The naming and meaning of Mokoia Island-Te Motu Tapu-a-Tinirau
Mokoia Islands original name was ‘Te Motutapu-a-Tinirau -The sacred island of Tinirau’, a name given by Ihenga the ‘tangata taunaha whenua’ – discoverer claimer of land.
When Ihenga, during his journeys of exploration/discovery, first sighted the island, he was immediately reminded of a whale and of his ancestor Tinirau back in Hawaikinui-The Pacific Islands. This ancestor Tinirau had the extraordinary ability to speak and be in harmony with the whales.
This ability was so revered by his fellow chiefs, that they placed a ‘tapu’ on his island. Hence the naming of Te Motu Tapu-a-Tinirau - The Sacred Island of Tinirau. The ‘tapu’ was in recognition of this special gift that Tinirau possessed and the respect they had for such a gift: that is, a gift from the Atua-nui - the Creator.
The naming of Mokoia has its beginnings 100 years after Ihenga, around the 1450-1500 AD period. Te Motu Tapu-a-Tinirau at that time was a special place for growing kumara (the only place in Rotorua that kumara would thrive). Since kumara was so special to Māori, certain rituals, protocols, boundaries and behaviours had to be adhered to in terms of garden preparation, planting and harvesting in order to produce a healthy crop.
It was during this period of preparation that Uenukukopako (future leader) got into an argument with one of his relations about following proper protocols in the preparation of the kumara garden. Armed with over-zealous temperaments they engaged in battle with their ‘ko’, a digging tool. It was Uenukukopako who delivered the fatal blow, striking his cousin in the face with his ‘ko’ severely marking his face.
It is from this incident that you get the name Mokoia, which is interpreted to ‘The strike upon the face is likened to a Ta-moko expert (tattooist) doing a ‘moko’ upon a face, the ‘ko’ as being the tattooists tool and the ‘ia’ as being the person that is having his face tattooed', MOKO-IA’.
Hence the full-ness of the name “The Sacred Island of Tinirau, the place where Uenukukopako tattooed his cousin’s face with a ‘ko’ because of the disrespect shown to the protocols of correct behaviour as laid down by the elders.”
Another version is that Tuhourangi the father of Uenukukopako was feeling sadness for his wife Rakeitahaenui. One day, she was feeling lonely for her home (Taranaki region) and began to cry and reminisce of home. Tuhourangi knowing a place in Taranaki significant to her was a place called Mokoia, therein changed the name ‘Te Motu Tapu-a-Tinirau’ to Mokoia as an aroha-maumahara for his wife Rakeitahaenui.