Te Aitanga-a-hauiti and the transit of venus

Abstract

When Captain James Cook arrived in Uawa in 1769, he encountered Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti, the Maori tribal group who descend from the eponymous ancestor, Hauiti, who lived circa 1500 and whose children and their descendants spread south to Gisborne and as far north as Tokomaru Bay. This tribal history, a brief snapshot of a society based on traditional leadership and lore, is written to provide a context for the transit of Venus celebrations that will be held in Uawa-Tolaga Bay in June 2012. © 2012 The Royal Society of New Zealand.