TE KETU A RONGO NARRATIVE
Te Whenua | Te Maatū
From the whenua we are born.
To the whenua we return.
For centuries, our people have been gardeners of this land, understanding her rhythms, reading her seasons, and feeling her pulse beneath our feet.
We are the descendants of those who made the courageous journey to be here, who cultivated and worked these lands with hope for the future, who planted the seeds of the fruits that we enjoy today, who harvested with gratitude and shared with generosity.
This land knows our joys and sorrows.
She witnessed our triumphs and hardships.
She knows every harvest and every storm.
She recalls promises made and promises broken.
She understands our pain, our courage, and our determination.
She holds our most precious stories; told and untold.
We know these lands as Te Maatū (the Big Wood), named by Horoatua of Ngāti Kōmako, who stood in awe of the stately trees rising into the sky. He likened these giant trees to leaders rising above a crowd - a metaphor that still speaks to us today.
This whenua was where our tūpuna lived – it was our papakāinga. It was redesignated as an Occupation Reserve (section 183) by the Spain commission in 1844. This whenua sits just outside Te Maatu and Native Reserves shown on the Original Survey of the Motueka District below and it is opposite Awamate which was the original course of the Motueka River.
Wakatū Incorporation and their customary owners have been the kaitiaki of this whenua and we thank Wakatū and the owners for their generosity in making this whenua available for our hapū and wider community to enjoy, grow kai and live on.
Our tūpuna maunga - Pukeone and Tū Ao Wharepapa - stand sentinel over these lands.
They watch as Te Awa o Motueka, the ipukarea of our people, carries the precious waters from the mountains to the sea, nurturing our people and the fertile lands we have gardened for generations.
We know this land as she knows us.
We sustain her as she sustains us.
Te Ara | Te Ketu a Rongo
At the heart of who we are as a people lies our profound connection to the cultivated gardens - the maara. For generations, the people of Te Āwhina Marae have been gardeners, understanding the rhythms of the soil, the change of the seasons, and the sacred dialogue between people and land. This identity as gardeners shapes not only how we sustain ourselves but how we understand our place in the world.
Te Ketu a Rongo celebrates this cornerstone of our cultural identity through its design, its artwork, and its purpose. Each element along the pathway speaks to some aspect of cultivation - from the celestial guidance of Tupuānuku to the earthly protection of Te Haumako, from the four manifestations of Rongo to the flowing patterns of raukūmara
The name carries deep significance for us. Te Ketu a Rongo weaves together multiple strands of cultural significance and connection. The ketu, as a traditional tool for clearing pathways between crops, symbolises both physical and spiritual preparation - making way for new growth and seasonal change.
Rongo, is our deity of peace and cultivated foods, whose presence manifests in multiple forms throughout the expression imbued along the pathway. Rongo can also mean to hear, feel, smell, taste – it speaks to all our senses except sight.
Together, they evoke the generations of careful cultivation that have sustained our people on this land. The pathway becomes a physical expression and celebration of our relationship with the whenua - not merely a path from one place to another, but a journey through layers of meaning, memory, and possibility.
This pathway sits within our longest continuously occupied pā, navigating the sacred places we’ve protected for generations. It traces the contours of our story as tangata whenua of Motueka, binding together our connections to land, sea, sky, and each other.
We hope that just as the ketu clears a path in the garden, this pathway creates a deeper appreciation of the whenua that sustains us all.
May it remind us that we are not merely walking on a path - we are walking with our tūpuna, alongside our mokopuna yet to come.
Ngā Rākau | Ngā Tokotoko o Rangi
Along the pathway stand several great trees of Tāne, profound cultural and historical significance that connect us to key moments and people in our history. These living markers trace our story through time, each one carrying connections that bind us to people and place.
Te Rātā
The rātā was planted in the 1920s by the legendary figure Tommy Solomon of Wharekauri, providing a living connection to relationships between our peoples. It marks a century of growth alongside Te Āwhina Marae and our people of Te Maatū.
