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Story: Whānau – Māori and family

'The spirit of his fathers'

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'The spirit of his fathers'

This illustration shows a Māori soldier at Gallipoli attacking two Turkish soldiers. Behind him looms the ghost of a Māori warrior, who represents one of his ancestors. It is a traditional Māori belief that tīpuna (ancestors) guide their descendants.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library

Reference: A-312-1-088

by William Blomfield

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Tai Walker, Whānau – Māori and family – Factors dividing whānau, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/cartoon/30154/the-spirit-of-his-fathers (accessed 25 June 2026).

Story by Tai Walker, published 3 May 2011, updated 1 June 2017.