Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori

Our founding board members were Sir Tīmoti Karetū, Sir Kīngi Matutaera Ihaka, Dame Kāterina Te Heikōkō Mataira, Anita Moke and Dr. Ray Harlow.

Our name was given by Sir Kīngi. At the board’s first meeting our official name was ‘Te Komihana mō te Reo Māori’, a translation of Māori Language Commission. The board’s first action was to replace this with our Māori name: ‘Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori: the rope that binds the language’. Sir Kingi said this was because the rope that binds us all together is our language. A rope that is woven by each tribe and each person to be strong forever. At the same meeting the logo, a partially woven rope, was created by Dame Kāterina. By the end of the first board meeting the new name and logo was agreed to, a karakia shared and the decision ratified.

Learn more about our logo