As you enter this site, Rotorua Library acknowledges the people of Te Arawa as mana whenua, and the traditional custodians and knowledge keepers of their tribal pūrākau, or creation stories. We recognise their generosity in sharing these stories with our global community.
The intention of He Pātaka Pūrākau, the Great Te Arawa Stories (GTAS) Digital Storehouse, is to be a repository that inspires learners to discover more about the world of Te Arawa and encourages them to consider their place within it.
The stories held on this site reference subjects that are both tangible and intangible in nature, and are considered taonga tuku iho, meaning the treasures passed down to us from the ancestors.
As such, users of this site should be aware that it contains histories, images, voices, and names of deceased persons that may be considered sensitive in nature, especially for descendants.
It should also be noted all stories found on GTAS are ‘versions’ of stories only.
As such, we acknowledge that alternative versions of stories may exist for any given subject, and we welcome submissions of these alternative versions.
Please see our terms and conditions of use for further information on appropriate re-use.