Story: Tūranganui-a-Kiwa tribes

‘Pō, pō’

This extract from the lullaby ‘Pō, pō’, performed by the Waihirere Māori Club, tells how the kūmara (sweet potato) – a vital source of food for the ancient Māori – was brought to New Zealand. Various tribes provide different accounts of who was responsible for bringing it: Tūranganui-a-Kiwa people believe that the ancestor Hine Hakirirangi carried kūmara from Hawaiki in a sacred basket.

Using this item

Sound Archives / Ngā Taonga Kōrero
Reference: N. Z. Polynesian Festival 1986 - Waihirere Gisborne/MPT 1390

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How to cite this page:

Nick Tūpara, 'Tūranganui-a-Kiwa tribes - Arrivals and alliances', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/music/2310/po-po (accessed 19 April 2024)

Story by Nick Tūpara, published 8 Feb 2005, updated 1 Mar 2017