Story: Te Waonui a Tāne – forest mythology

This woven tukutuku panel is from Te Tumu Herenga Waka marae, Victoria University. The panel has the same name as the marae – meaning ‘the hitching post of canoes’. In the centre is the tumu (stump) to which the waka (canoes) are tied. This represents the ethos of the marae – a place where people from all areas can ‘hitch’ their waka. The tumu is usually a tree stump, and represents the tribe’s solid foundation.