Ta Moko

Tu has been practising the art of Ta Moko since 1994. He was fortunate enough to sit under the tutelage of Mark Kopua from Tolaga Bay who has been, and will always be one of Tu's great mentors.

For Tu, moko is a gift. Tu thinks that any bodily marking that holds personal meaning, whether it be about family, your ancestors, your links to land or your forefathers, whether it is spiritual or commemorative in nature, then that tattoo has a personal meaning and value to you and that you will never regret the indelible marking of your skin.

Ko Parengarenga te moana, Parengarega is the ocean.
Ko Tawhitirahi te maunga, Tawhitirahi is the mountain.
Ko Awapoka te awa, Awapoka is the river.
Ko Kurahaupo te waka, Kurahaupo is the ocean going canoe.
Ko Potahi raua koTe Reo Mihi oku marae, Potahui and Te Reo Mihi are my traditional meeting places.
Ko Te Aupouri, ko Ngati Kuri, ko Te Rarawa, ko Ngapuhi nui tonu oku iwi, My tribes are Te Aupouri, Ngati Kuri, Te Rarawa and Ngapuhi.
Ko Hinemoa taku ingoa, my name is Hinemoa Elder.

Dr Hinemoa Elder has lived on Waiheke Island for 21 years. She is a child and adolescent psychiatrist, working at the Child and Family Unit at Starship Hospital, in Auckland. She is also a Maori Strategic Leader for the Centre of Research Excellence (CoRE) for the Ageing Brain.

In New Zealand we have a treaty, a document of partnership between Māori and 'The Crown' signed in 1840 by representatives of both parties. If such a thing exists, I am a son of the treaty. My mother is Waikato and I claim three tribes through her; Ngāti Mahuta, Ngāti Koroki and Ngāti Paoa. My father is Australian, born in Quorn, SA. I entered the world a week before the Rolling Stones played their first gig. For as long as I can remember, I've been a writer but I've only called myself one since 1992 with the publication of my first children's book. Since then I've written across most genres, including fiction, non fiction and memoir, and poetry as well, which I also perform. I've been lucky enough to pick up a couple of awards, including the 2006 Best Picture Book in the NZ Children's Book Awards, as well as several shortlists and residencies. In May 2021 I was appointed inaugural Te Awhi Rito Reading Ambassador for New Zealand. I'm also a father of two, which I consider my best work by far.

Anne-Marie Te Whiu is an Australian-born Māori belonging to the Te Rarawa iwi in Aotearoa NZ. She is a poet, editor, cultural producer and weaver. She was a 2021 Next Chapter Fellowship recipient, and her writing has been published broadly. Most recently she edited Woven (Magabala Books, 2024). This year she has been awarded the Varuna Residential Fellowship Writers and a Bundanon Artist Residency.  
Anne-Marie’s forthcoming debut poetry collection titled Mettle will be published by University of Queensland Press.