Hawaiki Series

Hawaiki nui, Hawaiki roa, Hawaiki pamamao 

Great Hawaiki, Long Hawaiki, Far-distant Hawaiki


The Hawaiki Series is a special edition dedicated to our connection to the people and places of the Pacific Islands. We have worked closely with Polynesian artists,  Tuku Rangitaawa (Rarotongan/Māori), and Annabel Setefano (Samoan), to offer these taonga that reflect the narratives of Polynesian navigation and the connection between Aotearoa and the Pacific Islands.

Hawaiki is known as the origin place of the Māori people. It is understood to be a physical, spiritual and mythical place mentioned and celebrated throughout oral traditions and pūrākau. 

Over a thousand years ago Early Polynesians traveled across the Pacific on majestic ocean-voyaging vessels to arrive and settle in the islands of Aotearoa. Over the centuries that followed, waves of people traveled between Aotearoa and the Pacific Islands. They were equipped with a deep understanding of the environment and the cosmos, Polynesians navigated the great expanse of Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa (Pacific Ocean).

Hawaiki nui, Hawaiki roa, Hawaiki pamamao 

This saying connects Aotearoa to the ancient origins of our Polynesian heritage. The Hawaiki Series is a celebration of the unique culture and people of the Pacific and Aotearoa past and present.

Proceeds from the Hawaiki Series will be donated to the BBM Just Move Charitable Health Trust which is owned and operated by community leader David Letele.   

 

Artwork by: Tuku Rangitaawa and Annabel Setefano