Story: Waikato tribes

Page 5. Tūrangawaewae

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The seat of the King movement is Tūrangawaewae, a marae located at Ngāruawāhia. The name comes from a saying by King Tāwhiao:

Ko Arekahānara tōku haona kaha
Ko Kemureti tōku oko horoi
Ko Ngāruawāhia tōku tūrangawaewae
Alexandra [present day Pirongia] will ever be a symbol of my strength of character
Cambridge a symbol of my wash bowl of sorrow
And Ngāruawāhia my footstool. 1

Te Puea

The establishment of Tūrangawaewae marae during the 1920s and 1930s was guided by the influential Waikato – and indeed New Zealand – leader, Te Puea Hērangi, a granddaughter of King Tāwhiao. Te Puea succeeded in renewing the King movement as a vehicle to empower her people. That she was able to do this during a time of economic depression is a testimony to her considerable leadership skills.

Footnotes:
  1. Carmen Kirkwood, Tawhiao: king or prophet. Huntly: MAI Systems, 2000, p. 138. › Back
How to cite this page:

Te Ahukaramū Charles Royal, 'Waikato tribes - Tūrangawaewae', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/waikato-tribes/page-5 (accessed 19 March 2024)

Story by Te Ahukaramū Charles Royal, published 8 Feb 2005, updated 1 Mar 2017