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Story: Wairarapa places

Whakairo figure

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Whakairo figure

Eighteen whakairo (carved figures) encircle Papawai marae, each representing a famous ancestor. The figures face inwards to indicate peace between Māori and Pākehā.

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Wairarapa Archive

by Gareth Winter

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How to cite this page

Ben Schrader, Wairarapa places – Papawai marae, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/12029/whakairo-figure (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Ben Schrader, published 2 March 2009, updated 11 June 2015.