According to K.R. Howe in Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, "Kupe was not a well-known figure in tradition" and his position as the discoverer of New Zealand is "a fabrication". See Ideas about Māori origins – 1920s–2000, new understandings.
K. R. Howe, « Ideas about Māori origins – 1840s–early 20th century: Māori tradition and the Great Fleet », dans Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, (lire en ligne) (consulté le )
Howe puts it more strongly by stating that Smith's great fleet was "a fabrication and that Simmons "also demonstrated that Smith manipulated tradition and other evidence to produce the story he wanted".Ideas about Māori origins – 1920s–2000, new understandings.
Rāwiri Taonui, « The meaning of canoe traditions », dans Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, (lire en ligne) (consulté le )
