Te Whakapapa o Niho Taniwha
Niho Taniwha is grounded in Mātauranga Māori and in the relationships, knowledge and guidance of the many people who shaped it.
The story of Niho Taniwha and how it came to be is shared below.
The Story of Niho Taniwha
Whakapapa
Niho Taniwha emerged between 2019 and 2021 to support systems-level learning and change.
With support from kaupapa Māori evaluator Kataraina Pipi and Developmental Evaluator Kate McKegg, the Auckland Co-Design Lab were fortunate to develop the framework alongside a range of learning partners, Māori practitioners, kaumātua, ringa toi, hoa haere and whānau,
The framework builds on the evaluative work of Te Korekoreka and grew within the learning environments of Tokona te Raki and The Southern Initiative.
Pūrākau, Mātauranga Māori and kōrero with designers, artists, weavers, carvers and dancers shaped the ingoa and tohu. Grounded in Mātauranga Māori, Niho Taniwha also draws on social innovation, developmental evaluation and systems change.
The Tohu of Niho Taniwha
A guiding tohu
The tohu (motif or pattern) of Niho Taniwha includes a series of layered triangles symbolising the teeth of a Taniwha. As a pattern or tohu it is widely found across the Pacific.
Within Te Ao Māori, traditional pūrākau or stories feature Taniwha as guardians, leaders, and holders of local knowledge. Through their fierce protection and transformative power, taniwha remind us to remain alert and responsive to the shifting landscape around us.
Naming Niho Taniwha
As we sought to represent the knowledge and relationships we wanted to enable between place, whānau and system, the tohu of Niho Taniwha helped us reflect layers of knowledge, learning and whakapapa. It grounds our work in Aotearoa while connecting to our wider Pacific heritage.
Grounding our kaupapa in Niho Taniwha reflects our commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, which underpins all of our mahi at The Lab. Alongside others, we seek to indigenise systems change work in Aotearoa so it is not just “by” and “for” Māori but also “of” Māori. Niho Taniwha is a living expression of this.
Pūrākau Taniwha
This 10-minute video includes whakaaro from Eruini Hawke, Angie Tangaere and Penny Hagen on how kōrero tuku iho, Indigenous-led change and place-based approaches ground Niho Taniwha and guide our practice today.
Kaiwhare
We acknowledge the pūrākau of Kaiwhare, taniwha of the Manukau Harbour, where we at The Lab are placed. Kaiwhare is said to have brought the tohunga Hape to Aotearoa from the ancestral lands of Hawaiki, and together they landed in the Manukau Harbour.
In a Ngāti Tamaoho pūrākau shared with us by Matua Ted Ngataki, we learned how Kaiwhare burrows through the land, transforming landscapes to get where he needs to be. This kōrero became a foundation for Niho Taniwha, reflecting how collective learning alongside whānau and communities can carve new pathways for systems change.
Further resources
More about the whakapapa of Niho Taniwha and how it came to be can be found in the following resources.
Kia Tipu Te Ao Mārama
This paper, written in 2021, shares the journey and role of Te Korekoreka and Niho Taniwha, evaluative frameworks that underpin the learning environments within Tokona te Raki (an indigenous social innovation arm of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu) and The Southern Initiative (a social innovation initiative within Auckland Council, based in the south and west of Tāmaki Makaurau).
Niho Taniwha Introduction
This document introduces Niho Taniwha as a place-based and systems learning framework. It provides more about the whakapapa of Niho Taniwha, including why and how it came to be.
Explore Niho Taniwha
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Includes the whakapapa and journey of Niho Taniwha development
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In this section you will find:
The journey and whakapapa of Niho Taniwha
The Mātauranga Māori that grounds its key elements
Mini Case Studies of Niho Taniwha applied
Baseline practices to guide authentic use
[LINK TO INTRODUCTION]
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A short slide deck covering the purpose, key elements and baseline practices of Niho Taniwha.
[LINK TO OVERVIEW]
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Guidance, tools and templates to help your team apply Niho Taniwha within your mahi.
[LINK]
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See how teams across Aotearoa are using Niho Taniwha in their mahi, through case studies and recordings from practitioners.
[LINK]
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Join the Niho Taniwha Learning Network for support, shared learning and practical examples from others applying Niho Taniwha.
[LINK]
Ongoing learning opportunities
Register here to stay updated on future Niho Taniwha learning activities.