The carvings within the He Whare Hono ō Tūwharetoa are a celebration of Tūwharetoa’s cultural identity.

Guests view the artwork at the new He Whare Hono building on Horomatangi St. Photo / Dan Hutchinson

Artwork has been done by renowned Tūwharetoa artists, including Haki Williams, Te Maari Gardiner, Kingi Pitiroi, Len Hetet, and Te Manawa Williams.

They are constructed by Human Dynamo Workshop in Wellington and designed to reflect the rich heritage of Tūwharetoa and bring cultural narratives to life in a modern context.

The opening ceremony on March 6. Photo / Dan Hutchinson

Key installations such as Ngā Mata o Tūwharetoa and the Celestial Waka draw on knowledge from the late and well-respected kaumātua Te Kanawa Pitiroi.

These works pay tribute to Māori astronomy and the wisdom of tūpuna (ancestors), creating a space where culture, governance, and innovation come together.

The celestial kōrero of Tūwharetoa takes pride of place in the upper floors. Photo / Dan Hutchinson

Haki Williams gave a deeper explanation during the opening.

He said the narratives that are depicted on the feature wall tied into the name of the building – hono – which means to connect or to come together as one.

The carvings and the patterns talk about the ancestors that came from Hawaii, who had a connection to the environment, “from the oceans to the stars”.

“They ventured inland to Tūwharetoa, where it was established as us … as Ngāti Tūwharetoa. So, in essence, these works are about hono.

“The lesson here is about how Tūwharetoa hono to each other, how Tūwharetoa hono to this whenua, how Tūwharetoa hono to our tūpuna, how Tūwharetoa hono to our kōrero. “And with the administrative boards that have their offices here, how these offices hono to our communities.

“So, it's a hope that when our administrative bodies have their hui here, then all they need to do is cast their eyes out this window and see the reason and the why.

“And that we are humbled, as iwi of Tūwharetoa, to be humbled to sit beneath mountains, to have a great lake in front of us.”

The two pō tupuna at either end of the wall are Ngātoroirangi and Tia – the personification of Tūwharetoa.

“So Ngātoroirangi stands here, and Tia stands at the other end. Standing between them are the personifications of our maunga (mountains)”.

As people climb the stairs beside the wall, they see different things; the waters, the mountains, and then the celestial kōrero of Tūwharetoa in the upper floors.

He also acknowledged the works of “our Tūwharetoa scholar and uncle”, Te Kanawa Pitiroi, who died in October 2022 at the age of 83.

“On the top floors of this house is an embodiment of his knowledge and his tireless works of research of Tūwharetoa knowledge.”

The top floor is a depiction of one of his works of Te Mata o te Marama, the lunar calendar.