Kapono

Kapono, or the one truth is the religion practiced by the Tatoua iwi. The religion is rooted in worship of ancestors ascended to the stars as constellations. The one who guides these ancestral spirits is Ariki onga Whetu, The Lord of the Stars. Ariki onga Whetu is the main deity worshiped by the Tatoua iwi. The main tenets of the religion are as follows; Respecting ancestors and the dead, shedding no innocent blood, protecting those who cannot protect themselves, and wearing a mask to cover your eyes. The Tatoua iwi believe our eyes are a window to the soul. The stars above are the eyes of the ancestors watching the living. The main fear of the Tatoua iwi is Pakaru, he who breaks. Pakaru is the god of darkness, the one who swallows the spirits of ancestors that Arkiki onga Whetu could not protect. Shooting stars are Pakaru's victims being pulled from the heavens. He is the one that caused "The Breaking," when the Tatoua iwi were forced out of the First Land and the clans were formed.