Our Tohu
Whakatauki
Toitū te marae o tangaroa, toitū te marae o tane, toitū te whenua.
Tiaki the domain of tangaroa (ocean) tiaki the domain of tane (forest) and the land shall flourish.
This whakatauaki talks of the roles of this committee.
The first role talks of our moana “Tauranga moana , Tauranga tangata” this talks of the ideaology of us as tangata whenua being one with our moana. If the moana is thriving and cared for, so then are its people.
The second is the realm of Tane Mahuta. The ideology once again is that if we sustain and take care of the realm of the forest then we will prosper and the resources within this realm provides nourishment for the people. We then look to the land for it is our role to be kaitiaki of the whenua, for it is the origin of our whakapapa, and with out whakapapa we cease to exist.
We must look at all our marae in Tauranga Moana through the lens of this whakatauki as the people on this committee represent the kin of all hapū and the Iwi of Tauranga Moana past, present and future. If we do not think and work together as a collective in these realms of the marae then what use is the most important one (the land) whakapapa – for are we not connected by the land.
“Care for these domains and the people shall flourish”. Mana tu, Mana toa, Mana ake ake.
Nga Waka ō Tauranga Moana
These two figures are a representation of the waka Mataatua and Takitimu, the main two waka of Tauranga moana. The image is taken from the shape of the taurapa of the waka with two figures representing Toroa and Tamatearikinui – which the majority of the tangata whenua in Tauranga can whakapapa to.
Te Ara Moana – Taaniko Pattern
The pattern used in this design is called Te Ara Moana. Translated this means, “the pathway through the ocean” representing the migration of our ancestors to Aotearoa and the links that Tauranga have to the many other waka that migrated to Aotearoa.
The tapatoru (three triangles) represent the three main iwi that make up Tauranga moana – Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Pūkenga, and Ngāti Ranginui – with the white triangle acknowledging the Waitaha connection to the Te Arawa waka.
Ko Mauao Te Maunga
Te Maunga ō Maunganui (Mauao):
The outline of Mauao in this design is taken straight from the view of the maunga from Oikimoke Te Puna. It is from this point where you can see the face of our tupuna maunga.
Whakamārama ō Ngā Tohu Iti :
These small triangles surrounding the Te Ara Moana pattern are symbolic of Nga Patupaiarehe ō Hautere – the bush fairies of Hautere. They are the personification of what it means to work as a team. When Mauao needed help to be dragged out to Te Moananui ā Toi, the Patupaiarehe had to work together as a team to complete such a mammoth task. Through working together as a team we can move mountains.
Nga Tai-timu, Tai-pari ō Tauranga Moana
This talks of the forever changing tides of Te Awanui. It is a representation of the movement of our moana. Reminding ourselves and ngā Pakeha that it is when the tide fills that it lifts our waka all together, as so when it ebs all our waka will drop together, so it is through movement that we must make change and just like the tides we will lift and fall together. Letting Pakeha know that when tangata whenua tides are lifting the waka of Tauranga it is not just that of Māori but it is that of all people in Tauranga.
Ngā Hihi ō Tamanui Te Ra
These are the rays that captured Mauao. The rays that bring warmth to the rohe of Tauranga moana. It is that warmth that come from the fires that burn on the marae “Te ahi kaa” and it is the ‘ahi kaa’ that sit on this committee. So it is through the warmth and the knowledge of the people who stoke the fires on the marae of Tauranga moana that makes us the correct people to make decisions on what is best for our own people and whenua that we have looked after for so many generations.
Tohu & korero by Que Bidois – Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Ranginui
