Vaka Moana From Tārai Pō to Takitimu is a graphic novel sharing the story of the ancestral waka of Ngāti Kahungunu.
Vaka Moana From Tārai Pō to Takitimu is a graphic novel sharing the story of the ancestral waka of Ngāti Kahungunu.
A waka that took Māori across the Pacific to Aotearoa is the focus of a Hawke’s Bay graphic novel to inspire future generations.
Vaka Moana - From Tārai Pō to Takitimu shares the story of the ancestral waka of Ngāti Kahungunu, the Takitimu and its many other names as ittravelled across Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa/the Pacific Ocean from Samoa to Tonga, Fiji, Tahiti and Rarotonga before bringing the ancestors of Ngāti Kahungunu to Aotearoa New Zealand.
The book draws on pūrākau/ancient kōrero passed down through generations, honouring the many island homelands, navigators, and storytellers connected to the waka.
Launched by Ātea a Rangi Educational Trust, the aim of the book is to engage tamariki and rangatahi with ancient forms of kōrero and to help them recognise the enduring links between the people of Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa/the Pacific Ocean.
Ātea a Rangi Educational Trust co-founder Piripi Smith said some people might not be familiar with the entire story of this waka before it became known as Takitimu or before it came to Aotearoa.
“Vaka Moana is a result of generations of storytelling and years of personal research on our many voyages and wānanga with the islands in the Pacific.
“We have made the waka the focus in these resources and linked the current NZ curriculum subjects to ‘waka’ and ‘moana’ as the main themes, instead of the other way around.”
The project is a collaboration between Ātea a Rangi Educational Trust and Māui Studios, who assisted with the graphic designs, and is available in te reo Māori and English.
In 2026, the trust’s 22m waka hourua (double-hulled voyaging canoe) Te Matau a Māui will commence the first of two planned voyages over the next five years to travel through the many islands and homelands of this great waka that became known as Takitimu.
