09/15/2022
Happy MÄori Language Week!
The Whakataukī for today is:
āKotahi te kÅhao o te ngira, e kuhuna ai te miro mÄ, te miro pango, me te miro whero.ā
āThere is but one eye of the needle,
through which the white, the black, and the red threads must pass.ā
King TÅ«karoto Matutaera PÅtatau Te Wherowhero TÄwhiao spoke these words after his coronation to become the first MÄori king. His hope was that these words would encourage all MÄori to unite under one common purpose. His wish was to inspire MÄori to work together to overcome the negative impact of colonization.
The colors of the thread refer to the traditional kÅwhaiwhai patterns painted onto the rafters of our meeting houses. They represent the genealogy between us and our ancestors. As each generation unites, we will ensure the preservation and survival of our culture.
Like our ancestors, we can accomplish anything together.