He korero whakarapopoto
E karangatia ana ngā momo tohorā e te Māori ko te ‘whānau puha’ – te kāhui kararehe ka puha whakarunga i tōna hā. Ko ētahi ingoa mō te whānau puha:
- he tohorā – southern right whale
- he paikea – southern humpback whale
- he parāoa – sperm whale
- he ūpokohue – pilot whale.
Kaiārahi
E kī ana te kōrero nā ngā kauika tohorā i arataki ngā iwi tuatahi ki Aotearoa. I te putanga mai o Tākitimu i te āwhā ka aratakina te waka e ōna tohorā kaitiaki. Arā anō ngā kōrero mō tētahi taniwha ka whakapapa pounamu i ngā ngaru nui mō te waka a Tainui.
I ngā tohunga ō mua te mana ki te whakamaranga ake i ngā atua kaitiaki o te moana hei arataki i ngā waka mai ngā marangai.
Ngā kaiwhakatere tohorā
He maha ngā Māori eke tohorā i mua. Ka puta a Ruatapu rātou ko Paikea mā ki te hī. Nō te putanga atu ki te moana ka taupokina e Ruatapu te waka, ka parekura te katoa o ana teina. Ko Paikea anake i ora i tōna karakia ki ngā atua o te moana hei āwhina i a ia. Ko te paikea ka tonoa hei kawe i a ia ki Aotearoa.
Ka tere mai te tupuna a Te Tahioterangi i Whakaari ki te au o Whakatāne mā runga i te tohorā. Ko te Tūnui tērā i eke i tana mōkai tohorā ki Te Kauae-a-Māui.
Pūkenga pakakē
Ka whai Māori i te tohorā mō te kai me te hanga whao. Ka kainga ngā tohorā i pae ki te tātahi, i āia rānei ki uta. Ka whakamahia te hinu hei miri, hei kakara hoki. He taonga anō ngā rei. Ko ngā taonga ka auahatia i te kauae he patu, he heru, he tokotoko, he kahurangi kāmehameha, aha atu.
Tērā te wā, ka karanga atu tētahi rangatira ki ōna toa kia tāpapa me o rātou kahu pango ki runga i te tātahi ki waho te pā o te hoariri. Ka whakatata mai te hoariri, ka pōhēhē he kauika tohorā kua pae ki uta. Nō te putanga o te iwi rā ki te titiro, ka patua rātou.
Te mahi tohorā
Tokomaha ngā Māori i whai tohorā i ngā rau tau 1700 me 1800. Ko ētahi ka mahi ki ngā teihana o uta, ko ētahi he kaihautu waka. Ahu noa ki te tekau tau 1920, e haere tonu ana te mahi hopu tohorā.
Ngā mahi tāpoi
Atu i te paunga o te rau tau 1900 ki ngā tau tōmua o te mano tau 2000, ka whakawhanake a Ngāi Tahu i tā rātou kaupapa wae tāpoi e karangatia ana ko Whale Watch.