Pou Kapua

Rising from the earth, Pou Kapua stands as a symbol of Māori and Pacific culture. This isn’t just any artwork. Pou Kapua is recognized as the largest Māori / Pacific Pou, or totem, in the world. It stretches over 80 feet high and weighs more than 20 tonnes. Imagine the ancient kauri tree, 2,000 years old, giving its form to this magnificent creation. Pou Kapua also incorporates 50,000-year-old swamp kauri and 1,000-year-old totara. Carved steel supports the immense structure, adorned with paua, pounamu, bone, and crystal. Look closely at Pou Kapua and you’ll see the stories of Māori and Polynesian creation beliefs. The legends of migration to Aotearoa New Zealand are woven into its design. At the base of Pou Kapua, you’ll find Tangaroa, the Guardian of the Ocean. Above him reside Ranginui, the Sky Father, and Papatūānuku, the Earth Mother. Dozens of other guardians and legendary figures populate the Pou. Tane of the Forest, Tawhirimatea of the Winds, Tumatauenga of War, Ruaumoko of Volcanoes, Rongo of Peace, and Haumiatiketike of Plants are all represented. Even Maui, Matakerepo, Tawhaki, Mahuika, and Pele find their place within the carvings. Pou Kapua tells stories of ‘ohana, the taro providing sustenance for families in Hawaii. It shares tales of the Kanak people of New Caledonia, Aboriginal dreamtime, Tlingit killer whales, and Cree warriors. At the very top stands Kupe, marking the journeys of ancestors across the vast Pacific Ocean. A spiritual rope of unity binds tribes and people together, visible in every curve and detail of Pou Kapua. Hundreds of people contributed to bringing Pou Kapua to life. Master Carver Wikuki Kingi Jnr, QSM, and Tania Haerekiterā Wolfgramm-Kingi led the project. Four master carvers, five team carvers, five apprentices, and countless volunteers and suppliers dedicated their time and skills to this monumental task. Even carvers from other Pacific and Indigenous cultures joined the effort. Inuit carver Frank Wolfhead from Alaska and Professor Anthony Dieter from the Cree Nation in Canada carved their ancestors onto Pou Kapua. Cook Island carver Tavita contributed hundreds of hours, adding his stories and figures to the artwork. Tomas Tukitepano and Luis Hey Chavez from Rapa Nui, Easter Island, carved two 3-meter-high moai from hinuera stone, standing guard as kaitiaki. Pou Kapua stands as a gift, a taonga, from Māori and all New Zealanders to the world.