Venu Menon
Wellington, August 17,2023
The Māori cultural heritage of Parliament’s precincts was now visible after the installation of taonga (cultural treasures).
Te Kahui Mouri (the clan of vitality), unveiled in the forecourt of Parliament in late July, consisted of three mouri (vitality) markers, two pou (carved posts) on either side of the steps leading to Parliament House and a pare (carved lintel) above the main entrance to the Beehive.
These taonga established the New Zealand Parliament’s partnership with Te Ati Awa Taranaki Whanui, the local Māori iwi with roots in the Taranaki and Wellington region.
A dawn ceremony took place on July 27 to bless and unveil Te Kahui Mouri, which was followed by a whaikorero (ceremonial speech) delivered by Principal Advisor for Māori in Parliament Kura Moeahu, and speeches by Parliament and iwi representatives, including Taranaki Whanui chairperson Kara Puketapu-Dentice, as well as House Speaker Adrian Rurawhe and Minister for Māori-Crown Relations Kelvin Davis.
Said Rafael Gonzalez-Montero, Chief Executive, Parliamentary Service: “The three Te Kahui Mouri taonga are for the future and encourage stronger relationships between mana whenua [local tribe], wider te ao Māori and Parliament. They welcome everyone who visits, whether it’s for diplomacy, celebration, protest, learning or visitor tours. Additionally, the mouri markers play an essential role in Parliament powhiri [traditional welcome] ceremonies and ensure they run according to kawa [cultural practices] and tikanga [cultural principles].”
Kura Moeahu led the project on behalf of Te Ati Awa Taranaki Whanui in collaboration with Māori Cultural Designer Len Hetet and Master Carver Sam Hauwaho.
Hetet cited a Māori proverb that reflected the spirit of duality that the pou symbolised. The pou “acknowledge that everyone has an opinion, and those opinions must be respected.”
The taonga also represented the mending and restorative work to Māori-Crown relations in the wake of the occupation of Parliament in February 2022.
Though Te Ka hui Mouri was envisaged prior to that turbulent event, the Taranaki iwi’s participation in the restorative project acquired a special significance.
The pou embodied a Kaupapa [project] rooted in duality, “emphasising ways to protest that still uphold the mana and tikanga of both mana whenua and manuhiri [visitor or guest],” a note from the Office of the Clerk explained.
“Parliament’s buildings have been a place of conflict between Māori and the Crown,” Māori-Crown Relations Minister Davis noted when the restorative project was first announced back in November 2022, adding, “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.”
The pou advanced the goal of Te Arawhiti (Office of Māori-Crown Relations) in “supporting the Crown to improve its role as a Treaty partner and engage effectively with Māori.”
The two pou at the foot of the steps leading up to Parliament House “welcome and protect” the public, parliamentarians and staff on the parliamentary precincts, as per the Office of the Clerk.
There were designated areas for welcoming visitors to Parliament. The pou marked the spots where the powhiri would take place in Parliament’s forecourt.
United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken was the first international visitor to be welcomed to Parliament’s precincts after Te Kahui Mouri had been unveiled.
The engravings on the pou symbolised Māori mythology and legend. The visage on the centre of the overhead slab at the entrance to the Beehive represented the Taranaki iwi, while the carvings on either side of it signified local and regional tribes across Aotearoa.
The pou to the left of the doorway depicted the land on which Parliament stood, stretching from the Tinakori Ridge to the original shoreline of the Wellington waterfront. Its serpentine form symbolised the meandering streams that once were the haunt of native birds.
The pou to the right showed Ngati Tua chief Rawiri Kingi Puaha holding the rifle gifted to him by departing Governor George Grey in 1853. The figure just above him, clutching a feather quill and a scroll, represented Te Ati Awa, a Māori iwi spread across Taranaki and Wellington.
Together, the scroll, quill and gun formed the compelling motif that connected New Zealand’s Parliament to its indigenous origin.
Venu Menon is an Indian Newslink reporter based in Wellington
