Nga Herenga Waka Story Book
Ngā Herenga Waka is a metaphor that represents connecting and celebrating the many communities and cultures in Puketāpapa and neighbouring areas. The word Ngā is plural e.g. many, Herenga means tying or binding, and Waka means canoes. Therefore the name Ngā Herenga Waka means the “binding of many canoes”.
Ngā Herenga Waka is a movement that is seeking to involve and unite diverse cultures through developing:
• Collectively designed cultural gatherings and art installations
• An annual festival that celebrates cultural food and entertainment
• The unique aspects of our residents. The Puketāpapa Region is the most culturally diverse area in New Zealand. Ngā Herenga Waka is seeking to:
• Bring the people of varying cultures together • Create a sense of identity and belonging
• Develop pride in our area • Celebrate our diversity
The journey started in the middle months of the year 2018. When Tamati from Mad Ave, Glen Innes walked through the Roskill Together door and told his story. He was contracted by the Puketāpapa Local Board to help improve connectivity amongst local residents, businesses, and schools in the community. He took up the challenge and started researching as many groups as he could within the area. Nearing the end of the research he came to Roskill Together, a Community Development organisation situated in Mt Roskill.
Tamati spoke of his research and the key areas of importance in engaging with the community in different ways. As the parties got to know each other, they acknowledged the use of whanaungatanga (kinship and connecting), manaakitanga (building relationships), wairuatanga (spirituality), and whakapapa (family connections, genealogy) in their work and key elements in peoples’ lives. During their conversation, a space for creativity developed as ideas were written on the board. A vision started to present itself, of activities that will have the diverse cultures work together. This was all taken into consideration when creating and developing a project that incorporated Art, Maori, Stories, and Indigeneity.
Tamati, David, Eleanor, Te Aroha and partner standing by Ngāti Whatua ancestors
The shaping and development of the work required a name. A few names were tried before settling with Ngā Herenga Waka. There was an understanding by those in the room that what we were entering into was more than just a one-off project. It would eventually become an umbrella with many projects attached. For this to be a community movement, more people were required. Invitations went out to members of the community and local board to hear about the new development. After the meeting, we were able to establish a steering committee. This booklet is about the Ngā Herenga Waka journey and an important project that helped launch the concept and movement.