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Story: Leisure in traditional Māori society – ngā mahi a te rēhia

Māui and his grandfather

Māui sits and listens to his grandfather, Tamanui-ki-te-rangi, tell him pūrākau (traditional stories). Often the kaumātua (elders) of a community would spend time with their mokopuna (grandchildren) passing down traditions.

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Penguin Random House

Reference: Peter Gossage, How Maui found his mother. Auckland: Raupo Publishing, 2005.

by Peter Gossage

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How to cite this page

Ross Calman, Leisure in traditional Māori society – ngā mahi a te rēhia – The social aspects of leisure, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/zoomify/40184/maui-and-his-grandfather (accessed 25 June 2026).

Story by Ross Calman, published 3 December 2012.