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David Unwin / Things
The locals observe the great whale before its burial.
It is the end of a journey for a powerful sea creature, but the beginning of a cultural education for the young members of a Horowhenua iwi.
A large whale carcass washed up on Hokio Beach on Friday, the tide lapping aside as crowds of onlookers gathered on the sand; a fascination for some and a gift for Muaūpoko.
Iwi’s representative, Mungu Wiwarena, said it was a special occasion.
“We have had Tangaroa, the god of the sea, who visited us, raukawakawa, our ocean, with a taonga [treasured possession]. “
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David Unwin / Things
The whale reached Hokio Beach on Friday afternoon, after floating offshore for several days.
Iwi was on the beach observing tikanga (proper customs) and performing karakia (prayers) for much of the day.
Part of that tradition was passing on knowledge to the next generation, including Wiwarena’s nephew, Reihana Nahona, who had been the second person to spot the whale.
“I was able to do that today,” Wiwarena said. “Give him something to think about if this event repeats itself in his time.”
Kaumatua performed a karakia early this morning on behalf of the Muaūpoko people and to recognize the circle of life.
David Unwin / Things
Mungu Wiwarena, right, from Muaūpoko iwi, teaching his nephew Reihana Nahona the tikanga to receive taonga from the sea.
Kaumatua Morokopo Wiremu-Matakaka said that the karakia was about receiving taonga with respect.
“It is not just a whale for us, it is a taonga. It’s about our people who have already left. “
“The main thing is to take it to moana from tangaroa [the god of the sea] and put it on you dad [the earth]. That’s our main mahi today. “
He said that this was the third or fourth whale that had appeared in the sands of Muaūpoko.
David Unwin / Things
The baleen whale was identified by its distinctive feature of having no teeth.
The executive director of the Muaūpoko Tribal Authority, Di Rump, said they were pleased with the awareness of the iwi’s role as kaitiaki. [guardian] from the beach and “the need to observe Muaūpoko tikanga and karakia to respect this taonga”.
A spokesperson for the Department of Conservation said the whale was an 18.75-meter-long baleen whale, the species identified by the absence of teeth.
They had previously reduced it to four species; a sei whale, a pygmy whale, a blue whale or a Bryde’s whale.
Its fin was a distinctive feature, but because the whale was upside down, its fin could not be seen.
David Unwin / Things
Department of Conservation Ranger Jorinna Prinz and several colleagues took action.
He said that due to his deteriorating condition, it was difficult to know the cause of death.
The corpse had started washing up Thursday night, but had been seen offshore for more than a week. The officers took samples that would be analyzed.
The whale was to be rolled up on the beach by a bulldozer on Friday night and carried to a burial site by two diggers, where a karakia would take place.
