Story: Papatūānuku – the land

Te Waihora (Lake Ellesmere)

Te Waihora (Lake Ellesmere)

Many tribal traditions explain the origins of landforms with stories about ancestors. In the South Island, the Waitaha ancestor Rākaihautū created lakes by carving them out with his digging stick. Te Waihora (Lake Ellesmere) is known as Te Keteika-a-Rākaihautū – Rākaihautū's fishing basket.

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Photograph by Christina Troup

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How to cite this page:

Te Ahukaramū Charles Royal, 'Papatūānuku – the land - Stories of people and land', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/11460/te-waihora-lake-ellesmere (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Te Ahukaramū Charles Royal, published 24 Sep 2007