What began as a kōrero between artists back in 2018, quickly evolved into the first Ngā Uri o Muturangi: Wānanga Indigenous being held on Whareroa Marae, Mount Maunganui in 2019. This first wānanga encouraged collectivity and vision around moko practice principles including ngā toi, waiata, haka, kōrero and mātauranga. Following our wananga, collectively we entered into the mainstream tattoo expo scene as the indigenous space of the Tattoo & Art ExtravagaNZa held at Baypark.

 

We haven't moved since but we have grown.

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Still jubilant from the success of 2019, we began making preparations for 2020 with the hard idea of reclaiming space, and Ngā Uri o Muturangi: Tā Atea was created. The concept of this was to continue forth with the success that the teachings and and wānanga afforded the artists, but also reclaim the indigenous space of the Tattoo & Art ExtravagaNZa as our own. Unfortunately, it was made clear that the kaupapa of sharing indigenous arts practices did not fit in the competitive environment of a tattoo expo despite being a premier attraction. During the artists whakawhitiwhiti kōrero, it was decided that we would we assert our mana over mātauranga Māori, our tā moko, tā tatau and skin marking practices to go on to develop a festival event that is led and grown by tā tatau practitioners.

 

Then there was COVID. What looked like the end before we could even really get started actually afforded us the sufficient time (two and half years to be more precise) to research and pull together Nga Uri o Muturangi's first fully indigenous artist led festival event. With a small but strong team, support in abundance, and a network of international indigenous artists - Toi Kiri 2022 was created.

 

What began as a wānanga and featured expo practice, has become a tangata whenua hosted immersive wānanga-a-mātauranga and public festival that profiles leading artists who bind their art practices to culturally meaningful expression of indigenous skin marking identity. Indigenous groups reflect, learn, share and collaborate cultural arts and tattoo heritage, values and beliefs. 

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Toi Kiri has become a standalone all inclusive eleven day event of indigenous wānanga, festival, symposium and exhibition. Toi Kiri continues to expand its influence to encompass further cultural arts and national delegations for New Zealand as a whole.

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Since 2019 Toi Kiri has welcomed indigenous guests from Hawaii, Papua New Guinea, Hawaiiki-Runga Mā’ohi Tahiti (Mo'orea, Tuamotu, Marquesas, Wallis & Futuna), Taveuni (Fiji), Filipino (Philippines), First Nations America, Canada, Alaska and Greenland  – Nisenan, Seneca, Acjachmen, Mutsun Ohlone, Nomtipom, Tunai Wintu, Chemehuevi, Koyoomk’awi, Saginaw Chippewa, Kanienkeha, Haudenosaunee - Onʌyote’a:ka, Ojibwe, Nlaka’pamux, Haida Gwaii, Qualicum, Tlingit, Iñupiaq, Paiute, Inuit, Kalaallit Nunaat, Inuk  – Kūki Āirani (Cook Islands), Niue, Kingdom of Tonga, Taiwan, Samoa, Solomon Islands, India, Ecuador and Tangata Whenua Māori representing iwi from across the whenua.