Te Ukaipo o Hinemoana
Pūrākau/Pakiwaitara – The Storyline
Here, Hinemoana represents the motherly bosom, the source of sustenance, and nurturing of various aspects of the ocean environment. Hinemoana has Kiwa on her right, and Tangaroa on her left. The male gods guard the gateway to Hinemoana's marae, and Parawhenuamea above her represents the source of all freshwater.
At the base of Kiwa and Tangaroa are shown the mātauranga of each god, where Tangaroa's mātauranga includes all sea flora and fauna, and Kiwa's mātauranga includes specific sea creatures such as dolphins and whales.
This illustration showcases the connections between all aspects of Moana, and that we need to change our ways if we want our resource management values and aspirations realised in a better way in the future.
Hinemoana
Hinemoana is the Ocean Maid of Polynesia, who is concerned with the control of the ocean. She is spoken of as the "parent" of various sea creatures and certain fish. The ocean is sometimes termed "Te marae o Hinemoana", the domain or the concourse of the Sea Maiden, or the "marae nui o Hinemoana", the vast realm of Hinemoana.
Kiwa
Kiwa is the Male Guardian of the Southern Ocean, and is responsible for the welfare of all the sea creatures of the South Pacific Sea's domain.
Tangaroa
Tangaroa is the Male Guardian that oversees all waterways and water-beings.
Parawhenuamea
Parawhenuamea is the Female Guardian of all water, and the source of all freshwater.
In Oceania or Polynesia, including New Zealand and Australia, which are characterised by cetaceans such as dolphins and whales, the ocean includes Moana-nui (the mighty ocean), Moana-roa (the open seas), Moana-pōtango (the intensely dark deep ocean), and Moana-hakere (the gloomy sea). These characterising names for the vast seas arise out of seafaring cultures that had traversed the oceanic realm for millennia. The numerous terminologies for the sea, the ocean, the waves, indicate a deep knowing of the maritime world. Tides, currents, rips, waves, breakers, rollers, whitecaps, and seasprays were all named, following this system of reciting genealogies. For ancient Māori and Pacific peoples, the ocean was central to their world, a life-giving and life-taking realm to be respected as a parental phenomenon for all creatures, species, flora and fauna above and below the marine realm.
