Skip to main content

Story: Papatūānuku – the land

‘Papatūānuku – the rhythm of the land’

Image
‘Papatūānuku – the rhythm of the land’

Papatūānuku, the earth mother in Māori tradition, is seen as the birthplace of all things. This painting is by Victor Tukuafu, who is of Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Tūwharetoa and Tongan descent.

Using this item

Tinakori Gallery

by Victor Tukuafu

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page

Te Ahukaramū Charles Royal, Papatūānuku – the land – The importance of Papatūānuku, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/artwork/11426/papatuanuku-the-rhythm-of-the-land (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Te Ahukaramū Charles Royal, published 1 March 2009.