Ngārara – te aitanga a Punga
Ngārara is a term commonly used as a translation for reptiles. However, its traditional meaning also includes insects. Ngārara as an animal grouping is an example of how Māori categories for animals diverge from those of science.
Tuatara spines
The name tuatara reflects the spines along the creature’s back. Tuatara are the descendants of Punga, the ancestor of all deformed ugly things.
In whakapapa terms, ngārara are the progeny of Punga, son of Tangaroa, whose descendants were said to be ugly and repulsive, hence the name te aitanga a Punga. The tuatara is named for its spiny back. Lizards (skinks and geckos) are known as mokomoko.
Ngārara as a Māori category is also the name of a type of taniwha, a supernatural class of being that takes the form of a giant mokomoko or tuatara. Traditions tell of cosmic arguments between the descendants of Punga about living on land or in the sea – an example of a common theme in Māori traditions of battles being fought over binary choices found in the nature narratives of whakapapa.
Otago skink
Skinks and geckos are known as mokomoko (lizards), a subspecies of ngārara (reptiles and also traditionally insects).
To see a mokomoko inside one’s house is considered an ill omen. Both mokomoko and tuatara were traditionally regarded as spiritual messengers – bringers of bad luck.
In other circumstances, ngārara were placed at special sites to live as kaitiaki or guardians. These ngārara traditions invoke atua protection over places such as burial caves or mauri – venerated stones or other totem objects used to guard and ensure the health of particular inhabited places such as gardens or forests.
Related content
Māori knowledge of animals is an introduction to Māori knowledge of a selected sample of animal species indigenous to Aotearoa. Mātauranga Māori about animals known to tūpuna is presented in six groupings:
Ngā manu a Tānemahuta (featuring pīwakawaka, tūī, kererū, rūrū, kōtare, tītī and toroa)
Ngā ika a Tangaroa (featuring makō and tohorā)
The Hub has extensive resources curated under the topic Reptiles and amphibians. Use the filters to narrow your search.
Activity ideas
These activities support learning about the six animal groupings mentioned above:
Useful link
Read Te Ara’s story Ngārara – reptiles.
Reference
Stewart, G. T. (2024). Animals of Aotearoa: Kaupapa Māori Summaries. Anthrozoös, 37(1), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/08927936.2023.2254552
Acknowledgement
This content has been developed by Professor Georgina Tuari Stewart (Ngāti Kura, Ngāpuhi-nui-tonu, Pare Hauraki), Auckland University of Technology, and Dr Sally Birdsall, University of Auckland, with funding and support from the Ministry for Primary Industries – Manatū Ahu Matua and the Australian and New Zealand Council for the Care of Animals in Research and Teaching (ANZCCART).
Animals of Aotearoa and animal ethics
Animals of Aotearoa: Kaupapa Māori Summaries and Exploring the Three Rs of Animal Ethics with Māori Ideas were developed with funding from the Australian and New Zealand Council for the Care of Animals in Research and Teaching (ANZCCART) and the Ministry for Primary Industries. The silhouette design was created for this project and is the copyright of Professor Georgina Tuari Stewart and Dr Sally Birdsall.
