Editing Stratford, New Zealand (section)

===Whakaahurangi===
The [[Māori language|Māori]] name for Stratford is Whakaahurangi, meaning to look to the sky. The name is taken from a story of the [[Ngāti Ruanui]] chieftainess/Puhi Ariki named [[Rua-pū-tahanga]] who fled her husband [[Whatihua]] from Waikato, travelling the track known as Te ara tapu o Ruaputahanga which stretches from Urenui down through Tariki, and ends near [[Patea]]. Here she stopped at the side of the Kahouri river near a fresh water spring. It is said she sat distraught and cried into the spring, naming it Te Puna Roimata o Ruaputahanga (The spring of Rua-pū-tahanga's tears), then camped overnight {{cvt|3|km}} east of the current town.  Being a clear night, Rua-pū-tahanga lay contemplating the stars when slumber overtook her.  Withdrawing in respect, her followers observed that their chieftainess slept "with her face to the sky". The site continued to be used as a camping place for Māori, the track she followed linking the [[South Taranaki District|south Taranaki]] tribes to those in north [[Taranaki]], and further north to Kawhia.  Each travelling party would recollect the story of Rua-pū-tahanga sleeping with her face to the sky.<ref>Gordon, W.F., Battersby, J.H., Richards, J.B., Kennedy, W.L., and Kelly, C.S.. Carved from the Bush: Stratford 1878-1928. 1928.</ref>

Whakaahurangi Marae, a ''[[marae]]'' (meeting ground) of the [[Ngāti Ruanui]] tribe and its Ahitahi sub-tribe, is located in Stratford. It includes a ''[[wharenui]]'' (meeting house), known as Te Whetū o Marama.<ref name="tkmentry">{{cite web|title=Te Kāhui Māngai directory|url= http://www.tkm.govt.nz/ |website=tkm.govt.nz|publisher=[[Te Puni Kōkiri]]}}</ref><ref name="maorimaps">{{cite web |title=Māori Maps |url=https://maorimaps.com/map |website=maorimaps.com |publisher=Te Potiki National Trust}}</ref>{{tertiarysourceinline|date=December 2024}}