Public Project
Ruatoki
Like many Tūhoe people John Teepa spent a few decades in the city, living away from his ancestral land. Returning to his birthplace a dairy farm in Ruatoki with his wife and six children, they traditionally adopted and raised more than 20 whāngai kids. Many generations have been raised on the farm, but for a few decades the land was left desolate - Tūhoe families walked off to seek more constructive employment. In 1986 six Ngatirongo families agreed to combine their lands to form what is now known as Tataiwhetu Trust, one of the most successful dairy farms in Aotearoa, guided by the principle “Ka ora te whenua ka ora te tangata. When the land is in good health so too are the people”.
Over a century old Teepa’s rickety homestead has sheltered more than six generations of ‘whānau’ family and hundreds of ‘tamariki’ children. This is home,” John says now, to his numerous children and grandchildren.
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