In the heart of Tūhoe country, Wai-Oro-Ariki – Wānanga Taonga Pūoro at Te Rewarewa Marae brought together practitioners, learners and whānau for two days of
Te Tohu Taonga Pūoro (Level 4) is now open at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa – creating a new pathway for learners and practitioners to deepen
For the first time in history, taonga pūoro will be judged as a standalone, non-aggregate category at the Tainui Waka Kapa Haka Regionals—marking a powerful
In January 2026, taonga pūoro returned to the whenua of Mōtītī in a powerful wānanga focused on rongoā Māori and sound healing. Across three days,
These are large hue with the seeds removed. The neck is cut off and the sound comes from blowing over the top to create a vibrant bass sound.
Friday 1st – Saturday 2nd May 2026
An immersive wānanga exploring the sounds, stories, and revitalisation of taonga pūoro, grounded in Tūhoetanga and connection to place.
Our story
Taonga Pūoro were historically used in the arts of healing and cultural ceremonies and still are today, in varying degrees. Due to historical events, there was a decline in the use and cultural practice of the instrumental traditions within Māori culture and with the knowledge base connected to it.
There has been a revival of this craft over the last 30-40 years, led by the late Hirini Melbourne, the late Richard Nunns, Brian Flintoff and Ranginui Keefe, Joe Malcolm, Clem Mellish, the late Rangiiria Hedley, Aroha Yates Smith, Hinewīrangi Kohu Morgan, Ross and Bruce Gregory, Te Miringa Hohaia and others. Haumanu has grown from these initiatives.
The group is dedicated to the revival, teaching, and sharing of these taonga. We are a newly formed rōpū of six people, are representatives of the wider rōpū, and a continuation of Haumanu.
Mandated by the broader Taonga Pūoro whānau with the support of CNZ and MCH to facilitate a Strengthening Taonga Pūoro strategy over the next three years.
The core collective are:
HAUMANU COLLECTIVE KAUPAPA
🌿 He reo nō te whenua | A voice of the land
To the whenua.
To the wai.
To the ngāhere.
To the hau.
To the people.
Sound surrounds us every day — the movement of water, the wind through the trees, birdsong, the rustling of leaves, the sounds of people and the places we call home.
Taonga pūoro invite us to listen differently.
To slow down.
To notice.
To connect sound with place, whakapapa and wairua.
At Haumanu Collective, we believe the revitalisation of taonga pūoro is also about nurturing these relationships — keeping the knowledge, practice and sounds of our taonga connected to the people and places from which they come.
Because sometimes, before we can truly hear the taonga...
we need to listen to the world around us. 🌿
He ara pūoro.
He ihi reo, he wehi oro, he wana ora.
#HaumanuCollective #TaongaPūoro #TeTaiao #Whenua #Wai #MātaurangaMāori
✨ Te Tuku Iho | Ko te Rangatahi te Ara Kei Mua ✨
Succession is not a strategy — it is a tikanga.
We hold a deep responsibility not only to protect the taonga handed down to us, but to ensure they are carried into the future with strength, integrity, and aroha.
And that future is already here.
We see our rangatahi not just as future leaders, but as present carriers of mauri. Their voices, energy, and vision are essential to the ongoing life of taonga pūoro.
Every time a tamaiti picks up a taonga, hears its voice, learns its story, or experiences the connection it can create, another thread is woven into the journey of revitalisation.
As such, we are committed to creating safe, empowering spaces for them to learn, lead, and grow.
To share what has been carried before us.
To make space for new voices.
To nurture the next generation of practitioners, kaitiaki and kaikawe.
He taonga tuku iho. He taonga ora.
🌱 Ko ngā Rangatahi ngā kaikawe ki mua
#HaumanuCollective #TaongaPūoro #Rangatahi #Tamariki #MātaurangaMāori
Haumanu and Te Whare Taonga o Waikato will present a dedicated exhibition, celebrating the revival and regeneration of taonga pūoro through the journey of the Haumanu movement.
Museum visits and ongoing rangahau are vital to the kaupapa of Haumanu Collective.
They provide opportunities to reconnect with taonga pūoro, their whakapapa, kōrero and the mātauranga held within and around them — helping to reverse cultural amnesia and reclaim knowledge for whānau, hapū and iwi.
Through engaging kanohi ki te kanohi with taonga and the collections that hold them, we seek to “keep our taonga warm”, recognising their mana and moving them beyond objects of preservation towards he taonga ora — living expressions of whakapapa, oro and cultural practice.
This long-anticipated, immersive experience will be open to the public from September 2027 to March 2028. Watch this space.
