This poupou (carved figure), Te Puna Wai Mātauranga (the wellspring of knowledge), stands outside the University of Waikato library in Hamilton. It represents Tāwhaki who, along with his brother Karihi, was guided by their blind kuia (grandmother), Whaitiri. In many traditions kaumātua were vital for guiding their mokopuna (grandchildren) as they undertook particular quests.
Using this item
Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand
Photograph by Shirley Williams
This item is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 New Zealand Licence
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