The Kuaka Project

This Kuaka Project is part of a Maori effort to extinguish family violence by reconnecting whanau with our ancestral memories and rediscovering and fostering whanau inner strengths and beauty.

As people we often gain inspiration from nature and the simple but significant things that surround us. In this project we want to recall an ancient natural icon, the Kuaka, to give us lift and to get air beneath our wings. The Kuaka carries with it elements of mystery and wonder.

How does this little bird complete its epic long-haul non-stop journey of 12,000km from the far reaches of the northern hemisphere all the way to Aotearoa? And then, where does it actually come from? Where is it born? The Kuaka is sometimes called the Hawaiki Bird because our ancestors reasoned that as none of our people had ever found a Kuaka nest or seen a Kuaka egg it must come from our spiritual wellspring, Hawaiki.In some tribal traditions the Kuaka was regarded as a guide for their ancestral waka.

Today, as we set out in our waka aroha, E Tu Whanau, we want to use the Kuaka to help us steer our way and liberate whanau potential.

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