Abstract:
I have found two distinct tribal narratives that recount the origin of the same name
Whatitiri. The aim of this thesis is to explore the different accounts and expressions
that relate the meanings of the name, Whatitiri. In order to understand what's in a
name reference to traditional elements, such as references to kUkUpa and excrement, or
journeys to mountains that invest a meaning of thunder, are essential elements to
examine. Examination is conducted by an exploration of the oral traditional gem"e,
such as korero, waiata, whakataukf and tauparapara from other tribal areas, that
effect other instances of the usage of whatitiri, either as a word or a name.
In this partial representation of some of the possible meanings of the name, indexical
messages at several levels of abstraction are revealed. It will also become evident that
'matters other than geography', that is matters with a human dimension, are being
discussed. Both narratives exemplify how meaning is invoked over time by
appropriating the landscape and the name, Whatitiri, as a tool to express thought and
for effecting behaviour. The argument of this thesis is that for many names in Maori
oral tradition, even in the presence of divergent traditions about the same name, there
is inherent meaning because as a traditional referent the name is invested with
inherent meaning.
My contention is that what's in a name, such as Whatitiri, extends beyond the
superficial nature of itself to stimulate traditional referentiality. Thus it will generate
additional references built up over time from other occasions of usage to form an
understanding of the connotative and inherent meaning it contains. But these
conditions are obliged by the cultural boundaries that regulate meaning. Therefore an
examination of the 'bits and pieces of a common world view' about a name might
give it a 'situated relevance' but it can only be a partial representation of the possible
inherent meaning. My intention in this thesis is to investigate what might be
understood from the name 'Whatitiri'?