Pou Whenua

Pou Whenua

Pou whenua are carved posts placed strategically on the land to acknowledge and represent the relationship between Tāngata Whenua (the people of the land), their ancestors and their environment or tūrangawaewae (place of standing).

In short, they mark the ancestral and contemporary associations between the people (tāngata) and the land (whenua), and as such are very significant to both Māori and their contribution to New Zealand's cultural heritage and identity.

Pou whenua on Auckland's regional parks

To date we have assisted iwi and hapū to erect 12 pou whenua at nine locations on regional parkland. These can be found at:

Please enjoy your visit, but respect private property rights (where applicable) and do not disturb, damage or remove any part of the site.