Gathering With Intention: Reflections from Ngā Aho Wānanga‑ā‑Tau 2025

27.01.2026

It’s taken me the summer break for the experience of Ngā Aho Wānanga‑ā‑Tau to settle. Some gatherings fill your cup in the moment; others keep rippling long after you’ve returned home. This one did both.

Ngā Aho is a national network of Māori design professionals who come together to support each other and uplift the design aspirations of Māori communities. Wānanga‑ā‑Tau is our annual gathering - a time to reconnect, reflect, learn, and strengthen the cultural and professional bonds that sustain us.

Held at Te Aranga Marae in Pā Harakeke, Heretaunga (Hastings), the wānanga was a rare blend of deep connection, sharp professional insight, and the kind of laughter and learning that only happens when you’re surrounded by people who care fiercely about the same things you do. I’m deeply grateful for the manaaki of the haukāinga, and for the seamless, quiet leadership and organisation by Matt Ritani, Whare Timu, Josephine Clarke and many others who held the kaupapa with grace.

Friday.

We were welcomed onto Te Aranga Marae by Ngā Aho leadership, who had themselves been welcomed by haukāinga earlier.

At the opening of our strategic partners hui, I introduced myself through pepeha and took the opportunity to acknowledge my only familial link to architecture - my dad’s cousin, the late Steve McGavock - a well‑known and respected architect from the area. Seeing nods of recognition around the room and hearing fond stories from Whare and Jacob Scott throughout the weekend was appreciated and moving. It reminded me how small and interconnected our sector truly is.

Our hui brought together leaders from across the sector. The kōrero was honest and constructive, grounded in a shared commitment to strengthening our relationships and supporting the future of Māori design practice.

By the afternoon, in the full heat of the sun, we welcomed the wider Ngā Aho whānau arriving for the weekend. The harirū was full of familiar faces and genuine warmth. That evening, stretched out on mattresses, we acknowledged that it had been six years since the last Wānanga‑ā‑Tau. No wonder our whakawhanaungatanga took four hours - there was so much life to catch up on. People shared nerves, stories, humour, grief, pride, and hopes for the future. As always, the act of connection was one of my favourite parts of the weekend. The odd snore and stifled laugh only added to the fun.

Saturday.

After an impeccable breakfast, we set off on a hīkoi to visit local tūtohu whenua. Waiaroha, the Heretaunga Water Discovery Centre, was a standout - a living example of Te Aranga Design Principles in action, inviting communities to understand and care for their water systems. It felt especially fitting to be learning about the application of these principles here, given they were first articulated at Te Aranga Marae, our home for the weekend.

Another highlight was the uru of 19 pou, each carved by a different marae or iwi. Their diversity was captivating. Hinetemoa, carved by the sole wāhine carver, drew me in immediately, as did Meihana Tākihi, carved from Waikaremoana timber and charred for protection from the elements.

But the real highlight was driving our kaumātua, Haare Williams, and hearing stories of his experiences - so diverse and compelling they could take you off the road if you weren’t careful. And I was very careful.

In the afternoon, we joined haukāinga for wānanga about their local design challenges. I naturally gravitated to the group working with clay. We made kōauau while discussing the issues and then spent the rest of the weekend trying (with varied degrees of success) to master our kōauau playing.

During wā whakatā, a small group of us escaped to the local art gallery and then to the waterfall at Maraetotara. The cool water was a blessing, but the real gift was the car-hui with Jose, Jade and Raukura. These wāhine toa have been in my professional life since we were all ‘babies’ in the sector, and their tenacity and collective‑mindedness continue to inspire me. If you ever need to solve the world’s problems, see if you can take a trip to a waterfall with them.

That evening, a veil of secrecy lifted as we welcomed Teena Hale Pennington to be acknowledged for her forwarding of Ngā Aho kaupapa, along with the whānau of Rau Hoskins, Desna Whaanga‑Schollum and Lucy Tukua, who were being honoured as Te Kāhui Whetū for their immense contributions to cultural expression and landscapes across Aotearoa. I have looked up to these Whetū my entire career.

When Jose and Raukura stood to acknowledge Lucy with hakawāhine, I felt the limits of my own cultural expression more sharply than ever. My whole body wanted to stand with them to communicate my joy for Lucy’s recognition. Thankfully, when Haare was acknowledged and Matt Ritani began Ka Mate - a haka I know - I was able to release some of that energy.

Sunday & beyond

Sunday brought the familiar rhythm of whakapai te marae, shared reflections, and karakia to close. But the kōrero didn’t stay on the marae. It followed me through the summer break - particularly:

Haare’s 5 Rs - respect, responsibility, responsiveness, reciprocity, and reverence
Focusing on what unites us
The reminder that as designers, we shape culture through everything we create
Not being weighed down by preconceived ideas of who or what we ‘should’ be
And my favourite - again from Haare - that “It’s always great to be in a whare with a bunch of Māori nerds!”

These voices have stayed with me, quietly rearranging things. Coming out of the wānanga, I feel connected to this community in a way that feels steady and sustaining. I’m confident that we’re prepared for whatever challenges we need to face together. I’m inspired in my role as Ngā Aho representative on the Board of Te Kāhui Whaihanga and energised for the work ahead - individually, collectively, and across our sector.

Ngā Aho Wānanga‑ā‑Tau reminded me that when we gather with intention and generosity - when we take time to slow down and connect - we don’t just strengthen our professions; we strengthen each other.

I’m grateful to have been there, and I’m excited for what comes next.

Arohanui,

Sam

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