Story: Papatūānuku – the land

Roimata toroa pattern

One story from the Ngāti Porou tribe which links back to their ancestors tells of how the ancestor Pourangahua brought kūmara (sweet potato) to New Zealand. The two sacred albatrosses which accompanied him were the source of this tukutuku design, known as roimata toroa (albatross tears). Listen to Pine Taiapa, an expert in carving and art, explain the story behind the design.

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Sound file from Radio New Zealand Sound Archives Ngā Taonga Kōrero. Any re-use of this audio is a breach of copyright. To request a copy of the recording, contact Sound Archives Ngā Taonga Kōrero (Pine Taiapa - tukutuku techniques/Reference number DAT 64)

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How to cite this page:

Te Ahukaramū Charles Royal, 'Papatūānuku – the land - Whakapapa and kaupapa', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/speech/11470/roimata-toroa-pattern (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Te Ahukaramū Charles Royal, published 24 Sep 2007