Talk: Tā Tipene O’Regan – The Cradle of Mythology

Join Tā Tipene O’Regan on the opening day of Tamatea: He Tūtakinga Tuku Iho | Legacies of Encounter for an afternoon of storytelling, and learn more about the history and foundational mythology that originates in the deep south.

When Cook’s Resolution sailed into Tamatea (Dusky Sound) in 1773 they entered a region with a centuries-old human story steeped in myth and oral tradition – a history reflected in its innumerable Māori place names. Ngāi Tahu kaumātua, historian, and Māori place names expert Tā Tipene O’Regan has described Te Rua o Te Moko (Fiordland) as the ‘cradle of mythology’ for southern Māori.

In those traditions, the fiords represent the last great work of Tūterakiwhānoa in reshaping the wrecked canoe of his father Aoraki and making it fit for people when they arrived here. Te Waka-o-Aoraki is the most ancient name of Te Waipounamu. The waka foundered on a submerged reef and its occupants, clambering onto the high side of the wreck, were turned to stone. They stand now as the highest peaks of Kā Tiritiri o te Moana (the Southern Alps).

Note: Tamatea: He Tūtakinga Tuku Iho | Legacies of Encounter will be open to the public from 2pm, 9 Nov 2019.