A land steeped in Tuhoe traditions

Press, 7 October 1987, Page 18

A land steeped in Tuhoe traditions

Hokia ki nga maunga, kia purea koe e nga hau a Tawhirimatea — Return to the mountains that you may be cleansed by the winds of Tawhirimatea. (A Tuhoe saying.)

Tonight, “Journeys in National Parks” (7.30 on One) travels into Urewera National Park — home of the Tuhoe for the past thousand years. Rather than going from one place to another, this is a journey through the minds, memories and hearts of Tuhoe people. The “Journeys” presenter, Peter Hayden, accompanies a “Te Karere" reporter, Tawina Rangihau, herself a Tuhoe, who conducts the interviews in Maori. There are English subtitles. Urewera is the youngest of the National Parks (33 years), and occupies the mountains of the eastern North Island. This is the largest area of forest left in this island. Because of their homeland’s remoteness and relatively undisturbed nature', the Tuhoe have retained more of the knowledge and traditions of their ancestors than most other tribes. In “Journeys” they share

their knowledge of the forested hills and their way of life. Many of the old people who take part in this programme have never spoken out before. The elderly sons of the prophet Rua Kenana talk of the land where their people have dwelt for a millenium — a land steeped in Tuhoe traditions.

Urewera is the only national park with a history of continuous occupation by one people. Tuhoe experts on hunting, herbal medicine, child care and other traditional skills describe how their ancestors lived in the forest. Unlike most tribes, Tuhoe owned no bountiful coastline or wetlands, so they had to work hard. Te Urewera is a high, misty land, which rather reluctantly yielded a living to its human inhabitants. Tuhoe’s uneasiness with the concept of a national park is discussed on the

programme. To them it is unnatural to have the land locked away .from human habitation and use. They developed their own methods of conserving the forests and its wildlife while still gaining a living off the land. ■ j . i . There are other issues to do with living alongside

the park which once belonged to only Tuhoe. Issues such as access to ancestral land still retained withjn park, boundaries; such as access to traditional forest resources; and such as ■Tuhoe’s part.in managing the Urewera National Park — all are vexed

questions for now and for the future.., ’ r >. “Journeys” is about the relationship ! between people and the > land. That relationship is stronger in Urewera than many people can imagine, and in this programme something of its strength is shown. .