Ruru te pūtiki wāraki

E koekoe te tui

E ketekete te kākā

E kūkū te kereru

Toirere te kōkōtea

Kōrihi te kōkōtaua

Kia tapatahi, kia kotahi rā

Tātoa tātou e!

Nature is full of cycles – changes that determine life – and to be an observer of nature’s patterns is to be a listener of nature’s voice. I’ve been in this role working alongside Te Papa Atawhai (D.O.C) and Guthrie-Smith Arboretum and education centre as MTT Ranger for a year now, and having observed a full cycle of four seasons in and around our takiwā, I am only beginning to understand how blessed we are to belong to such a diverse and beautiful place.

UP2 Mr. Ranger???

DOC – I have been contracted by DoC and HBRC to carve some pieces for the upcoming A&P Show, giving me the opportunity to express what I have seen in the taiao. A lot of what I am learning is affirmation of our korero tuku iho.

This is Ruamano

The takarangi represent his breath, known as the ‘pepehā’, which also represents identity.

The kōiri in the middle speaks of our whakapapa to him.

The maunga at the bottom speaks of a maunga that receeded into the ocean years ago, located in the sea, between Te Kauwae A Maui (Cape Kidnappers) and Te Mahia.

Guthrie Smith – Working with schools is a dream for me, as I get the opportunity to transfer matauranga to the next generation. It’s always good to teach tamariki, but my favorite thing is to see our own come to Tutira. I always give extra to our uri..

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Climart – I recently joined a panel comprised of both artists and climate change scientists to discuss ways in which art can bring awareness to environmental issues. I took to the panel as a storyteller, sharing how as Maori, we use pūrakau to share our information to the point where, now, scientists are finding more specificity when aligning their findings to korero o nehe rā. Our tipuna already knew…

Bottled Ocean Exhibition – If you get the chance, pop down to the MTG and check out George Nuku’s (Ngati Whatumamoa, Ngati Hinemanu, Ngai Te Upokoiri) exhibition. There, I am filmed giving a waiata aroha, naming the deities and their roles in the water cycle, and also the whakapapa from Tangaroa, through Pania, to Tauira and Mateawha (Ngai Tauira).

Don’t be shy…come and chat, or even better, come for a hikoi up the maunga

Ngā Mihi

Perēri King