Te Kura Huna o Te Urewera (The Hidden Treasure of Te Urewera) speaks to the revival and intergenerational transfer of Tuawhenua kawa (protocols and etiquette), tikanga (procedures and guidelines) and mātauranga (traditional knowledge) as it relates to the kererū or New Zealand pigeon (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae), which is recognised by Tūhoe as a manu rangatira (chiefly bird species).
Manaaki Whenua-Landcare Research researchers Phil Lyver and Puke Timoti, together with the Tūhoe Tuawhenua Trust, worked closely over several years with the Ruatāhuna community to explore Tuawhenua’s relationship with the kererū and Te Urewera. They interviewed more than 60 kaumātua and community members over that time.
Part One of the documentary, Te Kura Huna o Te Urewera: He Manu Kura brings together Tuawhenua tohunga (experts) and kaumātua (elders) who speak to the importance of the kererū to Tūhoe and Te Urewera.
“For kaumātua, maintaining and revitalising the connection between the Tuawhenua people and with Te Urewera through the kererū is important component of future management,” says Researcher Phil Lyver of Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research.
“Significant to this process is the transfer of kōrero tara-a-whare (legends; stories captured on the panels of a meeting house), kōrero tawhito (history), kōrero-ā-iwi (localized knowledge), ngā taunahatanga (the naming and claim to sites), and kōrero o te wānanga (accumulated knowledge and philosophies) with many of the rangatahi (youth) from the area.”