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Story: Te Tau Ihu tribes

Rākaihautū sculpts the land

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Rākaihautū sculpts the land

This artwork by Brian Flintoff depicts the captain of Te Uruao canoe, Rākaihautū, sculpting the mountains and other land forms of the South Island.

Using this item

Private collection

by Brian Flintoff

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

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How to cite this page

Hilary Mitchell and John Mitchell, Te Tau Ihu tribes – Early traditions, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/artwork/542/rakaihautu-sculpts-the-land (accessed 11 June 2026).

Story by Hilary Mitchell and John Mitchell, published 4 March 2009, updated 1 March 2017.