Te Kura Whānui | Cultural Mapping

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OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE WHENUA AND WAI IS INTEGRAL TO OUR IDENTITY AS A PEOPLE. 

Our wāhi tapu and wāhi tīpuna confirm our close relationship with our environment; our traditions and stories reinforce our iwi identity and solidarity, recording places and events that have shaped Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō as an iwi over many generations.

The Trusts' cultural mapping project, "Te Kura Whānui", takes its name from a line in the well-known Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō mōteatea Tēnei te Kura, composed by Ngāti Apa tipuna Mohi Te Ua when he was in Waikanae. In this mōteatea Mohi names a number of our wāhi tapu, lamenting for his whenua, as if flying over the vast homelands in his mind.

In this context, Te Kura Whānui refers to the beautiful wāhi tapu that stretch throughout our rohe, their significance to our people, and the importance of not only learning the kōrero of these taonga but also reconnecting to the whenua.

Te Kura Whānui is a living kaupapa, documenting sites of significance. Please check back regularly for updates.