03/02/2026
Ka aroha hoki koe !!!
He Kōrero Whakapapa o Tāne raua ko Hine Wao Riki - Taanes 4th hoa rangatira
Ka moe anō a Tāne i a Hine wao riki,
ā, ka p**a mai ko Kahikatea, ko Mataī, ko Rimu, ko Pukatea, ko Kauri, ko Tanekaha.
Ko ēnei ngā rākau rangatira o te ngahere,
he pou tokomanawa mō te ora o te taiao me te tangata.
Tāne took Hine wao riki as his companion,
and from their union were born Kahikatea, Mataī, Rimu, Pukatea, Kauri, and Tanekaha.
These became the chiefly trees of the forest,
the great pillars that uphold the life of the land and its people.
They rose slowly over generations,
their roots drinking deeply from the earth,
their crowns touching the breath of Ranginui.
Each carried its own mauri, its own medicine,
its own responsibility within the ngahere and within the human body.
Ngā Uri a Tāne raua ko Hine Wao riki Descendants and Their Healing
Kahikatea
Kahikatea chose the lowlands, the wetlands,
standing together in whānau, never alone.
Its strength is collective, its lesson one of unity.
Healing kōrero:
Traditionally, the resin and inner bark were used externally for wounds and skin ailments.
Its medicine is gentle, cleansing, and protective.
Wairua:
Kahikatea teaches emotional resilience and adaptability,
how to stand tall even when waters rise around you.
Mataī
Mataī grew dense and enduring,
its timber darkening with age, holding memory within its grain.
Healing kōrero:
Bark infusions were used for stomach pain and internal imbalance.
Its bitterness signals digestive and antimicrobial properties.
Wairua:
Mataī supports grounding and inner fortitude,
helping the body and spirit endure long seasons.
Rimu
Rimu grew with grace, its drooping leaves softening the forest light.
It bridges hardness and gentleness.
Healing kōrero:
The gum and bark were applied to burns, sores, and inflamed skin.
Its resin carries antimicrobial and soothing qualities.
Wairua:
Rimu restores balance
between body and emotion, action and rest.
Pukatea
Pukatea chose the swamps and river edges,
its buttressed roots anchoring it in shifting ground.
It listens deeply to the movements of water and womb.
Healing kōrero:
Bark preparations were used for pain relief, inflammation, and childbirth support.
It contains compounds known for analgesic effects.
Wairua:
Pukatea holds the energy of wāhine, birth, and transition,
supporting those moving through thresholds.
Kauri
Kauri stood apart , vast, ancient, commanding.
It watched generations come and go,
its resin sealing wounds in bark and body alike.
Healing kōrero:
Kauri gum was used as an antiseptic and binding agent in healing balms.
Strong antimicrobial and preservative qualities reside within it.
Wairua:
Kauri carries ancestral authority, protection, and spiritual strength.
It reminds us of who we descend from.
Tanekaha
Tanekaha grew lean and purposeful,
its bark rich with tannins, its medicine potent.
Healing kōrero:
Used extensively for skin conditions, burns, wounds, and oral health.
Its astringent and antimicrobial properties protect and restore tissue.
Wairua:
Tanekaha strengthens boundaries incl
physical, emotional, and spiritual.
Together, these children of Tāne and Hine wao riki
form the living pharmacy of the ngahere.
Their medicine is not only found in bark, resin, or rau,
but in relationship, whakapapa, and remembrance.
To heal with these rākau
is to remember where we come from,
and to return gently to balance with the ngāhere.
