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Intrigued with the wealth of myths about this special
bird, I visited Moana Jones, local Maori elder, to find out
more. She was thrilled to speak of something so dear to
her heart and had many stories to share.
What a coincidence, the piwakawaka happens to be her
family’s kaitiaki, or guardian. Moana shares that she
always feels safe when there is a fantail near, and she
has a couple that dance for her almost every day in a
tree just outside her lounge window.
Several years ago, Moana attended the funeral of her
uncle, Hari Kapa, with four-year-old granddaughter,
Hutiwai. During the ceremony at the Waimirirangi
Marae in Te Kao, a piwakawaka flew in and
perched motionless on the beam above the coffin,
chirping away. Many in attendance, influenced by
the superstition (see story next page), gasped and
became still. Hutiwai broke the silence saying, “Nana,
the piwakawaka comes to say good-bye to Uncle”.
Another turned to Moana and said, “The bird has come
for you, hasn’t it? It is your kaitiaki”.
“The piwakawaka is a very sacred bird to the Maori”,
explains Moana. “I was told as a child that King
Tawhiao, known for his desire for peace, said in the
presence of Captain Maire, ‘I endow all the sacredness
on this bird that there be forever an end to war in
Aotearoa’”.
A flock of fantails
Moana also told the heartwarming story of being
reunited with the son she had reluctantly adopted-out
44 years previously. Not permitted to contact him, she
was overjoyed when he located her, and heartened
that he embraced her and his new family. “Upon his
first visit to Tairua, I took him to the top of sacred
Pa- ku”, she shares. “It was amazing! Dozens of fantails
immediately flew right at him, surrounding him”. It
was as if they were welcoming him and blessing the
reunion with Moana.
Try your hand at drawing,
painting or building a fantail.
Submit your original artwork to Emma at the Tairua
Library. All ages welcome. Submissions will be
displayed at the Library throughout the month of May,
as well as on our websit
Learn to draw fantails (above) and many other birds at
We extend our appreciation to the artists that have
shared their work with us.
Airdrie Hamilton
, cover artist (see p3).
Sam Clark
also lives in Whakatane. He specialises in
capturing the essence of New Zealand’s animals and
birds with his impressive intricate drawings. See more
of his work a
Mandy Hague
currently resides in Whakatane. She
has demonstrated a passion for painting and drawing
since the age of two. Mandy’s works are often moody,
sometimes whimsical and almost always contain a
bird. Fantails have been a favourite subject of hers in
both painting and photography. (Mandy provided the
stunning photo of the fantail on flax.) View more of her
artwork a
Painting by Mandy Hague.
Her fantail perches on the
carved wooden top of a tahaa or
a type of gourd that was originally
used to store birds and other food.
The bodies were layered and preserved
in fat. This particular tahaa was gifted to
a local missionary, Sister Annie Henry. who
lived with the Tuhoe people of Moungapohatu
around the time of the reign of Rua Kenena.
It was rumoured to have come over on one of
the first waaka and is now part of an exhibit in a
museum in Whakatane.
Piwakawaka—
A Family Guardian
Kaitiaki
and animal guardians
I was familiar with animal guardians. In Hawaii they are
called aumakua. It is believed it is a way the ancestors
communicate with the living. These guiding ancestral
spirits often shapeshift from one physical form to
another. This can be to emphasise a message, as a
warning of impending danger, or a sign of disagreement
or approval of a choice made or action taken. And
certainly the aumakua could just be displaying their
respect like the piwakawaka at the funeral.
The superstition of the piwakawaka bringing death
can be viewed more as this “guardian” preparing or
warning the occupants of a home he flies into that
death may be nearby or coming, definitely not the
cause of such a fate.
Although I had not noticed fantails near our home,
since choosing the cover art and working on the article,
a fantail has been visiting regularly to a tree near
our deck. I would be honoured to think he might be
considering being my kaitiaki.
Many of the native birds considered kaitiaki are sadly
extinct or threatened with extinction by shoreline
development, destruction of wet lands, insecticides,
hunting or the introduction of non-indigenous predators.
—Tovi Daly
8
PAKU VIEWS
ISSUE 4 AUTUMN/WINTER 2012