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Story: Marutūahu tribes

The Marutūahu mauri

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The Marutūahu mauri

Known as a mauri, this stone effigy is named after the founding ancestor, Marutūahu. A mauri was a vessel holding a particular kind of energy, and was used by Māori priests in rituals for securing rights and relationships to land.

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Auckland War Memorial Museum Tamaki Paenga Hira

Permission of the Auckland War Memorial Museum Tamaki Paenga Hira must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Te Ahukaramū Charles Royal, Marutūahu tribes – Marutūahu icons, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/755/the-marutuahu-mauri (accessed 10 June 2026).

Story by Te Ahukaramū Charles Royal, published 4 March 2009, updated 22 March 2017.