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Pou whenua: markers on the land
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Description
TitlePouwhenua
DescriptionPou whenua or pouwhenua are posts placed prominently in the ground, used to signify land posession or ownership, to mark boundaries and to connect people with the history of the land on which they stand.
In Selwyn, pou whenua can be found at Kura Tāwhiti Castle Hill, a site of cultural significance, with tōponui status for local Ngāi Tahu hapū, Ngāi Tūāhuriri. This is one of 14 such sites across Te Waipounamu. Tōpuni upholds Ngāi Tahu mana and rangatiratanga over culturally significant sites on public conservation land and ensures Ngāi Tahu values are recognised, acknowledged and provided for at these sites as mana whenua. The pou embody this special status, standing as kaitiaki or guardians protecting the land.
The three Kura Tawhiti pou, each represents an ancestor of Ngāi Tūāhuriri:
• Tawhitinui: a passenger on the Ārai Te Uru waka who became Kura Tawhiti
• Tūrākautahi, a son of celebrated rangatira (chief) Tūāhuriri
• Tāne Tiki, another son of Tūāhuriri
The pou were made by master carvers Fayne Robinson (Ngāi Tahu) and Riki Manuel (Ngāti Porou), and unveilled on 20 September 2022.
At the opening, Rūnanga spokesperson Joseph Hullen said it was "[a]n opportunity for our tamariki mokopuna to recognise that they are present in the landscape [and] an opportunity for our place-based storytelling to teach our purakau (oral traditions), our histories and whakapapa so they understand where they've come from."
"To know where you need to go, you need first to know where you've been."
DescriptionPou whenua or pouwhenua are posts placed prominently in the ground, used to signify land posession or ownership, to mark boundaries and to connect people with the history of the land on which they stand.In Selwyn, pou whenua can be found at Kura Tāwhiti Castle Hill, a site of cultural significance, with tōponui status for local Ngāi Tahu hapū, Ngāi Tūāhuriri. This is one of 14 such sites across Te Waipounamu. Tōpuni upholds Ngāi Tahu mana and rangatiratanga over culturally significant sites on public conservation land and ensures Ngāi Tahu values are recognised, acknowledged and provided for at these sites as mana whenua. The pou embody this special status, standing as kaitiaki or guardians protecting the land.
The three Kura Tawhiti pou, each represents an ancestor of Ngāi Tūāhuriri:
• Tawhitinui: a passenger on the Ārai Te Uru waka who became Kura Tawhiti
• Tūrākautahi, a son of celebrated rangatira (chief) Tūāhuriri
• Tāne Tiki, another son of Tūāhuriri
The pou were made by master carvers Fayne Robinson (Ngāi Tahu) and Riki Manuel (Ngāti Porou), and unveilled on 20 September 2022.
At the opening, Rūnanga spokesperson Joseph Hullen said it was "[a]n opportunity for our tamariki mokopuna to recognise that they are present in the landscape [and] an opportunity for our place-based storytelling to teach our purakau (oral traditions), our histories and whakapapa so they understand where they've come from."
"To know where you need to go, you need first to know where you've been."
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Pou whenua: markers on the land. Selwyn Stories, accessed 19/10/2026, https://selwynstories.selwynlibraries.co.nz/nodes/view/6699