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Whakawhanaungatanga

COUNCIL AND COMMUNITY FEATURED IN CARVING

Artist: Alby Tipene

Level one of the Civic Centre, Liardet St, New Plymouth.

With Whakawhanaungatanga (or "Taranaki"), Artist Alby Tipene has depicted the coming together of Maori and non-Maori.

This taonga whakairo (carved mural) has graced the outside wall of our iwi relationships office on the Civic Centre's first floor since 3 November 2000.

The mural illustrates the relationships between the council, Maori and non-Maori in New Plymouth District – the coming together of Maori and non-Maori, their history and their future, and how we are working together to create a stronger community. At the unveiling, artist Alby Tipene summarised the mural's meaning with: "One people, one nation."

The design concept for the taonga whakairo came from the our former Manager Iwi Relationships Lindsay MacLeod. "The carving embodies the classical cultural reference to the two birds of Taranaki maunga (Mount Taranaki/Egmont) symbolically referring to the prophets of peace, Te Whiti o Rongomai and Tohu Kakahi of Parihaka," he said.