Te Tōtara
Standing as one of the last giants of Te Maatū, this tōtara carries the mauri of the ancient forest that once flourished here. It bears witness to the transformation of this landscape. The timber from Te Maatū was later used to construct Te Ahurewa.
Te Pōhutukawa
Standing between the church and wharenui, the pōhutukawa was planted by Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu, the first wahine monarch for the Kīngitanga who reigned for 40 years. This pōhutukawa marks her visit and our enduring connection to the Kīngitanga.
The pathway Te Ketu a Rongo has been carefully designed to protect these giant trees, with a custom built boardwalk elevated above the root system of these tupuna rākau.
Te Hue | Tupuānuku
Our hue carries the name Tupuānuku, the star associated with soil and all life within it. belonging to the Matariki cluster. She stands at the entranceway to our Papakāinga to act as both guardian and teacher. The celestial connection reminds us that we exist within a larger cosmic order.
Our installation draws inspiration from Te Waiho Paratene (Te Ātiawa), whose carved designs spoke to the movement of water and honoured te awa o Motueka. The most elaborate hue were adorned with intricate designs and known as ipu whakairo, vessels worthy of holding our most precious treasures.
In our traditions, the hue is of immense significance and serves multiple purposes – preserver, vessel, container, instrument, float, medicine, and food, to name a few. They carry our waters, our stories, our intent, our karakia, and our connections.
The hue carries the essence of Hine Pū Te Hue, daughter of the gods Tāne and Hine Rauamoa. When conflict arose between her brother gods, she gathered their anger into her gourd and transformed it into peace. This sacred act established the hue as more than a mere vessel - it became a holder of transformative potential. This wisdom guides us today.
The karakia carried within these vessels could be accessed in times of need, speaking to the way knowledge and spiritual sustenance can be preserved and shared across generations. It recognises our story transgresses generations and that our responsibility is not just what we inherit but what we pass down to the generations to come.
Our connection to Tupuānuku reminds us that soil health reflects the capacity of a living ecosystem to sustain and support all life. We understand soil not as a commodity but as a living entity whose mauri we must protect and enhance.
We maintain the traditions of Hine Pū Te Hue, who took anger and replaced it with peace, storing karakia within her gourds for times of need.
Our hue carries these same intentions - to transform, to nurture, to protect.
Te Kōhatu a Rongo | Te Haumako
Te Haumako was sourced from Pikikirunga – commonly known as Tākaka Hill, where the distinctive marble has been shaped by time and the elements into distinctive formations that personify Rongo.
This taonga carries with it the generosity of the whānau of the late Bruce Mitchell, whose legacy as an artist continues to enrich our cultural landscape.
The stone was sourced with his whānau from the lands where they still reside today. From this elevated vantage point, the stone has witnessed countless seasons pass over the cultivations of Motueka and the vast expanse of Te Tai o Aorere.
According to our customary kōrero, a heroine called Ruru was captured by the shape changer Ngārarahuarau. He was intent on destroying her village, and so Ruru called to her people warning them of the danger. She disguised her warning in a code, and we attribute to her the complex metaphor and poetry of karanga – where words have many layered meanings. Arriving at her village, Ngārarahuarau was offered hospitality and afterwards fell asleep in a whare. It was set aliight, and when he awoke he shape changed into a monsterous reptile. Too late, he was devoured by the flames, and in his death throes, his tile detached and imbedded itself into Pikikirunga. The next morning when the sun rose, the scales of his tail transformed into marble stone. The terrifying Ngārarahuarau, consumed by the clever Ruru.
The Tākaka marble, known also as Kairuru marble, holds within its crystalline structure the story of geological transformation - a reminder that even the most solid and enduring elements of our world are shaped through time and place.
