Hon Te Ururoa Flavell

Minister for Māori Development

Minita Whanaketanga Māori

05 November 2015

Minister leads whakatō mauri ceremony in Shanghai

A pounamu carrying the spirit of Aotearoa will be unveiled at the New Zealand Consulate-General in Shanghai to support its new premises.

Māori Development Minister Te Ururoa Flavell, who is on his first official trade mission to China, will lead the ceremony blessing the greenstone.

“The pounamu will act as a mauri (life force) for the office and staff and it will also represent the connection to home for all New Zealanders doing business or visiting Shanghai”, he says.

The 4.8kg greenstone came from Ngāti Waewae, a West Coast hapū from the South Island tribe Ngāi Tahu.

The pounamu has been named Te Hononga – The Connection to Home.

“Having heard that the current Shanghai offices are relatively new, it is only right that our home away from home should be appropriately imbued with mauri to maintain the important link to New Zealand”, says Mr Flavell.

Mr Flavell, who is in China to promote cultural and commercial relationships between the two countries, says the kōhatu (stone) will be displayed at the entrance to the Shanghai office.

Mr Flavell says the consulate office in Shanghai has supported the Minister’s trade mission with its program and will host the special ceremony for the mauri stone.

“I’m proud to lead this delegation of Māori exporters to China and to support the New Zealand Consulate-General in Shanghai”, he says.

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