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Story: Kaitiakitanga – guardianship and conservation

Maketū wetlands

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Maketū wetlands

The peninsula at Maketū was named by Te Arawa chief Tamatekapua after the bridge of his nose. Chiefs often claimed land by naming it after parts of their body, making it tapu (sacred).

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Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

by Jock Phillips

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How to cite this page

Te Ahukaramū Charles Royal, Kaitiakitanga – guardianship and conservation – Connected to nature, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/11576/maketu-wetlands (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Te Ahukaramū Charles Royal, published 2 March 2009.