Nelson City Council

The story of the Tukutuku panels above the entrance to the Nelson City Council Chamber in Civic House

The Tukutuku panels were installed as part of the refurbished Council Chamber, which were officially opened on Monday 19 February 2007.

The entrance features the existing poupou (carved figures) that were created by Kaiwhākairo Mark Davis and gifted to Council by local iwi in the 1990s.  The poupou were re-installed on a background of traditional whaariki, or woven mats. The tukutuku panels above were designed by Ngati Koata kuia Puhanga Tupaea and include the work of several local weavers. Here are some of the stories from the individual panels in more depth.

Blending traditional and modern

The entrance blends traditional and modern as it tells stories of the past, present and future. The poupou are set on traditional whaariki (mats), while the tukutuku panels incorporate modern materials and bright colours. The largest central panel features 'Te Kotuku Rerengatahi' - the rare white heron of a single flight, which refers to the visit to Nelson of Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangi Kaahu shortly before her death. This was a significant occasion for Nelson, and included a welcome for the Maori Queen held in the Council Chamber. The central panel shows three waka, the different vessels by which our residents arrived in Nelson.

From past to future

The remaining six panels tell the story of Nelson with pre-history on the left, moving across to the future on the right. In that order they are AORERE (pre-history); NGA HEKE (the sea voyages); NGA MAARAMATANGA (an awakening, colonisation); NGA IWI I NOHO (the ancestral people who settled here); TE WHAKATAUTANGA (the period of growth, mauriora); and NGA PUAWAITANGA (the promise of harvest).

Ancient legends and place names

The first of the panels, AORERE, tells of the pre-history of Whakatu/Nelson. It refers to the legend of Hookio, the great red eagle, and moa. There is a story of a nest containing one last egg, which was discovered by a youth who accidently broke the egg. His clothing was caught by a spark from a cooking fire and he was seriously burnt.

This incident was recorded in the name of this area, Taahunanui. Hookio is spiritually significant to all Maori, particularly to the ancient people who are also depicted in the poupou: Waitaha, Kati Mamoe and the ancient iwi of Te Waka a Maui (the top of the South Island). The wairua (spirit) of Hookio is still seen floating above the mountain ranges.

From Aorere to Rangitoto and beyond

Aorere Moana refers to Tasman Bay, which is adjacent to Taitapu Moana, known more recently as Golden Bay. On Rangitoto ki te Tonga, recently named D'Urville Is, the late Jim Elkington told of moa bones at the foot of a cliff. He thought this suggested they had been driven over the cliff as a method to gather meat for the marae there. The panel also depicts Te Moana Raukawa (Cook Strait) with its currents and rich sea life. 'Kaiteretere' means kai moana (seafood) which is continually replenished. There are many stories of Kupe and of the people who inhabited this rohe (area) - Kati Mamoe, Waitaha and Tumatakokiri - and their skills in agriculture. The panel also includes reference to the story of Pani and his two daughters who were pursued by Kereopa. Pani called upon his ancestors to protect them. A terrible series of giant waves thrust up the Boulder Bank, giving the area its name, 'Whakatu'.

Sea voyages

The second panel from the left, NGA HEKE, tells of the significant ancestral sea voyages. It blends reference to biblical sea voyages with tales of waka voyages to Aotearoa 800 years ago and Abel Tasman and Captain Cook. These mariners all relied on karakia, the faith that they were never alone, and were confident in their own expertise so they travelled with certainty. Eventually they arrived in Aorere. Some of those voyages were made in peace, some were not. But those changes brought us towards enlightenment, which is depicted in the next panel to be featured next week with more about the ancestors and people who settled here.

The next two panels, on either side of the large central panel, represent the colonisation of the Nelson area and Māori tribes who live here.

An awakening, gains and losses

The third panel from the left is titled NGA MAARAMATANGA, the awakening. It tells of the colonisation process and all that was brought to Nelson. Things like education, Western thinking, medicine, bread, potatoes, wheat, horses and domestic animals are represented in the panel. It also refers to legislation and the loss of Māori lands through the change from communal to private ownership, and the associated loss of traditional values. This panel is about the sense of great loss for Tangata Whenua, but also the positive things triggered by colonisation, including Christianity, the Treaty of Waitangi (te Tiriti) and the Kingitanga movement.

Wars and arrivals from the north

The next panel across, third from the right, is NGA IWI I NOHO, the tribes who have settled here. It represents the eight iwi of the top of the south - Ngati Toa Rangitiria, Ngati Rarua, Te Atiawa, Ngati Tama and Ngati Koata who came in the early 1800s from the North Island looking for new land for their people. They came with muskets and conquered lands occupied by iwi already living here - Ngati Kuia, Ngati Apa, Rangitane and Tumatakokiri. These iwi suffered great loss of life and lands during the time Pakeha were first arriving in the country but before te Tiriti.

A hopeful future

The last two panels allude to the growth of the region and the promise of the future. After the turbulent early history represented in earlier panels, the present and the future show the many positives we all hope for.

Growth and the future

The last two panels on the right are titled TE WHAKATAUTANGA,  which is about growth, and NGA PUAWAITANGA, which is about the future, 'the promise of harvest'.

A growing region

The second panel from the right refers to the expansion of agriculture, transport and economic growth in the region. It depicts the original ferry and rail links, many of which no longer exist, and the fishing industry. It refers to the growth of mauriora, our goodwill towards other, which is gaining in momentum. If you look carefully at this panel you will see the symbol for mauriora spiralling outwards.

What of the future?

Nga puawaitanga, on the far right, depicts a future where a unified community reaps the benefits of its efforts. The panel is about our warm, inclusive and fortunate location. It is incomplete, symbolising the unknown future that we are yet to create, but with the hope for excellence and dignity for all.

The world according to…

The tukutuku panels primarily reflect the perspective of Ngati Koata, which is one of the six local iwi in this area, as it was mainly created by artisans and kuia of this iwi. While other tribes are represented in one of the panels, the references to the Kingitanga movement, the Māori Queen, Christianity and Mormonism are strongly characteristic of this iwi.

Source: Kuia Priscilla Paul, 2007