2009 - present
Our whakatauakī ‘Ko tāku Manawa Ko tāu Manawa, from my heart to your heart’ reflects our intrinsic relationships with the whenua, Te Taiao, our wairua and our commitment to Kaitiakitanga as we are the present guardians and are entrusted to leave a sustainable future for the next generation of Māori health professionals. It is through these values of manaakitanga, whakapapa, wairua, mauri, mana and tapu that we fulfil our commitment to Te Ao Māori.
2004 - 2009
The stylised Rakau (tree) is used to represent growth and strength as an organisation-whanaungatanga.
The individual ‘branch/koru’ elements come together to make up the stylised tree, is a representation of Kotahitanga – unity, which is used to show the partnership between 2 (or more) parties.
Tikanga is planted deep within the foundations of Te Rūnanga o Aotearoa. The ‘roots’ of the tree symbolise Tikanga and the organisation’s pledge to demonstrate it in everything we do.
The tohu was designed by D’sign Nation Ltd an indigenous design company based in Porirua, Wellington.
1999 - 2004
The circle that encompasses the tohu represents the sun, it is significant to all races and cultures throughout the world as it is one of the life giving elements.
As NZNA and NZNU merged to become NZNO, members identified the need to have a ropu that represented Māori members and created an opportunity for Māori nurses to come together and to have a voice to address Māori issues.
In 1990 Te Rūnanga o Aotearoa was launched. As this ropu grew in numbers and in their ability to lead the organisation in things Māori, they identified the need to have a tohu that represented who they were and their place within NZNO. Whakaaro was shared and from this the first Te Rūnanga tohu was launched in August 1999.
In 2007, the Te Rūnanga National Executive Komiti in acknowledging the journey of NZNO and Te Rūnanga made the decision to commission a new tohu - one that they felt reflected our past, present and future aspirations, one that maintained our connection to NZNO but also allowed us to illustrate our identity as Māori.
On Saturday, 18 August 2007 Te Rūnanga held their National Annual General Hui at Takapuwahia Marae in Porirua. Mātua Rihari Wallace supported by Whaea Nola Tanner (an honorary life member of Te Rūnanga) led the “turning over” of our old tohu and the launch of our new tohu.