Waikato Herald
  • Waikato Herald home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Locations

  • Hamilton
  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Matamata & Piako
  • Cambridge
  • Te Awamutu
  • Tokoroa & South Waikato
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Weather

  • Thames
  • Hamilton
  • Tokoroa
  • Taumarunui
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Waikato News

Wāhine walk in ancestress Māhinaarangi's footsteps

Te Awamutu Courier
11 Nov, 2020 03:50 AM6 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

From left, Hannah Simmonds (research assistant and logistics co-ordinator), Dr Naomi Simmonds, Arahia Moeke, Lisa Begbie, KLee Begbie, Ngahuia Kopa and Maureen Mitai.
From left, Hannah Simmonds (research assistant and logistics co-ordinator), Dr Naomi Simmonds, Arahia Moeke, Lisa Begbie, KLee Begbie, Ngahuia Kopa and Maureen Mitai.

From left, Hannah Simmonds (research assistant and logistics co-ordinator), Dr Naomi Simmonds, Arahia Moeke, Lisa Begbie, KLee Begbie, Ngahuia Kopa and Maureen Mitai.

A group of seven wāhine will this week embark on a three-week hīkoi across the North Island to retrace the journey of the ancestress Māhinaarangi, and reconnect with their tribal stories, knowledge, lands, lakes and rivers along the way.

The hīkoi is part of a Marsden-funded research project — Taku Ara Rā: Ko Māhinaarangi — led by Dr Naomi Simmonds (Raukawa), senior lecturer and researcher at Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi.

"It is our hope that by reconnecting to the lands, environment, and knowledge of our tūpuna through indigenous research methods — like pūrākau and hīkoi — we can discover positive pathways for the descendants of our tūpuna Māhinaarangi in Aotearoa today," says Naomi.

M?hinaarangi hikoi
M?hinaarangi hikoi
Video Player is loading.
Current Time 0:00
/
Duration 0:00
Loaded: 0%
0:00
Stream Type LIVE
Remaining Time -0:00
 
1x
    • Chapters
    • descriptions off, selected
    • captions settings, opens captions settings dialog
    • captions off, selected

      This is a modal window.

      Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.

      Text
      Text Background
      Caption Area Background
      Font Size
      Text Edge Style
      Font Family

      End of dialog window.

      This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button.

      Flooding and debris hammer Knowles Bridge in the Motueka Valley

      UP NEXT:

      NOW PLAYING • M?hinaarangi hikoi
      M?hinaarangi hikoi

      Joining Naomi on the hīkoi are six other Raukawa women: Ngahuia Kopa of Te Awamutu; Lisa Begbie, and her daughters Tyra Begbie and Klee Begbie; Arahia Moeke; and Kyea Watene-Hakaraia.

      Advertisement
      Advertise with NZME.
      Advertisement
      Advertise with NZME.

      The wāhine will start their 400km walking journey this Saturday from Te Hauke region in Hastings and walk through to Wairoa, Waikaremoana, and across the Mamaku and Kaimai Ranges, staying at marae along the way.

      They hope to arrive at Rangiātea Pā site on the banks of the Mangaorongo river just out of Ōtorohanga on Sunday, December 6.

      Together they will trace the journey of Māhinaarangi of Ngāti Kahungunu who is renowned for having travelled, while heavily pregnant, more than 500km from her people's lands in Kahungunu (near Te Aute in the East) to those of her husband, Tūrongo, at Rangiātea.

      On the way, she laboured and birthed their son, Raukawa, who the women's tribe is named after.

      Advertisement
      Advertise with NZME.

      Naomi explains that, as well as enabling descendants to reconnect with the journey of Māhinaarangi, the research investigates how retracing ancestral pathways like these can affirm and celebrate what it means to be a Raukawa woman in contemporary Aotearoa.

      "I want to discover what it means for me and for the descendants of Māhinaarangi to walk her journey — not as an act of memorialisation, but as an act of rangatiratanga and of healing and transformation, and to see what we can learn in this process," she says.

      "For me it's a process of unlearning – trying to strip away layers I think I need to be a successful mum or a strong woman in this world and going back to our environment, our land, the stories of our ancestors, and building greater strength and resilience as a mother.

      "It's finding some piece and calm and ways to navigate what seems to be a chaotic world. It's a process of undoing a whole lot of conditioning and learning that hasn't always served me well as a Māori woman.

      "It's also about doing something that is scary and uncomfortable and stretches you to your limits. It's setting an example for my daughters.

      "My hope is that my daughters and I can do it together one day – it will be wonderful when they're at an age when they can sustain these distances."

      "I've always been in academia, working as a lecturer and senior lecturer since finishing my PHD in 2014.

      "This project shifts me to an interesting space. Research is usually done in your head, unless you're a scientist. This project pushes me to the outside – it pushes me into understanding what it means to do research with your body."

      For Naomi, and the wāhine joining her on this journey, it is about using the practice of hīkoi to affirm and pay homage to their unique identity and history as Raukawa.

      Ngahuia is an early childhood teacher, currently also involved in teaching adults in the Te Reo Māori space, and has been involved in kapa haka for 14 years.

      Advertisement
      Advertise with NZME.

      "I'm from Raukawa ki Wharepūhunga which is one of many of the tribes and descendants of Māhinaarangi.

      "Pretty much my whole life I have been singing about her, researching about her through waiata and kapa haka," says Ngahuia.

      She says she and Naomi know each other through kapa haka, but she has also known her through the mahi that she does.

      "She sent an email to invite us along on this journey to actually walk in the footsteps to follow the path that she took to come ... Where Mahinaarangi ended up.

