Toi Tangata is excited to present the Toi Tangata Hui ā Tau 2024. The Toi Tangata Hui ā Tau is a key feature of the hauora sector’s calendar and will be hosted as an ā-tinana, in person, event that will challenge us to consider how we continue to progress and amplify the gains already achieved when it comes to hauora while exploring our responsibilities to and interactions with te taiao, the natural world.
Nō reira, e te iwi, nau mai, haere mai koutou.
The Toi Tangata Hui ā Tau 2024 draws inspiration from the theme ‘Ki Uta, Ki Tai’, embodying the innate connection between the well-being of the land, waters, and its people – emphasising the significance of oranga. Oranga whenua, oranga wai, oranga tangata. Loosely translated as ‘from the mountains to the sea,’ Ki Uta Ki Tai draws its essence from the first two lines of the waiata ‘Arai te Uru.’
Arai te uru ki uta
Arai te uru ki tai e
These two lines emphasise the balance and harmony required between the mountains (uta) and the sea (tai), especially in the coastal area known as Arai te Uru (Southern East Coast of Te Waipounamu). The waiata continues, highlighting the imperative of safeguarding and honouring these connections, be it on land or at sea.
The theme of ‘Ki Uta, Ki Tai’ will have us exploring the spiritual and cultural connections of land, sea and people through a range of engaging kōrero, activities and workshops.
Diving Workshops
The diving workshops symbolise the exploration of the land and sea, symbolic to the courage and ancestral wisdom of our tipuna that will be transferable into a modern context to better understand the significance of sustainable practices in pursuit of knowledge and sustenance. Participants will gain insights into diving techniques, emphasising the preservation of the oranga whenua, oranga wai to oranga tangata.
Waka Ama Workshops
The waka ama activities pay tribute to the ancestral seafaring traditions, particularly the waka of great significance to Puketeraki and Arai te uru marae which will host our stay and activities. Paddling waka ama and understanding the significance of navigation is symbolic to the unity, teamwork, and the intrinsic bond between tangata and te taiao. This underscores the significance of the moana, which is intrinsically linked to the health of both oranga whenua and oranga tangata.
Māra Kai Workshops
The māra kai workshops, focusing on planting, harvesting and preparing kai, echo the importance of sustainable practices and their impact on the well-being of oranga whenua and oranga tangata. Participants will engage in discussions and practical experiences about traditional harvesting practices, preserving cultural knowledge, and promoting Māori approaches to gathering and preparing food.
Throughout the conference, the waiata’s verses serve as a guiding principle, highlighting the necessity of nurturing and protecting the environments from the mountains to the sea, with an explicit focus on Arai te uru, as the ancestral lands and water we engage on. The closing lines of the waiata, “E tū Arai te uru e,” resonate as a call to action, urging participants to unite, acting with aroha and kotahitanga to ensure the health and well-being of the land and its people.
“Ki uta ki tai” makes an uncompromising connection between the well-being of the land (oranga whenua) and the well-being of the people (oranga tangata), with a special emphasis on the coastal region of Arai te uru. This theme stands as a testament to the inextricable link between hauora and the prosperity of the environment and its tangata.
This hui provides opportunity to connect, learn, share, and continue working together towards thriving futures which honour our relationship with te taiao.
The Hui ā Tau aims to explore our responsibilities as teina to the taiao and how our actions and inaction impacts our environment our whakapapa, and our hauora.
Arai te uru ki uta
Arai te uru ki tai e
Arai te uru te waka
Arai te uru takata
Ko hui mai nei
I ruka i te aroha
E tū Arai te uru e
(Ka titiro atu rā)
Ki kā mauka whakahi
Ki kā awa e rere nei
Ki te moana uriuri
Ki te papae takoto nei
Ko hui mai nei
I ruka i te aroha
E tū Arai te uru e
Our 3-day wānanga in `Otepoti is inspired by ‘Ki Uta, Ki Tai’. Click below to see the programme.
Our Kaikōrero/Presenters this year will have us in the moana, on the moana, and in the mara.
Don't get caught out without your slippers. Here's what you need to bring to Hui ā Tau 2024.