Over the past couple of years we have been gathering information and really thinking about our 'place' here in Swannanoa.

Swannanoa Preschool

Ko Maungatere te Maunga

Our mountain, Maungatere (Mount Grey) stands above us;

Ko Waimakariri, ko Rakahuri ngā Awa

Our rivers – the Waimakariri and Rakahuri (the Ashley) – flow below;

Ko Ngāi Tūahuriri te mana whenua

Tūāhuriri has tribal authority over the land.

Ki te whare kōhungahunga o Swannanoa

We are Swannanoa Preschool

Our Glass Art at our entranceway depicts our place. The beautiful plains and hills surround us, these were once covered in native forest, from here kai was gathered, harakeke used for weaving and kai, tī kōuka (cabbage trees) for navigation and the nearby rivers for travel and kai.

Ngāi Tūāhuriri – based at Tuahiwi (from Kaiapoi Pā) – have tribal authority over this land they are Mana whenua. This was a special place – it was a mahinga kai, a food gathering place.

The food gathered from the forests nearby was mainly birds, this was a beautiful native forest area, with many species of birds.

Weka, kiwi, kea, piwakawaka,Kākā, kākāpō, kererū, tauhou ,Korimako, miromiro, pipiwharauroa, Karearea, kāhu, pūkeko, tūī

These birds had many uses; Kai, Feathers and Foretelling

There were many species of trees

Tī Kōuka, Mānuka, Toetoe, Raupō, Harakeke, Wiwi, Tutu, Koromiko, Kanuka, Karamu, Kowhai, Matai, Aruhe, Tauhinu, Kohuhu, Tarata, Akeake, Kahikatea

These trees also had many uses ...

clothes, food preparation, cooking, darts, arrows, kites, snares, scent, foretelling (weather, fishing), torches, tapu (chewing), beddings, history, tonics, cermonies, dyes, medicinal, kai, weaving, house building, carving, waka, thatching, boats, weapons, musical instruments, fencing, utensils

Birds and trees from this area provided many resources to the people