      "I live not too far away - about 15 minutes away from the marae that she arrived at.

      "We've known a lot about the end of her journey and through our songs and through history we've learned a lot about the journey, but I've never actually been to many the places.

      Advertisement
      Advertise with NZME.

      "As soon as I heard Naomi had put this together, I jumped at the chance.

      "Our songs detail a lot of about her journey, about the connections, especially in genealogy/whakapapa so I just wanted to experience that and what it was like - and also to support Naomi.

      "The research that she's undertaken has been a huge feat," she says.

      To prepare Ngahuia has been training – 5-10km a day via Fitbit and lots of yoga and pilates.

      "It will be different terrain when we hit the road from being on a treadmill, but, I'm excited."

      Over the next three weeks, the wāhine will record their experiences and share these with whānau through social media.

      Advertisement
      Advertise with NZME.

      These experiences will contribute to various research publications, and form the basis for a biannual hīkoi event that more of the descendants of Māhinaarangi can participate in.

      The research also draws particular attention to the experiences of pregnancy and childbirth that were an important part of the journey for Māhinaarangi.

      "The hīkoi of Māhinaarangi offers us a significant conceptual and physical map that speaks to the mātauranga and tikanga relating to childbirth and mothering," says Naomi.

      "She teaches us how we can birth, care for, and raise our tamariki in unique and empowering ways, and that we can make place for our children and grandchildren through our relationships with each other and with the lands and waters of our ancestors and of our descendants."

      "We hope to make this journey something our iwi members can do in their lifetime, so they can reconnect by walking and visiting the places our tūpuna Māhinaarangi traversed," says Naomi.

      "There is real difference between simply going to places we know, versus being physically and spiritually in that place.

      Advertisement
      Advertise with NZME.

      "Māhinaarangi is not the only amazing ancestor who did this. So many ancestors did this, it is just one example of many different ways people did this journey.

      "Now it's about understanding what's changed in the world around us from when Māhinaarangi did it and learning from this.

      "It's not about replicating her journey, but rather expanding our learning as Raukawa women."

      Whānau wanting to support and encourage the wāhine on their journey can follow the Facebook page Taku Ara Rā Ko Māhinaarangi: Walking in her footsteps 2020 for updates on the hīkoi.

      The wāhine will travel down to the Hawke's Bay from the Raukawa Charitable Trust Office in Tokoroa tomorrow and will be welcomed there by local Ngāti Kahungunu marae.

      Save

        Share this article

      Latest from Waikato News

      Sport

      'Psychologically' tough: Nyika's journey to reclaim boxing glory

      Waikato Herald

      MenzShed revitalises historic dairy factory for community

      Waikato Herald

      'Shocking' cuts: 160-plus jobs at risk, campuses face closure


      Sponsored

      Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

      Advertisement
      Advertise with NZME.

      Recommended for you

      Historic Grand Canyon lodge destroyed as wildfires devastate North Rim
      World

      Historic Grand Canyon lodge destroyed as wildfires devastate North Rim

      KiwiRail bans 2500 workers from using sleep meds citing safety concerns
      New Zealand

      KiwiRail bans 2500 workers from using sleep meds citing safety concerns

      'Psychologically' tough: Nyika's journey to reclaim boxing glory
      Boxing

      'Psychologically' tough: Nyika's journey to reclaim boxing glory

      Two men who chopped down iconic UK tree to be sentenced
      World

      Two men who chopped down iconic UK tree to be sentenced

      Police arrest 19 Hells Angels members, 72 charges laid
      Whanganui Chronicle

      Police arrest 19 Hells Angels members, 72 charges laid

      'Grateful no one was killed': Man clambers on campervan to rescue pensioner hurt in twister
      New Zealand

      'Grateful no one was killed': Man clambers on campervan to rescue pensioner hurt in twister



      Latest from Waikato News

      'Psychologically' tough: Nyika's journey to reclaim boxing glory
      Sport

      'Psychologically' tough: Nyika's journey to reclaim boxing glory

      Nyika aims to overcome mental hurdles after his title loss in January.

      15 Jul 03:43 AM
      MenzShed revitalises historic dairy factory for community
      Waikato Herald

      MenzShed revitalises historic dairy factory for community

      15 Jul 03:00 AM
      'Shocking' cuts: 160-plus jobs at risk, campuses face closure
      Waikato Herald

      'Shocking' cuts: 160-plus jobs at risk, campuses face closure

      14 Jul 11:58 PM


      Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
      Sponsored

      Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

      06 Jul 09:47 PM

      NZ Herald
      • About NZ Herald
      • Meet the journalists
      • Newsletters
      • Classifieds
      • Help & support
      • Contact us
      • House rules
      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms of use
      • Competition terms & conditions
      • Our use of AI
      Subscriber Services
      • Waikato Herald e-edition
      • Manage your print subscription
      • Manage your digital subscription
      • Subscribe to Herald Premium
      • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
      • Gift a subscription
      • Subscriber FAQs
      • Subscription terms & conditions
      • Promotions and subscriber benefits
      NZME Network
      • Waikato Herald
      • The New Zealand Herald
      • The Northland Age
      • The Northern Advocate
      • Bay of Plenty Times
      • Rotorua Daily Post
      • Hawke's Bay Today
      • Whanganui Chronicle
      • Viva
      • NZ Listener
      • Newstalk ZB
      • BusinessDesk
      • OneRoof
      • Driven Car Guide
      • iHeart Radio
      • Restaurant Hub
      NZME
      • About NZME
      • NZME careers
      • Advertise with NZME
      • Digital self-service advertising
      • Photo sales
      • NZME Events
      • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
      TOP
      search by queryly Advanced Search