Cultural Narrative - English

Within the walls of Te Āhuru Mōwai you will find Manawatū Community Hub Libraries. As you delve into learning more about the building, you will discover how it connects us as a community through knowledge, light and physical aspects of our District.

Te Āhuru Mōwai means, a space that is a safe haven for our community to be in. It is a place that champions lifelong learning, quenches curiosity, gives access to technology and a place of exploration of ideas or interests. The building is a safe space for the taonga (treasured items) that it stores and the people who utilise our facility. Whether it's showcasing books, heritage, programs, or treasured possessions, the whare (house) serves as a secure place for our community. The name of the building was gifted by the local iwi, Ngāti Kauwhata.

The design narrative of the building speaks to a changing state from potential to application of knowledge and the hīnātore (spark) of light, imagination, curiosity that happens during wānanga (deliberate discourse). This comes from the Māori pūrākau (story) of Te Noho Tata Pū which tells of Kēkerewai beginning a wānanga about the discomfort of being confined in the darkness with his siblings in the close embrace between his parents, Ranginui and Papatūānuku. It became known that outside of that embrace was space and light. This wānanga led to two whare being formed – Huaki Pōuri, for those who wanted to separate the parents and move to the light, and Tū te Āniwaniwa; for those who wanted to stay within the confined darkness. The movement between darkness and light is a recurring theme within traditional Māori stories.

The two whare:

• Tū te Āniwaniwa and Te Pō being represented in the Hub Library, the central area (core services) is sitting in Te Pō, (the confined darkness before the separation of Ranginui and Papatūānuku). Te Pō is a concept that refers to the realm of perpetual night, where long solitary periods are flooded in shades of darkness. The library shelving is black to represent Te Pō, as are the chairs around the tables. As the collection waits for our community to use it, it sits and waits in the dark. The potential for enlightenment exists but waits for people to use, or leave, with the taonga and the knowledge that it may hold.
• Huaki Pōuri and Te Ao Mārama are represented on the opposite side of the internal street. In this area, the natural light fills the meeting rooms, activation spaces and café; these are areas for engagement. Engaging with others through meaningful conversations and discussions, workshops, programmes and events, provides the opportunity for the transmission of knowledge and understanding.

As you walk through the doors into the Hub Library make sure to look down at the carpet. The Whāriki design leads you into Te Whare Pora, (the house of weaving ) and a state of being. Those initiated into this house, the domain of Hine-te-iwaiwa, had their levels of consciousness raised so that they were ready to receive knowledge. The green and the yellow accents in the carpet are a link to both Ngāti Kauwhata and Manawatū District Council’s original logo colours. The direction of the coloured sections point towards the awa to acknowledge the Mangakino stream, the waterway that connects us to the Ōroua river.

As you approach the Hub Library front counter look to the left-hand corner, and the pou whakairo (carved post) depicting the separation of Papatūānuku and Ranginui. The wānanga between their children did not reach a consensus, however, in the end Tāne separated the parents allowing their offspring to move from darkness ‘ki te whei ao, ki te ao mārama’ (to the world of light).

Directly behind the counter, on the stairs balustrade that takes you up to the mezzanine floor, is the pattern Poutama, which talks of advancement, growth and learning. After separating his parents, Tāne strove to ascend the heavens in his pursuit of knowledge. This is another example of moving from darkness to light, the quest for enlightenment.

Tāne climbed to the citadel, Te Tihi-o-Manono, in the highest of the 12 heavens, known as Te Toi-o-ngā-rangi. He had challenges along the way but persevered to the top. There he retrieved three baskets of knowledge: te kete-tuatea (ancestral knowledge), te kete-tuauri (sacred knowledge) and te kete-aronui (earthly knowledge).

The pattern on the top balustrade of the mezzanine represents Te Taiao, the natural world that we belong to; it contains and surrounds us - the land, water, climate and living beings. It refers to the interconnection of people and nature.

When walking along the Hub’s internal street, on the main floor, you will discover that the meeting and event spaces are flooded by light through the internal and external windows. A different design is displayed on each set of windows.

The large event space/meeting rooms have been decorated with Pātiki design – the flounder fish. Pātiki represents abundance of food which is seen as fuel for body, but also for the brain, mind, imagination and dreams. Pātiki also represents manaakitanga (generosity and care for others), the design is plentiful, providing for everyone.

The colour palette around the main event space room represents the ocean floor, the part of the ocean where you can find the Pātiki (flounder fish). The sandy browns and ocean blues combine to create the muddy waters of the changing tidal rivers, another habitat of the flounder.

As a combined open space this room is called Pātiki, when separated Pātiki Tahuaroa (ocean) is the larger room and Pātiki Onepū (sand) is the slightly smaller room.

For the small meeting room, the design on the windows, extending over the wall, is Ngutu Kākā (beak of the parrot).

The Ngutu Kākā is a native shrub whose flowers resemble the beak of the Kākā, a native parrot. The Kākā is a vocal bird (like any parrot) and this space is an embodiment of this bird, a place for wānanga, conversations, a space for people to come together and talk.

The design on the windows of the medium size meeting room is Takarangi. This has two intersecting spirals that represent our journey, our beginning in life and our movement in life. The centre of Takarangi represents the origin of all, the beginning. The space between the spirals symbolise Te Ao Marama (the world of light and knowledge) and the link to Te Ao Wairua (the spiritual world). The spirals are also representative of Ranginui and Papatūānuku and the close bond that they shared.

In 1962, Tui Mayo was elected to the Feilding Borough Council, on which she was to serve for 21 years. As chairperson of the council’s library and baths committee, Mayo campaigned strongly for a new library in Feilding. When the library opened in September 1980, one area featured a fine native-timber ceiling and dado recycled from the town’s former council chamber. The area was named the Tui Mayo wing. In the spirit of Takarangi, this dado and ceiling, which were there from the beginning of the journey, have been preserved and feature in this, the Tui Mayo Room.

Also along the Hub’s internal street next to the Tui Mayo room is the space for youth. The window design is Mangōpare(hammerhead shark) which symbolises strength, leadership, courage, tenacity (among other things). We endeavour to instil these values in our youth.

The name of the space for youth is Te Whanga (the bay), a place where the Mangōpare meet.

Outside, along Stafford Street, as you gaze upon the exterior of the building you will see vibrational waves known as Ihirangaranga. When you glance up to the second floor, you see the seven stars of the Matariki constellation; Waitī, Waitā, Waipunarangi, Ururangi, Tupuānuku, Tupuārangi and Matariki, are all guiding and welcoming you to Te Āhuru Mōwai.