--- title: Te Rūnanga o Arowhenua description: Pepeha and whakataukī information specifically related to Te Rūnanga o Arowhenua for usage by descendants of the marae. url: https://www.taiuru.co.nz/te-runanga-o-arowhenua/ markdown_url: https://www.taiuru.co.nz/te-runanga-o-arowhenua.md type: post slug: te-runanga-o-arowhenua author: Karaitiana Taiuru published: 2017-07-15T08:50:39Z modified: 2026-10-18T06:22:47Z language: en-NZ taxonomies: category: - Ngāi Tahu word_count: 995 tokens: 1334 --- # Te Rūnanga o Arowhenua Te Rūnanga o Arowhenua is one of 18 Papatipu Rūnanga across Te Waipounamu as seen in the resource. Its takiwā centres on Arowhenua and extends from Rakaia to Waitaki, sharing interests with Ngāi Tūāhuriri ki Kaiapoi between Hakatere and Rakaia, and thence inland to Aoraki and the Main Divide. Pepeha Waka: Uruao Mauka: Tarahoua Awa: Opihi, Waitaki, Rakaia Whare: Te Hapa o Niu Tireni Hapū: Kāti Huirapa Iwi: Kāti Mamoe, Kāi Tahu, Rapuwai, Hawea, Waitaha Contact Web site: https://www.facebook.com/groups/264692628009941/ and http://arowhenua.org/ Contact: Postal address: 38 Huirapa Street, Temuka Phone: (03) 615 9646 Email: Arowhenua.admin@ngaitahu.iwi.nz Google Map: Here Tauparapara Mariki ana kā roimata o Aoraki Rere atu ki ka tai o Mahaanui Tērā kā pākihi hāroa e te kāhu E aro ki kā whenua o Tarahaoa, o Hua-te-kerekere Anā ko Te Rehe e Anā ko Te Rehe e Ka huri ki kā āwhiowhio o Te Umu Kaha Naia ko te rahi o Kāti Huirapa Kohikohi kai ai, kāuru i te Ono Kanakana i Māruaroa Ko Te Hapa o Niu Tireni tū mai rā Ko te kāika, ko Arowhenua Ko te kāika, ko Arowhenua Tauparapara 2 Ko te kakahu o te mauka o Aoraki Me to na whanau o Rakiura, Rakiora, Rarakiroa Na te mauka o kairoa me Horokoau Ko te whanau o Ka Tiritiri o te Moana Na te tane a Haupapa Raua ko te wahine a Aroaro kaehe Huri noa kit e awa tapu ki ka Roimata o Aoraki Na te roto o Pukaki, Ko te roto tapu Tekapo Na to roto o Ohau, ko te whenua o te Manahuna Ki ka huarahi kit e tihi o te mauka o te Rua Taniwha Huri noa, kit e ao Marama! Na the wharenui o te Whakaahua-araki n`o Te Maiharoa Ko te poho o Rakitamau Na te kai hikihiki, ki Otamatakou Na te Wharekuri, Ki te Awakina Na to Kohurau, ki Oteake Na te Kaieke, kit e Maerewhenua No te Awamoko, kit e Puna o Maru Na te Korotuaheka te kaika tuturu Ko te whare Tapu o Matiti Tena koutou, tena koutopu tatou katoa. To the cloak that covers the mountain, Aoraki To the family and the brothers Over to Mount Sefton and Mount Tasman And to the rest of the family of the Southern Alps To the male side of the Tasman Glacier And to the female side of the Hooker Valley Then over to the source of the “Tears of Aoraki” And to the sacred lakes of Pukaki and Takapo And to Lake Ohau and the valley of Te Manahuna And travelling the ancient path to the mountain, Te Ruataniwha And then to the world of light, Te AO Marama And on to the place of the whare of the chief, Te Maiharoa And the burial mound on Maori Hummock And on to Otematakou And te Wharekuri and Te AWakino And the mountain Te Kohurau and the place Oteake And Otekaieke and Duntroon On to the Awamoko and the settlement of Te Puna Maru And finally arriving at the Waitaki river mouth and the house Matiti Greetings to you all. Whakatauki Mai i te Pō ki te Whaiao ki Te Ao Mārama, ka rere te manu ki te taumata o Aoraki, ka rere te wairua o te whenua, ka rere te wairua o te tangata tae noa ki Kāti Huirapa ki Arowhenua. Tīhei mauri ora Waiata Te Hapa o Niu Tireni Kaitito / Composer – Hana O’Regan This is a waiata about Arowhenua that was composed in the year 2001. The stories contained within are from an esteemed tāua of Kāi Tahu of her time, Kera Browne. She requested that I compose this song whilst researching the role of song within Kāi Tahu during the years 1995-1997. Despite her willingness to share the stories with me, four years were to pass before the song was composed, and the task only completed just before we lost Aunty Kera from this world in the month of October 2002. The song identifies significant places within the Arowhenua territory. This waiata is dedicated to the memory of the chiefly woman that was affectionately known as our Aunty Kera. This waiata is appropriate for formal pōwhiri as waiata kīnaki. TE HAPA O NIU TIRENI Tū mai rā Kā Tiritiri o te Moana E tau iho ana te maru o Aoraki Ki ruka i te puku o tōhona waka Ko Kā Pākihi i whakairohia E kā tapuae o te iwi e Whāia kā ara tūpuna Ki a Waitaki, ki a Rakaia I whiria hei kahu taniko O te kaitaka whakaahuru i te whenua Mō te aitaka o Huirapa e I kau te tai i te maka Ko Ōrakipaoa e rere atu ana I Te Waiateruatī Whītikiria kā kāwai rakatira A Huirapa, a Te Rehe, a Kahu e Ka huri taku aro ki Awarua Whakamākūkūtia kā waewae O te whare whakamaharataka O kā kī tauraki i whiua ki te iwi E tauka kore ana i te hau Aka atu ki te pae mauka Uhia ai e te kahu hukapapa Māhū kura o te tō o te rā Ka tau ki ruka i a Tarahoua Hei pohū ahi pakūtia ki te raki e THE UNFULFILLED PROMISES OF NEW ZEALAND Stand forth the Great Divide The shadow of Aoraki is resting Upon the centre of the canoe The plains engraved By the footsteps of the people Follow the ancestral paths To the rivers of Waitaki and Rakaia, Braided into the taniko boarder Of the fine cloak that protects the land For the descendents of Huirapa The tide bites at the stream Orakipaoa flows forth From Te Waiateruatī The chiefly lineage Of Huirapa, Te Rehe and Kahu I turn and face Awarua That moistens the feet of The house that stands to remind us Of unfulfilled promises thrown to the people Unworthy of the breath Look up to the mountain range Covered with its cloak of snow The setting sun begins to redden As it comes to rest upon Tarahoua A fire bomb exploding in the sky