Te Pātaka o Tā Te Atawhai Archie John Taiaroa
E te Pātaka, kei whea te tatau kia kitea ai te kai kei tōu puku?
E te Pātaka, where is the opening to the storehouse so I may appreciate your bounty?
Te Pātaka o Tā Te Atawhai Archie John Taiaroa is a space for the storage and sharing of knowledge, experience and wisdom from one generation to the next. Its bounty is for the senses – what we hear, how we see and why we feel.
Te Pātaka o Tā Te Atawhai Archie John Taiaroa is a tribute to the life of Sir Archie Taiaroa, and his contributions to the ancestral cloak of legacy woven with the skills and determination of countless generations before him.
Archie’s name, Te Atawhai, was given by his grandmother. His name speaks to the spirit of kindness and compassion. He was raised, immersed in the teachings of his elders within the gaze of the Whanganui River. He accumulated life skills with a curiosity and worldly outlook, bound with the vision and commitment of his people, embedding a deeply personal sense of belonging, service and responsibility.
By name and by reputation, Te Atawhai was respected throughout Māoridom and Aotearoa New Zealand for his way of being – hūmarie, ngāwari, manaaki. He was appreciated for his integrity, curiosity and creativity. These attributes shone through his personable approach with everyone who met and worked with him.
He didn’t care much for personal accolades. His life’s work focused without compromise with tireless attention to collective purpose, collective action and collective impact. His life was filled with commitment and service to the legacy of his tūpuna, the wellbeing of place and people, to nourishing and nurturing the spirit and intent of our nationhood. As a leader, Archie was stately with good-hearted humour and jest that lightened the mood and reminded us to work together and find our way ahead.
With this dedication to Tā Te Atawhai Archie John Taiaroa, we are invited to open the door to the Pātaka with the key embedded in your stories and memories. Let them be heard unabated by time and distraction. Release the spiritual essence of moments shared with Archie.
Encourage his presence to reverberate with his times of challenge, his times of acceptance, his times of compassion and care. For today, and tomorrow, may his life’s journey be a beacon of guidance and inspiration to those who choose to see, choose to hear and choose to feel, what lays ahead.
Te Pātaka – a storehouse of inspiration, aspiration, and vision.