Benjamin Work

“From the moment the first waka arrived on these shores, the stories and traditions adapted and grew to suit this land. For our people found and told new stories about the importance of place and the relationships they might have with the land and the universe, as well as each other.” Moana Jackson

Motutapu is a name that signifys relationships across vast geographical space. Locations in Tonga, Rarotonga and Aotearoa share this name with legacies that acknowledge the unique importance of each of the three islands. A name steeped in mana, prestige and sacred connections, Motutapu is an example of what lingers and how language can traverse time and space. The recurrence of Motutapu across Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa describes a trail of migration, great exploration and navigation.

Benjamin and Brendan were intrigued by Motutapu because of their personal connections to Rarotonga and Tonga, alongside the island that lies in the Hauraki Gulf. ‘Motutapu’ created a triangulation that was a way to connect their respective cultural heritages to Tāmaki Makaurau. A thread that helped to bring their homelands closer to Aotearoa and a chance to tie the places their ancestors once lived to where their roots now lay.

Zoe Black.  2022