Standing at the threshold of our maara, Te Haumako serves as both guardian and witness. In our traditions, stones embodying Rongo protect our crops and maintain the mauri of cultivation. This stone’s presence is particularly powerful as it carries the essence of a place that overlooks our ancestral whenua and
our moana.
The placement of Te Haumako acknowledges this practice while creating a touchstone for our community. It stands as a permanent marker of impermanent moments - changing seasons, cycles of planting and harvest, and the passing of generations.
Te Haumako invites us to pause, to remember, to give thanks for the abundance that flows from the whenua. It teaches us that true abundance emerges from the balance between human effort and natural blessing, between what we give and what we receive.
Pou Whakairo | Ngā Mata o Rongo
The wharenui is the domain of Rongo. Rongo is the god responsible for peace, humanitarian elements, the right side of the brain, emotions, generosity, sympathy and everything that comes under manaakitanga or hospitality.
Dispute resolution is called ‘Hohou te rongo’ in tribute to Rongo. When created by males it is called Rongo-a-marae, and when enacted by females, it is known as Rongo-a-whare. Rongo is both a noun and a verb. The name of the god on one side, and to listen, feel, and intuit on the other. Recently enacted peace is known as Rongo mau.
Rongo is the god of cooked kai, and presides over the ritual to remove tapu before we eat. Rongo is also the god invoked in the whakanoa ceremony allowing us to reengage with society following a term of tapu.
Rongo Tau Tangata refers to universal peace over a group of people, whilst Māra Tau Tangata is the ritual to centre the emotions. After a time of conflict, such as a particularly heavy argument or even warfare, a combatant would enter the māra and work. This would be a transformative time of mindful reflection, rebalancing and centering – before rejoining the normalcy of whānau and friends. This ritual is a wonderful blend of two principal elements of Rongo, peace and gardening.
Four visages of Rongo are represented in the tekoteko and wheku that stand as both sentinels and teachers along our path.
Tekoteko:
Rongo-hīrea
The name speaks to the gentle nature of Rongo. Hīrea - meaning indistinct - reminds us that true strength often moves quietly.
Rongo-marae-roa-a-Rangi
When Rangi was elevated above, Rongo-hīrea became Rongo-marae-roa-a-Rangi. This name speaks to the vast expanse between earth and sky. Deity of everyday peace.
Wheku:
Rongo-mā-tāne
As the deity of cultivated foods and sustainable peace, this reminds us that when we plant, tend, and harvest, we participate in an ancient dialogue between people and land.
Rongo-Māui
Nephew of Rongo and husband to Pani Tinaku, Rongo-Māui serves as kaitiaki of the maara. His relationship with Pani Tinaku, who birthed kūmara in the water, speaks to the transformative power of cultivation.
Pā Tūwatawata | Pae Māramataka
Fences are a feature of pā, both fortified and unfortified. We know them as tāepa – a simple fence around cultivations, pikirangi – the palisade, pā tūwatawata – the main stockade, pā maioro – the earthworks, pā kaiahi – the ramparts, and pā huri – the barricades.
Our custom-designed fence panels weave together time, tradition, and connection through their intricate design. At each corner, the seasons stand as guardians of cyclic time, their presence marked by the four mangōpare pattern and watchful manaia.
These corners ground us in the natural rhythms that have guided our cultivation practices through generations.
The notches that trace the panels’ edges speak to whakapapa - our ancestral lines that connect us. Like the aka (roots) of Te Maatū that reach toward the centre of the panel, these lines remind us that we are part of an unbroken chain of cultivators and kaitiaki.
At the heart of each panel, the takarangi spiral tells our creation story, moving from Te Kore through Te Pō, to the separation of Ranginui and Papatūānuku, and into Te Ao Mārama.
This relationship is embraced by twin mangōpare, representing te kauāe runga and te kauāe raro - the balanced wisdom of celestial and terrestrial knowledge that guides our traditions of cultivation.
These panels do more than mark boundaries - they teach through pattern and symbol how our gardening practices connect earth and sky, past and future, practical wisdom and sacred knowledge.
