A whakatauaki is a proverb, and ours was gifted to the movement by Tui Taurua. In essence, our whakatauaki is the life force to the collaborative movement. It will inspire unity to work as a team and to use all our skills to collectively achieve transformational change for the people.
Puta hua te rere o te wai.
The splash of a raindrop, one at a time (an idea).
Ka rere te wai, ka timata te puna.
Streams begin, water flows (talk to each other).
Ka rere atu te awa.
A course is made, away it goes (knowledge gathering).
Ka hui hui ngā puna kia kotahi ai.
Streams join as one (voices merge).
Kiki ana te kotahinga mai, ka pahu.
Momentum gathers, the river surges.
(The strength of unity is our momentum, our power)
Ko tātou te awa.
We are the river.
(Our work joins us)
Ko te awa ko tātou.
The river is us.
(We are joined because of our work)
Ka puta ko awa ngā roto me to moananui.
The flow of streams combines; into the great ocean they flow.
(The gathering of voices for an important purpose opens many doors)
He tāngata he tāngata he tāngata.
(It is about the people, the people, the people)
Papatūānuku ē, whakarongo mai i ōkū ngākau, waipuku ngā roimata, auē auē auē.
Papatūānuku hear our hearts full with tears of joy.
(We celebrate reaching our transformational destination)
nā Tui Taurua, 2020
