Canoe Steering Paddle

A wooden hoe urunga (steering paddle) for a waka (canoe). Paddle with a straight handle, a figure at one end with rauponga (rows of haehae alternating with rows of pakati) surface carving. Narrow, elongated diamond-shaped blade.

Waka (canoes) are of central importance to Māori history and identity. Canoes were practical as they were necessary for trade, exploration, fishing, and warfare, but they were also symbols of Māori heritage. They represent the voyages that the ancestors undertook to migrate to and settle in New Zealand (Aotearoa) from their homeland. In Polynesian mythology, this homeland is called Hawaiki, the original home of all Polynesians. A waka is also vital to personal and community identity, as each iwi (Tribal Nation) is associated with a specific waka, which connects a person to their ancestors and land.