Rongoā Rākau | Ngā Tamariki a Tāne
Our plantings were carefully chosen varieties that connect us to traditional practices of cultivation and healing. These plantings are at the core of our cultural expression and identity as kaitiaki of Te Maatū, Motueka and the broader district.
Whilst Rongo is the god of the garden, rongoā are the medicinal plants of his brother Tāne, cultivated and wild that are at the heart of our holistic healing system. It focuses on restoring balance physically, internally, spiritually and with the whenua and wai.
Rongoā Rākau requires us to build a relationship with the rākau and with the whenua in a reciprocal and respectful way. Harvesting should only occur in the morning, never in the rain, with a specific person or reason in mind, and not where someone else has just harvested. The entire process is guided by tikanga and karakia.
Korokio
Between the fence panels, we have planted orokio, commonly known as wire bush. Its tough nature and evergreen foliage mirror the endurance of our cultural practices. It was our preferred variety as its leaves were used in a ceremony to lift the tapu from māra kai.
The hard wiry wood from intertwined branches were made into matau (fish hooks) and taputapu (tools) for healing battle wounds. The fine-dried twigs were used as tinder for fire lighting. As rongoā, its leaves offered relief for an upset puku when prepared as a healing tea.
Tororaro
At our Queen Victoria Street entrance, we have planted tororaro, also known as pōhuehue, a taonga species that traditionally supported our ecosystem by providing sustenance for ngārara, mokomoko and manu, while its flexible vines were worked into nets for catching tuna and ika.
Beyond its practical applications, tororaro serves as rongoā, offering muscle relaxation properties and antiseptic solutions. Its presence here continues its ancient role as kaitiaki - protecting surrounding plants while creating habitat for native species.
Tohu Rāranga | Raukūmara
Kūmara is our most important crop and is central to our identity.
This ancient weaving pattern serves both a practical and cultural purpose - creating visual markers that naturally slow us down while approaching the boardwalk and celebrating our ancestral relationship with cultivation and growth.
The raukūmara pattern, inspired by the unfurling leaves of the kūmara vine, embodies the essence of growth, connection, and sustenance that characterises Te Āwhina Marae. The pattern is inspired by the tukutuku panels that adorn Tūrangāpeke, our tūpuna whare at Te Āwhina Marae.
This pattern represents the unique style of manaakitanga that flows through Te Āwhina Marae. Just as the kūmara vine spreads out to grow and extend its reach, our tradition of hospitality and care embraces all; our whānau, our wider community, and visitors from every corner of the world who have visited us here at Te Āwhina Marae.
Our tūpuna transported the kūmara from ancient Hawaiki. To successfully grow kūmara in Aotearoa required careful planning, strategy, adaptability and perseverance. This is central to our culture, A deliberate approach so our people can provide for our community.
The pattern reminds us that true abundance comes not just from what we grow, but from how we share. It creates visual rhythm that encourages both flow and pause. It reminds us that growth requires reaching outward and rooting deeply simultaneously.
The People | Ngā Ringa Rau
Project Leadership
Te Āwhina Marae Board
Te Āwhina Kaimahi
Miriana Stephens
Johny O’Donnell
Nigel Ainley
Cultural Practitioners and Artists
Rōpata Taylor
Rōpata Stephens
Roni Petley
Te Rangikapiki Fraser
Contributors
Jacinda Piggott and Miro Mitchell (Te Kōhatu Rongo gifting)
Dan Roberts of BPM
Whānau and friends from Te Āwhina (support with the installation)
Technical Support
Tom Ellison
Darcy Paul
Arko Biswas
Max Quinn-Tapara
Tyrone Ohia
Suppliers
Kernohan Engineering
Extended Whānau
Cutting Edge Signs
O’D&Co
Mitre 10 Motueka
Westbank Natives Nursery
CJ Industries
FenceIT