Te Tapuwae

Te Tapuwae is a Māori cemetery located close to Otenuku Marae in Ruatoki, in the Bay of Plenty Region of New Zealand. It is where tribal leaders of the Ngai Tuhoe iwi are traditionally buried, most notably chief Tamarau Takurua.

In Maori folklore the cemetery is said to be protected by a powerful tapu which will curse anyone entering the cemetery without permission of the marae kaumātua. On leaving the sacred cemetery, visitors must always wash your hands with cleansing water.

Tuhoe refer to the buried ground as "Te Tapuwae, Te Urupa ō Ngā Rangatira ō Ngāi Tūhoe” ("Te Tapuwae is the elder of the kings of the Tuhoe people")