Te Whaiti Nui-a-Toi

The kainga o te Iwi
o Ngati Whare, Whirinaki
, Te Urewera, Aotearoa

Whirinaki te Awa

ko toku awa, ko Whirinaki
ka hono atu ki Rangitaiki,
kia putaatu ki te Awa a te Atua,
ki te Moananui a Kiwa

This is a copy of a map of the Whirinaki showing its tributories and and the maunga around the valley that feed it. It was compiled for a school / community publication - Te Whaiti 1950.

An Interpretation of the above:

Whirinaki is the River we belong to:

You will see from this map that the Whirinaki flows gently and has many hundreds of small streams platted into it, each bringing water and conveying the mana of each of the mountains that surround the valley.

The richness of Whirinaki is demonstrated by the Willaims Maori Dictionary interpretaton of Whiri and naki

Whiri (i). 1. vt. Twist, plat. Kei te muru whanake, kei te whiri taura (N. 127). Ka whiria he taura hei whitikiranga ki te taik, (N. 130).
2. Use a certain trip in wrestling. Whiria ki te waewae kia hinga.
3. n. Plaited hem on the upper edge of a cloak. Whiri o Raukatauri, a square plait of eight strands; also Asplenium fiacciduin, Lycopodium billardieri, and other ferns.
whiringa, n. Plaited hem. Ko nga mahunga o Paoa. kino iho, na te whiringa o te whanake i whakakino (N. 164). =3, above.
whakawhiri. 1. vt. Decimate a tribe by picking them off one by one.
2. Fold the hands behind tlze back. as a person when tapu, who does not feed himself.
whiriwbiri, v.t. 1.Weave, plat. Whiriwhiri taku kete, ko Maunanea.
2. Select, choose. Ko aku tangata kua oti te whiriwhiri (W.M. viii, 74).
Whiri (ii), n. Flock, of certain birds. He whiri koko. He whiri, he kato taua (J. ix, 136).
Whirikoka, n. Strength.
Whirinaki, hirinaki. 1. v.i. Lean, slant, slope. Whirinaki kau au nga pou wharekura o Otuwhare ra (S. 78).
2. n. Wooden buttress at the back of the upright slabs in the walls of a whare. ii J. v, 147.
whakawhirinaki. I. vi. Lean against anything.
2. Trust in, depend on.
3. v.t. Make fast, secure. Me whakawhiri­naki ki etahi rakau e taki-tu nel nga taura (N. 134).

Naki: v.i. Glide, move with even motion. Na waihoki to mea ka wareware, ka uru hou hoki,ka naki ki tawhiti (S)
Pãnaki:v.i. Incline with gental slope, rise with gentle ascent.

It flows to join, add to and continue as the Rangitaiki River

Which reaches the coast at Te Awa a te Atua

The great sea that reaches into every part of the world

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