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Story: Volcanic Plateau region

Ngā pūmanawa e waru

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Ngā pūmanawa e waru

This monument, known as the Arawa soldiers’ memorial, includes carvings of ‘Ngā pūmanawa e waru’, the eight beating hearts of Te Arawa – a reference to the eight children of the ancestor Rangitihi, from whom Te Arawa tribes trace their descent. It stands in the Government Gardens in Rotorua and is a tribute to the participation of the tribes in the First World War.

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How to cite this page

Malcolm McKinnon, Volcanic Plateau region – Māori traditions – from Maketū to Tongariro, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/15144/nga-pumanawa-e-waru (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Malcolm McKinnon, published 2 March 2009, updated 1 May 2015.

Comments

Te Ara
15 October 2010
Thanks very much for your feedback Ngata. I've updated the caption.
ngata epapara
06 October 2010
Rangitihi had seven boys and 1 girl, not eight boys
sandy
25 July 2010
the little man is just about to unleash His spirit of the tree upon it !