Housing First Logo
“Hokia ki ōu maunga, kia purea e koe e ngā hau a Tāwhirimātea” (Return to your ancestral mountains, so you may be cleansed by the winds of Tāwhirimātea)
This design was inspired by the depth of this particular whakatauākī, which in turn helps one to understand the trials that us as people go through and how we as Māori believe in one way that we are capable of overcoming these.
Te Manu Kaewa (The Traveller)
After delving into the depths of the Māori language, the word Kaewa came out triumphant, the manu kaewa therefore would replace the common English word of Client. By placing the manu kaewa at the bottom of the mountain shows the journey a person has to endure on the road of recovery, although the whakatauākī says what it says, it is never an easy journey to the top of a mountain.
Te Whare Tīpuna (Ancestral house)
The whare tīpuna or ancestral house, is known as a safe haven, where one can keep warm and sheltered, our kaewa are in need of a structure such as this, that they can call their home. Tikanga plays out everywhere in a persons life, some don’t even know they are doing it, but by taking off your shoes at anothers home is tikanga in itself to various iwi across the country, some iwi also find respect in leaving your shoes on. Too many people they treat their home like their whare tīpuna, this is also how it fits into the Housing First project, with the whare situated in front of the mountain it upholds the housing first initiative.
Te Maunga (Ancestral mountain)
The mountain speaks about the journey one takes to reach its peak, the road ahead is that of challenge and every person in life faces their own battles. But once again once a person reaches or returns to the top of their mountain, then they will be purified by the winds of Tāwhirimātea.
Ngā Koru (Māori patterns)
The two koru situated at the top of the design, represents teamwork and us as a team.
The two koru on either side situated around the middle of the design represents surrounding Ōtākaro and Waimakariri rivers, this signifies where we our kaewa are situated, which is here in Ōtautahi, Christchurch.
The koru along the bottom of the design speak about looking back on the past and moving forward, the past always butts heads with the future for the good and the bad, however the path forward is what we look for and Housing First Christchurch will be with our kaewa every step of the way.
Ngā Tae (Colours)
Kākāriki (Green)
This colour represents Papatūānuku and all her beauty and glory, and to many it signifies the colour of a mountain.
Kahurangi (Blue)
Blue represents Ranginui, although it is situated at the base of the mountain, it tells a story of how a mountains peak can reach up to the heavens, and also the bond that both Rangi and Papa shared between each other, and with both colours represented here brings a strong connection to te ao Māori.
