Tāne Whakapiripiri

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This is a story about Tāne.

For Māori, he created the first place of shelter, the first house.

Through a young girl's journey, we share the story of how that came to be.

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Our children hold the key to our future.

Tāne and all his teachings still reside within them today.

Here comes one such mokopuna. She has a curious heart.

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“Come, my child… ”

“Let the trees shelter you from the rain.”

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“We have been waiting for someone like you.”

“Let us take a walk through the realm of Tāne. ”

“Many know him as the god of the forest, but did you know we descend from him?”

“He is us, and we are him, but many do not know how or why?”

“Well, moko, are you ready to know?”

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“He had many names to us. Each name for every great deed he achieved.”

“We shall start with Tāne-nui-a-rangi.”

“He who sought knowledge…

… not yet known in this world.”

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“Tāne-nui-a-rangi climbed the heavens to Te Tihi o Manono to retrieve the three baskets of knowledge.”

“Te Kete Tuauri, Te Kete Tuatea Te Kete Aronui…”

“He then carried them back down to earth.”

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“Tāne then imbued knowledge from the baskets into the first human.”

“She was a woman made from the red earth found at Kurawaka.”

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“Her name was Hineahuone.”

“She was the first human to walk this world.”

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“A union between her and Tāne begat humankind. ”

“But Tāne’s work was yet to be done. His people needed shelter.”

“First, he set about building the foundations as Tāne Tūturi.”

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“Tāne Torokaha fashioned the ceiling, binding and threading the materials together.”

“And the final piece…”

“… was people.”

“And so Tāne Whakapiripiri welcomed humankind into his house.”

“To shelter, to connect and unite them forever more.”

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“The purpose of this story e moko, is to remind people of the principles of Tāne.”

“The connection between us, the mind and the heavens, our bodies and the earth and the environment that we live in.”

“These are our intrinsic connections that warm the house of Tāne Whakapiripiri.”

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This is a story about Tāne. Tāne is a god, many know him as the god of the forest, Tāne Mahuta.
For Māori, it was he who created the first place of shelter, the first whare. This novel shares the story of how that came to be.

This resource is intended to help illustrate the importance of the work of BBHTC and the principles of sheltering people. Although the story pulls from ancient history, it validates the research into the housing of our people here in Aotearoa today.

Replay Tāne Whakapiripiri View BBHTC Framework