MEANING OF THE PAINTED BUSHES And what about those little painted bushes? Why are they there? We asked Mr and Mrs Cotter and Mr Hamilton this. They told us that the plants did have a special meaning, but that there is no-one left now who knows exactly what this was. The plants represent words, in such a way that the poupou together spell out a message. Mr Hamilton told us that this message was one of welcome, in the following words: ‘Haere mai e aku tamariki e aku mokopuna tomongia te poho o to koutou tipuna te poho o Tama-te-Rangi”. There are almost as many words in this message as there are little bushes. If these plants do represent a message, I wonder if it might be that each one represents a real kind of plant, not just an imaginary one? Perhaps then the first letter of the name of each plant might represent the first letter of each word in the message of welcome. If this were so, and if you knew the secret, each painting would give you one word in this message. But this is only a guess. Nobody really knows now.
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/TAH196109.2.20.2
Bibliographic details
Te Ao Hou, September 1961, Page 36
Word Count
195MEANING OF THE PAINTED BUSHES Te Ao Hou, September 1961, Page 36
Using This Item
E here ana ngā mōhiotanga i tēnei whakaputanga i raro i te manatārua o te Karauna, i te manatārua o te Māori Purposes Fund Board hoki/rānei. Kua whakaae te Māori Purposes Fund Board i tōna whakaaetanga ki te National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa kia whakawhanake kia whakatupu hoki ā-ipurangi i tēnei ihirangi.
Ka taea e koe te rapu, te tirotiro, te tā, te tiki ā-ipurangi hoki i ngā kai o roto mō te rangahau, me ngā whakamātau whaiaro a te tangata. Me mātua kimi whakaaetanga mai i te poari mō ētahi atu whakamahinga.
He pai noa iho tō hanga hononga ki ngā kai o roto i tēnei pae tukutuku. Kāore e whakaaetia ngā hononga kia kī, kia whakaatu whakaaro rānei ehara ngā kai nei nā te National Library.
The Secretary Maori Purposes Fund Board
C/- Te Puni Kokiri
PO Box 3943
WELLINGTON
Waea: (04) 922 6000
Īmēra: MB-RPO-MPF@tpk.govt.nz
Information in this publication is subject to Crown copyright and/or the copyright of the Māori Purposes Fund Board. The Māori Purposes Fund Board has granted permission to the National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa to develop and maintain this content online.
You can search, browse, print and download for research and personal study. Permission must be obtained from the board for any other use.
You are welcome to create links to the content on this website. Any link may not be done in a way to say or imply that the material is other than that of the National Library.
The Secretary Maori Purposes Fund Board
C/- Te Puni Kokiri
PO Box 3943
WELLINGTON
Phone: (04) 922 6000
Email: MB-RPO-MPF@tpk.govt.nz