'Te Waka o te Hekenga' (New Version) Fine Art Print

$40.00

Te Waka o Te Hekenga
The Canoe of Migration

This piece tells the story of my journey as an immigrant to Canada. I arrived in 2019 and now live in Port Coquitlam with my husband, where I’ve found a sense of home surrounded by some of the best sunsets, mountains and trails. When I think of my time in Canada, I not only think of the magnificent nature, but how it has helped shape me.

I am of Māori descent, Indigenous to Aotearoa New Zealand, and carry with me a deep sense of whakapapa, which means genealogy, connection, and ancestral memory. My art draws on the symbolism based on values of my people and is layered with my experience of migration to new land.

At the centre of this work is a waka, a traditional Māori canoe. The waka symbolises migration and the voyages of my ancestors, who travelled across the vast Pacific Ocean from Polynesia to Aotearoa New Zealand. Waka were once war vessels, but they also hold stories of endurance and discovery.

This is my waka to Canada.

The mountains and hills are the embodiment of earth. They represent grounding, strength, and whenua - the Māori word for land, which also means placenta, signifying the deep relationship between people and place. These mountains remind me of the landscape that welcomed me and the stability I sought. Water flows throughout the piece in the form of koru, which signifies the fern, and the mangopare, which represents the hammerhead shark. These traditional designs speak to strength, courage, tenacity and leadership. Water was ever-present in my early years in Canada as I endured many struggles. The mangopare carries my determination to adapt and grow.

The sunset is painted in fiery swirls that blend yellow, orange, red, and purple. These flames are made of koru, which in Māori culture symbolise peace, renewal and new beginnings. The patterns also incorporate niho taniwha, a triangular spearhead motif that stands for protection and resilience. Fire here represents the power of letting go of the past and facing the future with clarity and strength.

Above the waka, birds fly through the mountains and hills They represent wairua (air) - the spirit and the breath of life. The sky and wind carry memory and guidance, just as my ancestors carried me forward. These manu, or birds, are the presence of migration and hope. The waka itself has symbolic details: pāua shell (abalone) shines on the taurapa (stern), showing beauty and inner strength; a tiki rests at the tauihu (bow), offering ancestral protection; and a koru design is painted into the stern which shows unity and renewal. These elements come together as both literal and spiritual markers of identity.

This work is a tribute to my whakapapa, my ancestors, and the land I now call home. It honours both the traditions I carry with me and the kʷikʷəƛ̓̓əm First Nation land I live upon. This piece speaks to the beauty and challenge of migration, and how movement across oceans can become a powerful act of connection. This is my waka to Canada.

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