A testament to PKW Tūpuna

A list of names around the skylight at the PKW whare, forming the shape of the iconic maunga Taranaki, stands as a constant reminder of the original shareholders who formed the incorporation.

The design embraces the memory of the original PKW shareholders.

Consisting of the whānau names of those tūpuna, the depiction surrounds the central skylight at the PKW offices, right at the heart of the whare.

"The skylight itself also gives us a link between Rangi and Papa and a connection to our tūpuna. It's actually a very powerful thing to stand beneath it and look up," says Mitchell Ritai, General Manager of Shareholder Engagement. "When we began talking about what we could do with the space, creating something meaningful for both those who work here and our whānau was central to the design. I am pleased that we achieved that."

The design was developed in partnership with iStudios over six months in a project that had two main aims.

“We wanted to be able to visualise our vision, mission and values, and recognise our original shareholders in a way that would resonate with everyone who saw it,” says Mitchell.

“The result represents our sense of whanaungatanga perfectly.”

Since it was installed in February, the depth of visitors’ reactions has been surprising, with some shedding emotional tears as they search for, and find, their whānau names.

“Creating the image of maunga Taranaki positioned exactly where the mountain sits certainly adds to the impact of the names,” says Mitchell. “As a people, we are of eight iwi and of three waka and are brought together under one maunga so it was very appropriate to include it.”

Photographs of the first committee of management who led PKW through its early days, helping to make the land productive for the benefit of everyone, have also been put up on the whare walls to acknowledge their contribution to the Incorporation, along with the PKW mission and vision statements.

Sheree Anaru, iStudios Project Manager, says they have been touched by the response to the design.

“It was a real privilege to work on this project with PKW,” she adds. “We are very proud that we helped the team to encapsulate the values, beliefs and concepts that are so important to them and put them into something that has such an impact.”

“Our values are central to the mahi that is done here,” says Mitchell. “Having these visual reminders of why our incorporation exists, for our owners and shareholders, helps us to remember just how important they are.”