Poupatatē

He tangata kaitongi a Kīngi Tāwhiao Pōtatau Te Wherowhero. Nā te tongi nei te Kīngatanga i ārahi i te wā o te whakaekenga Pākehā ki Waikato, i te wā o te raupatu whenua, i te wā o te rawa kore hoki. Nā te tongi nei a Poupatatē i tapa, nā te tongi anō tō mātou wharekai i tapa ko ‘Te Hua o te Kawariki’.

This kōrero was used by King Tawhiao to encourage the development of iwi and hapū. King Tawhiao explained that the Māhoe, Patetē and Hīnau were thought by some to be of lesser value than the more highly prized Tōtara, Kauri, Rimu and such larger species. However this kōrero was a reminder that in the eco-system all plants were dependent on each other for sustenance and shelter and that is where their real value lay. The Rengarenga and the Kawariki were used as foods of last resort or when people were on the march, and so the theme of this part of the kōrero is about survival in times of hardship. Poupatatē takes its name from this tongi cited, and the wharekai named Te Hua o te Kawariki in honor of this tongi.