Hon Nanaia Mahuta
Te Minita Whanaketanga Māori
Minister for Māori Development

14 March 2019, PĀNUI PĀPĀHO
MEDIA STATEMENT

Māori Development Minister Nanaia Mahuta, who is on her first official mission to Chile, led the ceremony naming and gifting of a carved pou whakairo at the Centro Cultural Gabriela Mistral in Santiago today.

“This pou is a response to this specific site and its history, reflecting challenges of the past and symbolising aspirations for the future,” said Hon Nanaia Mahuta.

“Master Carver James Rickard (Ngāti Porou and Hauāuru) and Karaitiana Rurehe (Ngāi Tūhoe) from the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute both worked on the pou. James has travelled to Santiago for the ceremony.

“The pou whakairo has been named Ngā Morehu – those who remain.

“Our peoples share an incredible past, one that we can all be proud of. Today we continue that proud tradition.”

Minister Mahuta, who is in Chile to promote diplomatic, cultural and business relationships between Chile and New Zealand, said this visit provides a unique opportunity to share the experience and value of Māori economic and social development and promote links between Aotearoa and Chile on indigenous issues and collaborative opportunities.

“It’s great to be here to build and foster a relationship with our Chilean counterparts and share what we’ve learnt and we are doing to support indigenous development in Aotearoa.

Minister Mahuta says the Mapuche people of Santiago has supported the Minister’s visit with its programme and hosted the special ceremony.

“I’m proud to visit Chile and to support this significant ceremony in Chile”, Nanaia Mahuta said.

Editor’s Note: About the Pou whakairo (Māori carved post), Ngā Morehu – those who remain:

• Attached is a photograph of Minister Nanaia Mahuta gifting the pou whaikairo in Santiago.

• Two symbols are carved upon Ngā Morehu, Haehae and Pakati. The designs are derived from ancient times, when mourners would scar their bodies to the memory of a loved one, and to release grief. Haehae and Pakati remain prevalent in tā moko (Māori tattoo) design for the same reason. Grief expressed in this manner is considered the highest form of honour.

• Rūaumoko is the Māori deity of volcanic energy. Haehae and Pakati also symbolise the scars that Rūaumoko leaves on our land through earthquakes. Chile and Aotearoa, New Zealand are connected by Rūaumoko and the Pacific Rim of Fire.

• So, with this carving, Ngā Morehu, haehae and pakati commemorate grief. And, they emphasise how our two countries connect through Rūaumoko.

• Ngā Morehu is a response to this specific site and its history, reflecting challenges of the past and symbolising aspirations for the future.

Hon Nanaia Mahuta
Te Minita Whanaketanga Māori

14 Poutūterangi 2019, PĀNUI PĀPĀHO

Ka tūhura pou whakairo te Minita ki Santiago
Nā te Minita Whanaketanga Māori Nanaia Mahuta, i runga i tana kaupapa whaimana tuatahi ki Hire, i whakahaere te hui tapa ingoa ki tētahi pou whakairo ka takoha atu ki te Centro Cultural Gabriela Mistral i Santiago i te rangi nei.

“Nei te urupare ki tēnei paenga tonu, ki ōna kōrero o nehe hoki, e whakaata mai ana i ngā wero o mua, e tohu anō ana i ngā tūmanako o āpōpō,” tā te Hōnore Nanaia Mahuta.

Nā te Tohunga Whakairo a James Rickard (Ngāti Porou, te Hauāuru) rāua ko Karaitiana Rurehe (Ngāi Tūhoe) nō Te Puia, te pou i hanga, i whakairo. Kua tatū atu a James ki Santiago mō te hui.

Kua tapaina te pou ki te ingoa Ngā Mōrehu – te hunga rarau. “He nui whakaharahara ō māua iwi piringa o mua, me whakahī te tangata ka tika. Kua kawea tonutia e mātou taua tikanga mana i te rangi nei.”

E ai ki a Minita Mahuta, ko tāna ki Hire he whakatairanga i ngā hononga ā-tōrangapū, ā-ahurea, ā-ohanga hoki i waenga i a Hire me Aotearoa, ko te painga o tēnei haerenga kāore he wā i tua atu hei kauhau i te āhua o te kaupapa, te whaihua anō o te whanaketanga ā-ōhanga, ā-pāpori a te iwi Māori me te whakatairanga i ngā hononga i waenga i a Aotearoa me Hire mō te wāhi ki ngā take iwi taketake me ngā huarahi mahi tahi.

“Ka mutu pea, kei konei mātou ki te whiri tonu i te taura here i waenga i a mātou me ō mātou hoa o Hire, he kōrero, he wānanga i tā mātou i ako ai, ka mutu, te kōrero anō hoki ki ā mātou mahi hei tautoko i te whanaketanga iwi taketake ki Aotearoa.

Ko tā Nanaia kua kaha tautokona tēnei haerenga a te Minita e te iwi Mapuche o Santiago mō te taha ki te hōtaka, nāna hoki te hui motuhake i manaaki.

Ko tā Nanaia Mahuta, kua poho kereru au, ko tāku i tae mai ai he tautoko i tēnei hui nui whakaharahara ki Hire”.

He kōrero mō te Pou whakairo, Ngā Mōrehu – te hunga rarau.

• E rua ngā tohu kei runga i a Ngā Mōrehu, ko Haehae, ko Pakati. Nō tuaukiuki, nō tūārangi ngā whakairo, nō te wā ka haehaea e te whare mate ā rātou tinana hei whakamaumaharatanga ki tōna mate, hei hiki anō i te mamae. Koia anō te take ka mau tonu a Haehae, a Pakati ki te ao tā moko. E mea ana, koia te mutunga mai o te whakahōnore, te whakamana tēnei momo whakaaturanga o te pouri.

• Ko Rūaumoko ko ia te atua o te rū. E tohu ana hoki a Haehae rāua ko Pakati i ngā nawe, ngā riwha, ngā haehaenga o te whenua nā ngā rū a Rūaumoko. Ko te hononga a Hire ki Aotearoa, ko Rūaumoko me te Kōhua Ahi o Te Moana nui ā Kiwa.

• Nā, mō te taha ki tēnei whakairo, Ngā Mōrehu, ko tā Haehae rāua ko Pakati he tohu pouri, he tohu tangi. He whakaatu hoki i te hononga o ō māua whenua e rua i a Rūaumoko.

• He urupare ki tēnei paenga tonu, ki ōna kōrero o mua hoki, e whakaata mai ana i ngā wero o mua, e tohu anō ana i ngā tūmanako o āpōpō.

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