Sacred world of wāhine Māori

Tapu Wāhine event series

Our Tapu Wāhine event series brings together writers, artists, entrepreneurs, thinkers, and historians for a transformative annual event that explores the sacred world of wāhine Māori.

Held alongside our programme of He Tohu suffrage-related events, Tapu Wāhine acknowledges and celebrates wāhine in new ways. We explore how understanding and reclaiming mātauranga Māori and traditional practices such as those around te awa atua (menstruation), moko kauae, and atua wāhine, can prepare us for the future. An ode to our tupuna wāhine and our future aspirations.

Tapu Wāhine event series

Tapu 2022: Mareikura/Goddess

This year, Tapu 2022: Mareikura/Goddess, our third annual Tapu Wāhine event was commemorated on International Women’s Day. Over 150 screens lit up across the motu with the reverberation of kōrero, stories, shared experiences, and perhaps a few tears shed by audience members who wish to remain anonymous.

It was inspired by the book, Wāhine Toa with visual representations by Robyn Kahukiwa and prose written by Patricia Grace. Originally published in 1984, it is vibrant, poignant, and revolutionary. Depicting creation myths through the lens of atua wāhine, Wāhine Toa highlights the power of wāhine and their essential role in Māori mythology.

Journey of self-exploration and identity

The event wove together the animations of the stories featured in Wāhine Toa with contemporary narratives shared by seven wāhine Māori. Deeply personal and profound, Tapu 2022: Mareikura/Goddess took us on a journey of self-exploration and identity. Covering themes such as menstruation and menopause, the importance of representation, whāngai, finding Mahuika within ourselves, and more, it was emotionally touching to be present for the courageous, vulnerable, and honest conversations on what it means to find your place as a wahine Māori.