Tāhuri Whenua logo was designed by Kereama Taepa whose hapu is Ngāti Whakaue and Ngāti Pikiao, and iwi is Te Arawa.
In early pre-European days, Matariki was used significantly by Māori as a sign to start digging and planting crops, which was vital to their survival. The Matariki constellation, also known as Pleiades, the Seven Sisters, and Subaru, is illustrated true to scale within the right side of the logo.
Another element of the logo is the three-pronged koru form. These prongs are stylized representations of crop mounds, with 3 signifying the popular “many hands make light work” proverb.
The space between the prongs shows two curving triangular forms (shown in red). These triangular forms are the beak of the Huia, used to represent the “fruits of labour” , and also a reminder of what may be lost if we don’t look after our natural resources.
The prongs join in the central area of the logo, forming a koru. This represents the fern frond, known as piko, or pikopiko, a main dietary supplement for Māori.
The motifs shown within the elliptical base of the logo are shown in negative space, ie- it has been ‘cut’ away from the coloured areas to represent the furrows of the earth – the digging of crops.
Kereama is a graduate of the Māori Visual Arts Programme, Massey University, Palmerston North, and currently works in the Art & Visual section of Te Wānanga o Te Awanuiarangi, Whakatane.