✨ Tūtaki ki a Brendon Moses ✨
Ngāti Apakura, Ngāti Maniapoto, Tainui, Ngāti Rangitihi, Ngāti Tūhourangi, Te Arawa, Ngāti Awa
For more than two decades, Brendon has worked at the intersection of music, culture, technology, and indigenous knowledge.
His journey began in contemporary music, studying at Whitireia before working as a musician and recording artist throughout Aotearoa. It was through his connection with master carver and taonga pūoro revivalist Brian Flintoff that Brendon was first introduced to the living world of taonga pūoro — a meeting that would shape the path he continues to walk today.
Since then, Brendon has developed a deep relationship with pūoro, while using his skills in digital technology to support the sharing of Māori knowledge and creative mahi.
His work has also played an important role in supporting te reo Māori, Maramataka Māori, Matariki, and mātauranga Māori, creating digital spaces that help make this knowledge accessible to whānau and wider communities.
Now undertaking a Master’s in Applied Indigenous Knowledge, Brendon continues to explore the relationship between tradition and innovation, bringing together his experience in music, digital development, reo, and mātauranga Māori.
As part of Haumanu Collective, he contributes to the ongoing revitalisation of taonga pūoro and the knowledge carried within it — finding new ways for these taonga to be heard, experienced, and shared.
He kōrero tuku iho, he ao hou. 🌿
#HaumanuCollective #TaongaPuoro #Mātaurangamāori
✨ He Haerenga Whakahoki | A Journey of Reconnection ✨
Reviving taonga pūoro within the people and places of our ancestors is an uplifting journey of reconnection.
Recently, we gathered at Petane Marae for a taonga pūoro wānanga with Ngāti Whakaari and Ngāti Matepū hapū, reconnecting with the pūrākau, whakapapa, and spiritual guardians of Te Whanganui-ā-Orotu, Ahuriri, Napier.
The Haumanu Collective kaupapa of taonga pūoro as a pathway for healing, connection, and awakening has inspired the hapū to re-establish taonga pūoro practice as part of the tikanga and kawa of the new Petane Marae.
The wānanga provided an opportunity to learn, kōrero, create, and reconnect — bringing taonga pūoro back into the spaces, stories, and practices of the hapū.
Through this mahi, taonga pūoro is being embedded into cultural practice today, ensuring its sound, knowledge, and connections can continue to be carried forward for generations to come.
He taonga tuku iho. He taonga ora. 🌿
#HaumanuCollective #TaongaPūoro #MātaurangaMāori #PetaneMarae #Wānanga
Tūranganui-a-Kiwa/Gisborne, our next Wānanga Taonga pūoro is in your rohe!
Join James, Rikki and Hemi to learn about taonga pūoro.
Whether you are new to the kaupapa or an enthusiast wanting to learn more, come spend the weekend with us in oro.
Spaces are limited, so register today! Comment PŪORO for our registration link.
#haumanucollective #taongapūoro #wānanga
✨ Taonga Pūoro Makers Wānanga | Ōtautahi ✨
What a special 2 days of mahi, learning, and connection in Ōtautahi.
Led by Tony Smith, the Taonga Pūoro Makers Wānanga brought together makers with experience in whakairo and/or hanga taonga pūoro to spend time deepening their skills, sharing knowledge, and learning alongside one another.
At the heart of the wānanga was hands-on mahi — working with materials, exploring traditional practices, and giving participants the space to create and develop their own taonga pūoro.
Wānanga like this are about more than what is made, they create space for kōrero, the sharing of knowledge, whanaungatanga, and the strengthening of relationships between makers carrying this kaupapa forward across Aotearoa.
Ngā mihi nui to Tony and Mahina for pulling this kaupapa together and sharing their knowledge, experience, and passion for hanga taonga pūoro.
To Jodi Cameron for the workspace at Te Pā o Rakaihautu, and to everyone who came together to share their pūkenga in Ōtautahi — aroha ki a koutou for the mahi, the kōrero, and the energy you brought to the wānanga.
He taonga tuku iho. He mahi kawe whakamua. 🌿
#HaumanuCollective #TaongaPūoro #HangaTaongaPūoro #Wānanga #Ōtautahi #MahiToi
A few moments from behind the scenes ✨
From wānanga and kaupapa to planning, travelling, creating and connecting - here’s a small recap of what our board have been involved in recently.
Often the mahi happening behind the scenes is just as important as what’s seen publicly.
Ngā mihi to our board members who continue to give their time, energy and whakaaro to this kaupapa.
