Te Kāhui Mōuri – A Partnership Between Te Āti Awa Taranaki Whānui And Parliament

The Speaker of the House of Representatives and Te Āti Awa Taranaki Whānui, with support from The Office for Māori Crown Relations – Te Arawhiti, are privileged to announce the future installation of Te Kāhui Mōuri (the clan of vitality) at Parliament’s grounds.

Te Kāhui Mōuri will see the development of pou, pare, and mōuri markers and will be unveiled on the forecourt of Parliament in mid-2023. Te Kāhui Mōuri, is supported by Te Āti Awa Taranaki Whānui chair Kara Puketapu-Dentice, the Speaker of the House Rt Hon Adrian Rurawhe, and the Minister for Māori Crown Relations Hon Kelvin Davis.

“Te Kāhui Mōuri acknowledges and recognises Parliament’s commitment to a genuine partnership with Te Āti Awa Taranaki Whānui our world views, values, our Mātauranga, and our ways of being”, Puketapu-Dentice said.

“This kaupapa shows the duality of the relationship between Māori and kāwanatanga, te ao tauiwi and te ao Māori and celebrate the skills of our local master artists”.

Every part of this project—including the markers’ design, creation, and ongoing care—will be done in partnership with Te Āti Awa Taranaki Whānui reflecting the enduring relationship we share, the Speaker said. “Parliament is for everyone and this kaupapa is a symbol of Parliament’s willingness to better reflect the unique cultural makeup of our country by ensuring the whenua supporting Parliament’s buildings mirror who we are.

“We want Parliament to be a partner, including acknowledging Te Tiriti o Waitangi and recognising appropriately te ao Māori. We welcome this kaupapa which will bring us closer to realising that vision.”

The project is led on behalf of Te Āti Awa Taranaki Whānui by Kura Moeahu in collaboration with Cultural Designer Len Hetet and Master Carver Sam Hauwaho, who have over 70 years combined experience on similar projects.

Their work on Te Kāhui Mōuri will place importance on the cultural narrative, expressing Māori heritage, traditions, spiritual connections to the environment, and connection to our shared past.

Minister for Māori Crown Relations Hon Kelvin Davis said that funding for this project will come from the Budget 2021 allocated to increase public recognition and acknowledgement of the impact Māori leadership has had on Māoridom and Aotearoa.

“Te Kāhui Mōuri is the first kaupapa to be announced with support from this funding and is an important visual demonstration of building a greater national understanding of Māori culture, leadership and our history – all tenets of a strong Māori Crown relationship. It is a privilege to be part of this kaupapa,’ Minister Davis said.

A primary focus of Te Arawhiti is supporting the Crown to improve its role as a Treaty partner and engage effectively with Māori. These pou will be a physical representation on the whenua of Parliament, of the restorative work it is undertaking on Māori-Crown relations.

“Parliament’s buildings have been a place of conflict between Māori and the Crown and while we acknowledge there is a lot of work to do, we are optimistic that this work is a step forward to one of partnership,” Minister Davis said.

Work is planned to be completed by June 2023, when further details will be released.

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