Puhaorangi

Puhaorangi is an interactive story book, based on the origins, exploits, and descendants of the legendary Te Arawa ancestor and superhero, Puhaorangi .

This book is targeted to be easy to use, understand, and engage with for tamariki aged 8 to 11 years old.

Puhaorangi is referenced regularly by the people of Te Arawa, one of NZ’s largest and most prominent iwi, particularly through whaikōrero, karakia, and waiata.

From whom does Puhaorangi descend? From where or whom did he acquire his astronaut or superhuman abilities? What led Puhaorangi to traverse the solar system?

The story writer, Raimona Inia, writes that Pūhaorangi may have existed before the time of Ranginui (the Sky Father) and Papatūānuku (the Earth Mother), and that in fact, Ranginui was indeed one of Puhaorangi’s offspring. From his perspective, Pūhaorangi was the ‘first Māori astronaut’.