Ruatāhuna Tee

Description

Introducing the Ruatāhuna Tee: to connect you to our people, our history, and our place

Our Ruatahuna Tee is a tribute to the hapū of our community, our heritage, and the pristine wilderness that surrounds our homeland in the heart of Te Urewera.

The Ruatāhuna Tee is crafted from the finest 100% combed cotton, and is the first of series of merch that we will be presenting over time from Manawa Honey NZ. You will note that our logo for Manawa Honey NZ is proudly included as the ‘heart on the sleeve’ in the design of this tee.

Whether you’re proudly part of Ruatahuna or simply appreciate the beauty of our land and our people, you will love our T-shirt. It’s an opportunity to connection to us here in Ruatāhuna not just through our honey but also through what you wear!

Inspired and Quality Design for Our Tee

The striking pattern features an intricate design inspired from the art-work in Te Whai-a-te-motu, our beloved meeting house that stands in commemoration of Te Kooti, at Mātaatua Marae, Ruatāhuna.

For us, the pattern symbolises unity and resilience which is woven into the fabric of our community, and we are proud to showcase this in our inaugural merch item.

Te Manawa o Te Ika – Heart of the Fish

Ruatāhuna echoes through the design of this tee, to connect us to this special place.

Envisage Maui’s Fish – the North Island of Aotearoa New Zealand, with the head at the seat of government in Wellington, and the tail of the fish in Northland. Then, right here in Ruatāhuna is the heart!

This makes our homeland a very special place. And it is why the ancient people of Ruatāhuna fought so hard to hold this valley over the centuries. To always keep Te Manawa-o-te Ika (Heart of the Fish) beating.

Te Kohanga o Tūhoe – the Genesis of our Tribe

Ruatāhuna is also widely known as ‘Te Kohanga o Tūhoe’, as the ‘cradle’ or ‘bastion’ for our tribe, for a couple of reasons.

The genesis of the Tūhoe tribe stems back to Ngā Pōtiki, the original people of this region, who extended their reach across Te Urewera before the arrival of Mātaatua waka. Ngā Pōtiki descends from the eponymous ancestor Pōtiki, who came from the union of Te Maunga (Mountain) and Hinepūkohurangi (Mist Maiden) at a place called Onīnī, which is just in the paddock across from the shop and community centre in the village of Ruatāhuna.

Additionally, throughout the ages, Ruatāhuna has always been a place of refuge, where the peoples this land and beyond could gain protection, in the fastness of the heart of Te Urewera. Ruatāhuna also has always been the epicentre of resistance to enemies or undesired influences – a bastion that Tūhoe could fall back to when they needed to.

Embracing the Spirit of Manawa Honey

Our Manawa Honey logo proudly adorns the sleeve, a symbol of our commitment to providing pure, natural honey from the heart of our people and our homeland to you.

With your custom, you join with all who have become a part of the Manawa Honey whānau. Wear our T-shirt with pride and let it be a symbol of your connection to us here in Ruatāhuna and our unwavering commitment to sharing sustainability.

We bring all of this heritage and significance for us and for you into a cool t-shirt for you to wear.

Available in a range of sizes to fit the whole family. Let your children wear their ‘heart on the sleeve’ and Ruatāhuna’s heritage right on their tee!