The Te Arawa canoe is one of the legendary canoes that brought the Māori people to New Zealand. It is said to have arrived around the 14th century, carrying various tribes, including the Te Arawa iwi. The canoe is significant in Māori history and culture, symbolizing the journey and settlement of these early Polynesian navigators. The Te Arawa canoe is associated with several important locations in the Rotorua region, where many descendants of the original voyagers still live today. The stories and traditions surrounding the canoe are preserved through oral history, connecting modern Māori to their ancestors and their rich heritage.