Te Uruuru Whenua o Ngātoroirangi | Chris Winitana

This is the story, told in te reo Māori, of the arrival of Ngātoroirangi in Aotearoa and his exploration of the landscape and subduing of kaitiaki, such as the guardian of Tarawera, Tamaohoi; the guardian of water on Kaingaroa, Torepatutai; and the King of the Patupaiarehe, fairy folk, Ririō. This adventure story traces the places Ngātoroirangi travelled through, such as Waimahunga, the large spring where he conducted his cleansing ceremonies, and Te Whārua o Ngātoroirangi, where his footprints are still visible in the land today.

Chris Winitana (Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāi Tūhoe) is a Māori language and custom consultant, writer and journalist, a music and television producer (winner of Best Māori Language Television Programme, 2006) and a facilitator of advanced Māori theosophy and practitionership programmes.He has been actively involved in revitalisation of the Māori language, having taught at various levels and written many Māori language readers, radio play series, children's programmes, and literacy resources and books. Nō Tūhoe me Tūwharetoa a Chris Winitana nāna tēnei pukapuka. He Kaimātai i te reo me ngā tikanga, he kaituhi, he kairipoata, he kaihautū wānanga ao Māori, he kaiwhakahaere kaupapa whakaata, kaupapa waiata hoki.E toru tekau tau te roa a Chris me tana hūnuku e whakarauora mai ana i te reo, he pouako, he whakatū kura, wānanga anō hoki. Arā noa atu ngā pukapuka reo Māori kua tuhia e ia, tatu atu ki ngā whakaari reo irirangi, hōtaka whakaata mā ngā tamariki, rauemi reo Māori. He ngana ā-whetū ia kia puāwai te reo i roto i tana whānau, nā konā, ko te huinga atu o ngā rauru he matatau ki te reo Māori.