Rangikapiti Pa

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Rangikapiti Pā is a fortress ruins of Māori with great historical importance for the near Mangonui and Doubtless Bay in the Far North District resident Iwi (tribe) Ngati Kahu . The Pā is still in relatively good condition and is an example of the Pā formation with wide terraces, ditches and slopes. At its foot is Mill Bay in the natural harbor of Mangonui in the Northland region on the North Island of New Zealand . It can be easily reached from the west side of the port of Mangonui via Mill Bay Road and Rangikapiti Road to the parking lot of the Rangikapiti Pā Historic Reserve.

Rangikapiti Pā seen from George Street Mangonui

history

Before contact with the Europeans, the Māori language was written without writing and historical traditions were oral.

Rangikapiti Pā at the top left and the entrance to Mangonui Harbor at the bottom right

Tradition has it that Kupe , the great Polynesian navigator and explorer, made the first Polynesian contact with New Zealand as early as 900 CE. This happened in his Waka Mamaru near today's Taipa on the southern edge of Doubtless Bay . Kupe's voyages of discovery led to the immigration of the Māori to New Zealand many years later. The tradition of the Ngāti Kahu goes on to say that many years later, around 1350, an ancestor and chief of this Moehuri tribe arrived in the natural harbor of Mangonui with his large immigrant waka Ruakaramea . The port entrance is a bit hidden. Tradition has it that a great shark led him into the safe haven with his waka. Hence the name Mango (Hai) nui (large). The legend goes on to say that the Waka Ruakaramea lies in the sea at the foot of the Rangikapiti Pā, where it was turned to stone and can be seen at low tide. Moehuri decided that a Pā would be built at the port entrance with the name of his wife, Rangikapiti. Years later, when the immigrant children were grown up, there was a problem between Moehuri and his son Tukiato . Tukiato hunted and killed the protected shark that had led his father to Mangonui. As a result, Tukiato and his accomplices were banished from the area. Tukiato then built a Pā further west, regretted his earlier act, and became a respected member of his tribe.

Cultural meaning

Rangikapiti Pa ranks highest for the tradition of the Ngati Kahu and other Iwi Northlands and for all New Zealanders in terms of the country's early history.

today

Mangonui with its natural harbor, seen from Rangikapiti Pā
Rangikapiti Pā & Mangonui Yacht Club on Mill Bay

In 1980, The Lands and Survey Department classified Rangikapiti Pā as a "Historic Reserve" because of its important historical and traditional values. The building is continuously maintained and made safer for visitors. The Department of Conservation is currently responsible for this.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Historic Rangikapiti Pa website of the Department of Conservation, accessed May 18, 2013.
  2. ^ Doubtless Bay, Historical heritage, Kupe - The Great Navigator , English, accessed May 18, 2013.
  3. ↑ a b Rangikapiti Pa Historic Reserve historic heritage assessment , accessed May 18, 2013.

Coordinates: 34 ° 59 ′ 5 ″  S , 173 ° 31 ′ 31 ″  E