ngā kaihopu tuna i roto i te wai kia haurua te porowhita. Ka takahi tētahi o ngā tāngata i tōna waewae hei whakamataku i te tuna kia puta i tōna rua, kia taea ai e ōna hoa te hopu.
Ka nanao tētahi kaihī ki te matira hei patu i ngā tuna ki ngā wai pāpaku i ngā pō. Ko te hoa kei muri e tō ana i ngā tuna kua tuia tahitia.
Noho ai te piharau ki te wai Māori, ki te waitai hoki. He rite te piharau ki te tuna, heoi, kāore ōna poroiwi. He tino kai te piharau ki te Māori. Ko ētahi o ōna ingoa ko te korokoro, ko te kanakana.
He taiapa te utu piharau ka takoto i te awa, i te kōawa rānei. Ka waiho tētahi pito kia puare. Kātahi ka tāpaea he kupenga ki raro iho o te utu, ko te hīnaki i te pito whakararo rawa iho. Ka whai haere ngā piharau mā te taiapa, kia tae ki te puare, ka kāhakina e te wai ki roto i te kupenga, ki roto rawa ki te hīnaki. Kīia ai te utu piharau e ngā iwi o Te Wai Pounamu ko te pā kanakana.
He momo utu piharau te whakaparu piharau, ka hangaa i te kōhatu, ka kākahuria ki te rarauhe me te otaota. Ko te whakapua, he tūmomo whāriki ka hangaia i te rarauhe, ka titia ki te takere o te awa. Kia mau te nui o te piharau ka pōkaia te whakapua, kawea ana ki uta.
Ka piki whakarunga te mahi a te piharau i ngā wairere, ka tutea mā te rau kia taka ki roto kete. Whakamahia anōtia ai ngā hīnaki ririki hei hopu piharau.
Tērā te kōrero, ‘Ka kitea a Matariki, ka rere te korokoro (piharau rānei)’. Ka roko mahuta a Matariki i te rangi i te takiwā o Hune. Ko te mātahi o te tau Māori (hei te takiwā o Hune) te wā e rere ai te piharau.
Ko ngā tuna, he mea pāwhara, ā, ka raua ki te kete, he mea whakamātā.
Tērā te tikanga tahu tuna kīia ai ko te kope, ko te kōpaki rānei. Heoi, ka pōkaitia te tuna ki te rau o te rangiora, o te raurēkau, te harakeke mata rānei, ka tunu i ngā ngārehu o te ahi.
Ko te tikanga tāpora ia, ka purupurua ngā tuna ki roto kete pakupaku, kātahi ka taupoki ki te pūhā, ki te mauku, ka tunua; māoa ana ka kainga te katoa.
He nui te tuna ki te Māori. Ka pāwhara, ka maroke te tuna mō te wā roa. Ka raparapa ngā tuna, ka tangohia ngā iwi, ngā māhunga, ngā hiku, kātahi ka whakairia kia maroke. Mā tēnei tikanga ka pai te tuna mō hia ngā marama. Ka whakairia ngā tuna ki ngā whata, kātahi ka purua ki roto kete. Me hāngī i mua i te kai, kia puta anō ai te ngohengohe me te reka.
E ai ki ngā tikanga a te Māori, ko te tuna tuatahi rawa ka riro mā ngā atua. Waihoki, ka hopu te rangatahi i tana tuna tuatahi rawa, ka tunua taua tuna i runga i te ahi kīia ai ko te ahi parapara.
Ka puritia ngā tuna ora ki roto i ngā korotete, he momo māhanga. Ka hangaia ai ēnei i te mangemange. Taea ai e ngā iwi o Ōtaki i te raki o Te Whanganui-a-Tara, ngā tuna e 300 ki te korotete kotahi. Ka whakanōhia ngā korotete ki ngā kōawa, ka herea ki te rākau. He mea whāngai ngā tuna ki te rīwai me ētahi atu kai.
Tērā a Ngāti Kuru-mokihi o te takiwā o Tūtira i Te Matau-a-Māui, ka hanga whare i te wai hei pupuri tuna. He mea hanga ēnei whare i te mānuka ka herea ki te harakeke. Neke atu i te 4.5 mita te roa, 1 mita te whānui, e 50 henemita te teitei o ēnei whare. Ka whakakīia te pito whakararo ki te kōhatu, ka noho tuwhera a runga. Kātahi ka purupurua te whare rā ki te rimurimu. Kuhu noa atu ngā tuna ki roto i te whare rā, ka tangohia hei ngā wā mō te kai.
