09/10/2026
✨Last week our Annual Conference confirmed two regional name changes! Let's celebrate Te Tai Tokerau and Te Matau a Māui - formerly Northland and Hawkes Bay regions.
🪝Te Matau a Māui, which translates to "The Fishhook of Māui" aligns the naming of the PPTA's region with the traditional Māori name eastern coastline of the North Island, including the region now called Hawkes Bay. For mana whenua, Te Matau-a- Māui is far more than a place name; it reflects whakapapa, mātauranga Māori, and the enduring relationship between people and their environment. The use of this name honours the identity and narratives that have been embedded in the region across generations.
🌊 The region of Te Tai Tokerau covers a large geographical area, formerly split into upper, lower, and central regions. The new names utilise the structural components of a waka "Te Kei" (The Stern), "Te Haumi" (The Joining Piece), and "Te Ihu" (The Prow) o Te Tai Tokerau. These components symbolise unity, collective alignment, and navigating forward together as a unified region.