Te Kōrero o Te Āraihaumaru

The overall picture

The overall picture that contains the elements of Council’s cultural narrative is an evening scene, set within a harbour.

We have chosen this in part because of the location of Council’s office on the shores of Te Whanganui-a-Tara, and also because the landscape represents everything that we discovered was important to Council as we developed the kōrero.

All of the elements are contemporary forms of Māori visual arts as seen in rāranga (weaving), whakairo (carving), and in tā moko (Māori tattooing designs on the face or body done under traditional protocols).

Working from top to bottom

In the top third of the piece, we see the tukutuku (ornamental lattice-work) pattern of Purapura Whetū, the Stars in the Night Sky.  The small stars represent the great numbers of people of a nation, past, present and future. To Te Kaunihera Rata o Aotearoa they represent the people of Aotearoa which we serve to protect, and also our staff, partners and stakeholders. The five larger stars represent the five core values of Council: Whakapono (Acting with integrity), Kaitiakitanga (Protection of the Public), Kotahitanga (Working in Unity), Manaakitanga (Care and generosity), and Whakamārama (Leading by listening).

Directly below the stars lie the mountains and hills that surround the harbour, shown in the triangle-based pattern of Niho Taniwha, the Teeth of the Taniwha also found in tukutuku, whakairo and tā moko. Niho Taniwha represents ancestry and identity, and the communities that we live in, serve and collaborate with. The pattern also speaks to community empowerment and self-determination.

The lower half of the scene shows two main elements

Tangaroa, the God of the Sea, is the source and foundation of all life, both bountiful and yet dangerous. To us it represents our health (the foundation of life) and the health system (Wai ora). It depicts the environment that the people of Aotearoa must navigate every days in order to achieve Pae Ora – good health and wellbeing. This is represented by the stars of Purapura Whetū being reflected in the waters, surrounded by the system.

Te Āraihaumaru (a personal name meaning Defender of Safety) is a taniwha, the kaitiaki, the Guardian Protector of the people, and is a metaphor for the Council. The taniwha swims alongside the reflections of Purapura Whetū within the seas of Tangaroa, guiding them safely in their navigation. The stars themselves are also used in navigation, so both the people and the taniwha work together alongside each other. 

The Motifs

There are four motifs taken from the overall picture that will be seem from time to time as Council shares its stories with different audiences. The interpretations are very much the same for these with respect to Purapura Whetū, Niho Taniwha, and Tangaroa. In the motifs, Te Āraihaumaru is represented by the pattern Kiri Taniwha – the Skin of the Taniwha, and reflects the qualities of the taniwha – strength, guardianship, protection, and safe navigation

Tēnei to mihi ki a MSO Design mō tō koutou tautoko

Our grateful thanks to MSO Design for their invaluable work in the co-creation of this narrative.