Filled with colour photographs, this exhibition showcases the ongoing tradition of Poukai (marae gatherings), an important element of Te Kiingitanga.

“Ka whakaturia e hau tenei taonga hei aawhina i te Pani, te Pouaru, me te Rawakore. He kuwaha whaanui kua puare i te puna tangata me te puna kai.”
I will institute this day to provide support for the Widowed, the Bereaved and the Homeless. With a bounty of food, my door is opened to the multitude of peoples.
– Kiingi Taawhiao, 1885.

Filled with colour photographs, Waikato Museum Te Whare Taonga O Waikato’s exhibition Te Pani, Te Pouaru, Te Rawakore: Nurturing Generations through Poukai showcases the ongoing tradition of Poukai, an important element of Te Kiingitanga, the Maaori King movement.

Poukai (marae gatherings) were introduced in 1885 by Taawhiao, son of the first Maaori King Potatau Te Wherowhero, in the wake of ongoing conflicts between the military and Maaori. In the decades since, Poukai has spread to 30 marae across the Waikato region and continues today through the attendance of Kiingi Tuheitia.

Te Pani, Te Pouaru, Te Rawakore: Nurturing Generations through Poukai presents photographs from the collection of Waikato Museum Te Whare Taonga O Waikato, taken between 2006 and 2008 at various Poukai. Poignant and often joyful, the images show how these gatherings continue to nurture through the generations.