Tāmaki Herenga Waka

Tāmaki Herenga Waka is the over-arching theme for a series of activities aimed at building a positive Māori consciousness and a more dynamic and connected community in Auckland City. The principle of the proverb dating from 1840 behind the name “Tāmaki herenga waka” (Tāmaki moored canoes) was to see an end of tribal conflicts in the region and that Auckland City would be reputable as a safe haven for all people to commune as one. It is on this basis that the project’s team has embraced the name for this series of initiatives. The three initiatives are Makaurau Sessions which are events for creative people to come together, perform and communicate; Tāmaki Tākaro (traditional Māori games) which involves regular sessions to teach skills and heighten awareness of tākaro; and in 2013, there will be a series of reo Māori immersions based in Auckland.