Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, Te Kaunihera o Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland Council) and Watercare are enabling a budding ringatoi to creatively express the stories of place through street art in the central Tāmaki (Auckland) city centre. Artist, Caine Taihia (Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei), has created 11 digital graffiti designs that exhibit aspects of the wai (water) of Waihorotiu (the Waihorotiu Stream) to be displayed on the hoardings of three new wastewater upgrade construction sites.

The artwork aims to connect Aucklanders who live, work and play in the city centre to the natural place and form of the now invisible Waihorotiu, and encourage them to think more deeply and carefully about the mana and mauri it holds in our modern urban landscape.

Councillor Kerrin Leoni sees this as an important opportunity to share and celebrate te ao Māori within Tāmaki Makaurau.

“Auckland Council is committed to celebrating Māori identity and culture as Auckland’s point of difference in the world,” Councillor Leoni says.

“It is so important our tamariki and mokopuna see themselves reflected in their city as they grow up. Partnerships and art projects like this with tangata whenua not only enable a real sense of place through the celebration of our stories but also help to cultivate our next generation of leaders.”

Currently working within the downtown Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Toi Taiao landscape team, emerging young ringatoi Caine Taihia was given the opportunity to design the ‘Ka Tū Te Mana o Waihorotiu’ (Let the mana of Waihorotiu stand and be present) hoardings artwork after he was talent-scouted doodling on a scrap of paper by one of his team leads.

Taihia was partnered with well-known, senior ringatoi, Numangatangi McKenzie, through a traditional tuakana-teina nurturing relationship, based on the sharing of wisdom and experience. During the project, they met together every second week to develop the design concepts of the aspects of Waihorotiu and guide the creative process of expressing them through digital graffiti art.

Jamie Cook, General Manager Toi Taiao, sees the value in partnering with agencies like Te Kaunihera to enable opportunities for young leaders to grow.

“The best part about this project is how Caine has grown, that’s the most important thing. For our hapū, it’s another leader on the way, using his talent to express the stories of place. This is what’s possible when we share mutually beneficial partnerships with local government,” he says.

“From a tribal level that’s what we’re supporting, growing our rangatahi and providing them with opportunities to ensure the ahi kā (fires of occupation) are present, burning bright and hot in a way that is clear and obvious to manaaki (take care of) people in central Tāmaki.”

This project sits within the wider work of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, Watercare and Te Kaunihera on improving public water literacy and advocating for nature-based solutions to improve the water quality of Waihorotiu and all wai within Tāmaki.

Of all of the original waterways within central Tāmaki, Waihorotiu is likely the most mistreated in the period since colonial settlement was formally established in 1840. The Waihorotiu valley can be physically defined as the area contained by the Symonds Street, Karangahape Road and Hobson Street ridgelines. This valley is now one of the most urbanised catchments in Aotearoa. With no natural systems relating to wai in this valley, any rainfall is picked up in the extensive stormwater system and ushered out of the valley into Waitematā Kupenga Rau (the Waitematā harbour).

As project ringatoi, Caine Taihia has used his art to express the essence of wai as the essence of life, and place.

“If the mana and the mauri that sits within the wai of Waihorotiu is out of sight out of mind, it’s just a resource that comes out of the tap. There’s no emotional connection,” says Taihia.

“It was an honour to collaborate with a team and bring my own style to personify the forms of wai through this project. Creating this art helped me to reconnect with the Waihorotiu, to think more deeply about it, appreciate it and look after it, I hope it does the same for other people too.”

The ‘Ka Tū Te Mana o Waihorotiu’ Watercare hoardings will be displayed on:

• Queen Street /Mayoral Drive Site
• Queen Street/Wellesley Street East Site
• Queen Street/Victoria Street East

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