This exhibition draws inspiration from the 1870s stories Ngā korero a Mohi Ruatapu. In the story of Rata, he transgressed the tapu of Tane's great forest trees without seeking ancestral authority. To repair the felled tree, Te Tini o Hākuturi—the multitudes of forest protectors—used karakia, correct incantations, including the words: "E tū tama ota, whakaarahia ēnei rākau! Stand there green—let this tree be lifted up!"
In healthy forest ecosystems, ubiquitous species thrive. However, our forest giants are dying due to possum and deer browsing, or failing to propagate because of understory grazing. Other species such as myrtles face threats from climate-induced diseases, while fires endanger mature tree stands.
The photographs of two-hundred-year-old kānuka demonstrate they can live much longer than expected when left undisturbed. The land where ancient kahikatea trees stand was, until recently, grazed by cows. They had no understorey and no chance for seeds to develop into saplings beneath them. Now fenced off, replanting has begun, and seedlings are appearing.
In Aotearoa, Poutūterangi (March) and Paengawhāwhā (April) mark the season when forest tree fruits and seeds fully ripen—an ideal time for collecting. The photographs show sisters Ngahuia and Pōhatu Matenga gathering Tōtara (Podocarpus tōtara) seeds on the slopes of Tītīraupenga and Pūreora Maunga. In 2016, Ngāti Te Maunga, Tūwharetoa, principal kaitiaki iwi of these maunga, gifted tōtara logs for new whakairo for the whare tīpuna Pōkai at Tīkapa-a-Hinekopeka Marae, carved by Lionel Matenga of Te Whānau a Pōkai-Pōhatu. Refurbished, Pōkai reopened in 2018, uplifting the marae's mana.
The seed collectors—Lionel and Te Aroha Matenga's daughters—connect the whakapapa of mature trees to the whakairo, embodying their lineage of Ngāti Porou and Ngāti Te Maunga, Tūwharetoa. Their collected seeds aim to contribute to regenerating tōtara, continuing the cycle of forest protection and renewal.
Opening Hours
- Tuesday to Friday, 9am to 3pm
- Saturday and Sunday, 8am to 4pm
- Closed Mondays and public holidays
Location
- Pah Homestead
- 72 Hillsborough Road
- Hillsborough
- Auckland, New Zealand
This exhibition draws inspiration from the 1870s stories Ngā korero a Mohi Ruatapu. In the story of Rata, he transgressed the tapu of Tane's great forest trees without seeking ancestral authority. To repair the felled tree, Te Tini o Hākuturi—the multitudes of forest protectors—used karakia, correct incantations, including the words: "E tū tama ota, whakaarahia ēnei rākau! Stand there green—let this tree be lifted up!"
In healthy forest ecosystems, ubiquitous species thrive. However, our forest giants are dying due to possum and deer browsing, or failing to propagate because of understory grazing. Other species such as myrtles face threats from climate-induced diseases, while fires endanger mature tree stands.
The photographs of two-hundred-year-old kānuka demonstrate they can live much longer than expected when left undisturbed. The land where ancient kahikatea trees stand was, until recently, grazed by cows. They had no understorey and no chance for seeds to develop into saplings beneath them. Now fenced off, replanting has begun, and seedlings are appearing.
In Aotearoa, Poutūterangi (March) and Paengawhāwhā (April) mark the season when forest tree fruits and seeds fully ripen—an ideal time for collecting. The photographs show sisters Ngahuia and Pōhatu Matenga gathering Tōtara (Podocarpus tōtara) seeds on the slopes of Tītīraupenga and Pūreora Maunga. In 2016, Ngāti Te Maunga, Tūwharetoa, principal kaitiaki iwi of these maunga, gifted tōtara logs for new whakairo for the whare tīpuna Pōkai at Tīkapa-a-Hinekopeka Marae, carved by Lionel Matenga of Te Whānau a Pōkai-Pōhatu. Refurbished, Pōkai reopened in 2018, uplifting the marae's mana.
The seed collectors—Lionel and Te Aroha Matenga's daughters—connect the whakapapa of mature trees to the whakairo, embodying their lineage of Ngāti Porou and Ngāti Te Maunga, Tūwharetoa. Their collected seeds aim to contribute to regenerating tōtara, continuing the cycle of forest protection and renewal.
