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Story: Kaitiakitanga – guardianship and conservation

Māui becoming a kererū

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Māui becoming a kererū

In one tradition, the legendary trickster Māui turned himself into a kererū (New Zealand pigeon) to fly after his mother. Many Māori traditions show a close, mystical relationship between humans and nature.

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Learning Media Ltd

Reference: Eke Panuku 14. Wellington: Learning Media Ltd, 2004.

by Manu Smith

This material is reproduced by permission of the publishers, Learning Media Ltd, PO Box 3293, Wellington, New Zealand.

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How to cite this page

Te Ahukaramū Charles Royal, Kaitiakitanga – guardianship and conservation – Connected to nature, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/artwork/11568/maui-becoming-a-kereru (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Te Ahukaramū Charles Royal, published 2 March 2009.