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Story: Papatūānuku – the land

Mt Hikurangi

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Mt Hikurangi

Sunlight strikes the peak of Mt Hikurangi. Hikurangi is the mountain mentioned in the Ngāti Porou tribe’s pepeha (proverb):

Ko Hikurangi te maunga
Ko Waiapu te awa
Ko Ngāti Porou te iwi

Hikurangi is the mountain
Waiapu is the river
Ngāti Porou is the tribe.

A tribe’s relationship to their mountain and river is an important part of their sense of tūrangawaewae (place to stand).

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GNS Science

Reference: 41063

by Lloyd Homer

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How to cite this page

Te Ahukaramū Charles Royal, Papatūānuku – the land – Tūrangawaewae – a place to stand, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/11448/mt-hikurangi (accessed 10 June 2026).

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