Āta whakakīia ai ki te tuna ngā hōpua kore putanga ki te moana. Tērā tētahi repo i Whātaitai ki Te Whanganui-a-Tara, i ōna rā i whakakīia ki te matamoe me te haumate (he momo tuna). Ko te tikanga a Ngāti Porou he pāpuni i tētahi awa ka whakakīia ki te tuna ora mō ngā rā kei te tū.
Ia tau ka heke ngā tuna ki te moana whakawhānau ai. He nui ngā tuna ka mahia e te Māori i tēnei wā.
Ka rere ngā tuna o te rohe o Te Wairarapa mā te roto o Te Wairarapa, kuhu atu ai mā te roto o Ōnoke, rere ai mā te awaawa kōhatuhatu, kia puta ki te moana.
Nō te tau 1965 ka kōrero te kaumātua rā a Tame Saunders mō ngā momo tuna heke, rere kotahi katoa ai tēnā momo tuna, tēnā momo tuna, tēnā momo tuna: tuatahi ko ngā hao (30 henemita te roa), whai muri ko ngā riko (he kākāriki te tuarā, kotahi mita te roa), ngā paranui (he pango te tae, he kiri mātotoru), kātahi ngā tuna kōkopu (tae ki te 1.8 mita te roa, hāwhe koma-mano te taumaha).
I te wā o te heke tuna ka kati te putanga i Ōnoke ki te moana. I reira ka takoto ngā kupenga me ngā hīnaki, kia haere ngā tuna mā tētahi ara kotahi, tē puta. Ka whakatakoto ngā hīnaki i te pō, hei te ata hīkina ake ai.
Ka whakamārama a Tame Saunders mō te hopu tuna ki Te Wairarapa mā te kōumu:
Ko tētahi anō tikanga hopu tuna ko te keri rua i te one e 10 iāri atu i te pito o te roto. Kātahi ka keria he awaawa mai i te roto ki te rua. Ka kī ana te rua i te wai ka rere ngā tuna ki roto. Ka kī te rua i te tuna, ka pāpuni te taha o te roto, ka pau te wai, ka mau ngā tuna. 1
He maha ngā karakia e pā ana ki te mahi tuna – tae atu ki ngā karakia mō te ika tuatahi rawa. He karakia tōmina tuna ki roto i te hīnaki:
Tēnā te puna kei Hawaiki,
Te pū kei Hawaiki,
Te puna kei Rangiriri.
2
I mua o te Pākehā, ka waipuke te roto o Te Wairarapa ina kati ana te ngutu o te roto o Ōnoke. Ko te hiahia o ngā tāngata whai me ngā kaiahuwhenua kia noho tuwhera te pūaha kia kore ai e waipuke te whenua. Ka mautohe te Māori i tēnei āhuatanga kei kore ngā tuna. I te tau 1896 ka tukuna ngā roto e ngā iwi o Te Wairarapa ki te Karauna. Whāia, ka keria te pūaha o Ōnoke kia noho tuwhera ki te moana i ngā wā katoa.
Mahia ai ngā tuna ki Te Waihora (Lake Ellesmere) mā te tikanga kōumu. Keria ai ngā awaawa roa i te ngutu kirikiri kei waenganui i te roto me te moana; kotahi mita te whānui, e 60 mita te roa. Ka rere mai te wai, ka rere mai hoki ngā tuna. Kātahi ka pākatia te putanga o te awaawa ki te kōhatu ki ngā kupenga rānei kīia ai he kōhau.
Hei te ngahuru ka whakawhiti ngā tuna i te roto o Wairewa (Lake Forsyth) mā te tāhuna kirikiri kīia ai ko Birdling’s Flat. Ka hopukina ka raparapa ēnei tuna hei kai ā te wā. He tikanga mahi kai tawhito tēnei, e mahia tonutia ana i ēnei rā tonu.
Best, Elsdon (Te Pēhi). Fishing methods and devices of the Māori. Te Whanganui-a-Tara: Te Papa Press, 2005 (nō te 1924 whakaputangia tuatahitia ai).
Guthrie-Smith, W. H. Tutira: the story of a New Zealand sheep station. Tāmaki-makau-rau: Godwit, 1999 (nō te 1921 whakaputangia tuatahitia ai).