Tamainupō | Reo Māori
This story is told from a Ngāti Tamainupō perspective. It tells of the conception of Tamainupō and the origins of his name and birth in Kāwhia.
Nā Kimai rāua ko Kerei Huirama ngā kōrero
Nā Hika Taewa ngā whakaahua
Tamainupō is a well known 14th century ancestor of the Tainui waka people who first occupied the western coast land harbours of Kāwhia, Whāingaroa, Te Pūwaha o Waikato and Te Mānukanuka o Hoturoa (Manukau) of the Waikato Valley basin.
This story is told from a Ngāti Tamainupō perspective. It tells of the conception of Tamainupō and the origins of his name and birth in Kāwhia. The story begins with Tamainupō’s father Kokako acquainting and impregnating Whaeatapoko whilst in Kāwhia on an expedition. Kokako left instructions for Whaeatapoko for when the child was born. If the child was female she was to be named Pareinupō, and Tamainupō if he was male, as a constant reminder of Kokako bedding Whaeatapoko.
The story then speaks of Tamainupō growing up amongst his mother’s people and how he was lured by his brother Taiko’s wife. Following this incident Tamainupō asked his mother of the origins of his father, to which she replied “Kei Waikato tō matua, ko Kokako tōna ingoa”. This set in motion the future of Tamainupō and his expedition into the valleys of Waipā and Waikato.
In the Waipā Valley, Tamainupō and his mōkai met two daughters of the great Waikato chief Māhanga, named Waitāwake and Tūkotuku. Here the sisters quarreled over who would claim the man as her husband. Tamainupō was invited back to Māhanga’s pā by his daughters, where it was settled by Māhanga that Tamainupō was to be the man of Tūkotuku. Tamainupō and Tūkotuku lived together for many years with Māhanga at his kāinga. It was from here that Māhanga set out to avenge the death of Tūheitia by Kokako years before.
After courting for some time a child was born to this union, which was to bring peace amongst his grandfathers. When the child was born Māhanga said to his daughter Tūkotuku and Tamainupō to go to Kokako to have the child tohi by his koroheke Kokako. It was here that Tamainupō pleaded with his father to make peace with Māhanga for the sake of the child who was named Wairere by Kokako.