Horouta | Reo Pākehā
Paoa and Kiwa, sea-voyagers embarked on a journey from Hawaiki to Aotearoa on a waka called Horouta. Tūranganui-a-Kiwa, home to decendants of Paoa and Kiwa.
Paoa and Kiwa are Māori experts in sea navigation and canoe building from the ancient Māori homeland, Hawaiki. They set out on a voyage navigating the Pacific Ocean on the Horouta canoe in search of the land once visited by their ancestor Toikairākau. Paoa’s sister Hinehākirirangi, was designated as the guardian of the kūmara tubers brought to Aotearoa. Paoa was tasked as the commander of the canoe and Kiwa its high priest to ensure the canoe would make landfall in Aotearoa safely. A marriage was arranged between Paoa’s daughter Hineakua and Kiwa’s son, Kahutuanui. The land was set aside by tribal ritual and given to Kahutuanui and Hineakua as guardians from the first migration of people to Aotearoa.