AS WĀHINE MĀORI, WE HAVE PROUDLY INCORPORATED TINO RANGATIRATANGA INTO OUR PIECES. IT IS IMPORTANT TO US TO HIGHLIGHT ITS MEANING AND SHARE THE TIKANGA OF THE FLAG WITH YOU ALL.

FIRST WE WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE CREATORS OF THE HAKI: HIRAINA MARSDEN, JAN DOBSON AND LINDA MUNN. WHO CREATED THIS TAONGA AS A NATIONAL MĀORI FLAG TO REPRESENT TĀNGATA WHENUA AND WAS FIRST UNVEILED AT THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SIGNING OF TE TIRITI O WAITANGI.

THE HAKI INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING 4 MAIN ELEMENTS:

• TE KORE, REPRESENTED BY THE BLACK. THE REALM OF POTENTIAL BEING. IT IS THE LONG DARKNESS, FROM WHENCE THE WORLD EMERGED: THE FORMLESS, PASSIVE: THE MALE ELEMENT.
• TE AO MĀRAMA, REPRESENTED BY THE WHITE. THE REALM OF BEING, THE PHYSICAL WORLD.
• THE KORU. IT REPRESENTS THE UNFURLING OF NEW LIFE, A PROMISE OF HOPE FOR THE FUTURE.
• TE WHAI AO, REPRESENTED BY THE RED. EARTH MOTHER, SUSTAINER OF ALL LIVING THINGS. RED IS THE COLOUR OF THE EARTH FROM WHICH THE FIRST HUMAN WAS MADE.

“IT’S FOR MĀORI AND REPRESENTS MĀORI.” – LINDA MUNN*

*The Spinoff: https://thespinoff.co.nz/summer-2022/17-01-2023/the-enduring-legacy-of-the-tino-rangatiratanga-flag-2