Kahupeka

A little south-east of Hamilton lies Pirongia Mountain. The full name, Pirongia-te-aroaro-ō-Kahu, has been translated to mean the scented pathway of Kahu.¹ A more prosaic translation instead involves a less-than-pleasant scent associated with illness, for which she sought a relief amongst the native flora.² Kahupeka was a Tainui woman who, bereft at the death of her husband and ill – possibly from a miscarriage – traversed most of the King Country hinterland, searching for and experimenting with the native plants along the way. Various stories include her use of harakeke; koromiko, a long-leafed shrub used for a variety of ills; kawakawa (above), a member of the pepper tree family; and rangiora, which has the largest leaves of any of the tree daisies and is sometimes known as bushman’s friend. More than 200 plants were used medicinally by Māori³, and pioneers like Kahupeka had to experiment to find what worked.

Image: Kawakawa. Source: Flickr.com

References:

1. Martin Fisher, ‘The Environmental Management of Pirongia Forest Park with a Focus on the Period Since 1970’, 2014.

2. Tom Roa, personal communication, 31 July 2017.

3. New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu Taonga, ‘3. – Rongoā – Medicinal Use of Plants – Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand’, Web page, accessed 31 July 2017, /en/rongoa-medicinal-use-of-plants/page-3.

This profile is part of the series 150 Women in 150 Words that celebrates women’s contributions to expanding knowledge in New Zealand, running as part of our 150th Anniversary.