Whale land education resource

Maori sometimes remembered significant events and stories about whales by naming islands and landforms after them. You can see examples of these places in the adjacent photographs.

The names referred to, among other things, significant strandings, navigational pathways, and important journeys.

For Maori, the land is believed to be the body of Papatuanuku (the earth mother), the womb that gave birth to people. Imbuing landmarks with the memory of whales shows the reverence with which these creatures could be regarded.

Find out more about whale land.

At the exhibition

Emphasise to your students that this section is about Maori traditions, customs, and ways of relating to the land. Ask the students to explore the immediate area then discuss the following questions and topics.

Questions for 5 to 10 year olds

• Pick one of the images. What can you see?
• Can you see any shapes that look like whales?
• Why do the shapes represent whales?
• Do you know any other stories about whales and the land?

Questions for 10 years old and over

• Compare how people record their traditions and customs today to in the past.
• What do these images tell you?
• Can you think of other ways to record traditional stories?
• Which is your favourite story here and why?
• Pick an image and retell the story in your own way.

Teachers’ notes

There are many stories throughout Aotearoa that relate to the ancient ancestors of whales. This section has highlighted just a few from different iwi (tribes).

Maungamana, the mother whale as viewed from Ōtūkōpiri in Ngāti Pūkenga territory. Photograph by Te Awanuiarangi Black.

Nga Tohorā e Toru, a family of three whales, Welcome Bay, Tauranga Maungamana (also known as Mangatawa) the mother whale, Hikurangi the calf, and Kopukairoa, the father. Photograph by Michael Hall, reproduced courtesy of Te Awanuiarangi Black.