Manu Korokī
The reo of our indigenous birdlife would have resounded loudly throughout the Wai Horotiu valley prior to the development of the settlement now known as Auckland.
In days of old, as a place where life and the mauri of the environment abounded, the Wai Horotiu valley and its meeting points with Te Waitematā would have been home to multitudes of manu ngahere, manu wai māori and manu waitai. Birds of the open places such as kāhu and kārearea would have been clearly visible, floating gracefully and purposefully on “te hā o Tāwhirimātea” above the ridgelines now defined by Symonds, Karangahape and Albert Streets.
The resplendent birdsong of our feathered taonga is a key component of the primary reo of Aotearoa, of Tāmaki Makaurau – te reo taiao; the languages and sounds of the native and natural environment. All of these sounds are reflected in te reo Māori as the primary human language of Aotearoa, and in the unique mita (dialects) of ngā tāngata whenua o Tāmaki Makaurau. Not surprising, given the whakapapa connections that exist within and across te ao Māori.
Manu are revered by ngāi Māori, and feature regularly as kaitiaki, the manifestation of tūpuna and as metaphor for the behaviours, attributes and character of individuals, groups, hapū and iwi.
Manu Korokī is a collection of stylised forms of Tāmaki Makaurau birdlife in celebration of Matariki ki te Manawa and as a reminder of what once was. This creative interpretation is inspired by the life’s work of globally renowned sculptor, living national taonga, Art Foundation Icon, Fred Graham ONZM (Ngāti Korokī Kahukura).
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I mua i te ahu mai o te tāone e mōhiotia ana ināianei ko Tāmaki Makaurau, kāore e kore i tīoriori te reo o ngā manu taketake i te kōawaawa o Wai Horotiu.
I ngā rā o tuauri, i kite i te ora, i rongo i te mauri o te whenua nei. Ko te kōawaawa o Wai Horotiu me ōna pūtahi ki Te Waitematā, kāore e kore he kāinga mō ngā tini manu o te ngahere, te wai māori, me te waitai. Ko ngā manu o ngā wāhi tuwhera, pēnei i te kāhu me te kārearea, ka kitea noatia e āta hāro ana i runga i “te hā o Tāwhirimātea”, i runga ake i ngā parehua e mōhiotia ana ināianei ko ngā tiriti o Symonds, Karangahape me Albert.
He mea whakahirahira ngā waiata o ō tātou manu, he wāhanga o te reo matua o Aotearoa, o Tāmaki Makaurau – te reo taiao; ko ngā reo me ngā oro i te taiao taketake, te taiao māori. E rongo ana i ēnei oro katoa i roto i te reo Māori, te reo matua o ngā tāngata o Aotearoa, i roto hoki i ngā mita motuhake o ngā tangata whenua o Tāmaki Makaurau. Nā whai anō i pēnei, nā ngā hononga whakapapa i waenga i te ao Māori.
He taonga te manu ki te Māori, ā, ka kitea nuitia hei kaitiaki, te whakatinanatanga o ngā tūpuna, hei kupu whakarite hoki e whakamārama ai ngā whanonga, ngā pūkenga me ngā āhuatanga o te tangata, o te rōpū, o te hapū, o te iwi anō hoki.
Ko Manu Korokī he kohinga tārai o ngā manu whaihanga hei whakanui i te kaupapa, Matariki ki te Manawa, hei whakamaharatanga hoki ki te ao tawhito. I whakaaweawetia tēnei kaupapa auaha e ngā mahi katoa a Fred Graham CNZM (Ngāti Korokī Kahukura), he kaitārai rongonui i te ao, he taonga o te motu, he Arts Foundation Icon hoki.
ABOUT TŪRAMA
Tūrama is a collaboration between Graham Tipene (Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, Ngāti Kahu, Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Hauā, Ngāti Manu) and Ataahua Papa (Ngāti Korokī Kahukura; Ngāti Mahuta), and Angus Muir Design, with support from Auckland Council.
He mahi ngātahi a Tūrama nā Graham Tipene (Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, Ngāti Kahu, Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Hauā, Ngāti Manu) rātou ko Ataahua Papa (Ngāti Korokī Kahukura, Ngāti Mahuta), ko Angus Muir Design, me te tautoko a Te Kaunihera o Tāmaki Makaurau.
