March 11, 2020
Airport terminal celebrates Puketapu history
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The original stories of Te Ātiawa and its Puketapu hapū are laid out in the design of a new airport terminal to be opened at New Plymouth Airport in Bell Block.
The building, called Hono, includes carvings and artworks by Rangi Skipper, and hapū secretary Fern Brand worked on the complex’s ecological and environmental design.
Puketapu spokesperson Anaru Wilkie says the hapū also has a member on the board of the New Plymouth District Council-owned airport company.
The airport is built over the original Puketapu pā, and the iwi was keen to ensure the new building honoured the site with features such as protecting a view shaft between Taranaki mounga and the sea.
"The planting of the whare is also about bringing plants that were part of our history, our kōrero. One of them is a koromiko, ngapuka hetarangi, a very bright red flower that we want to see growing on the ground again. We've collected a number of kōrero we want to see incorporated into the cultural narrative of this building," he says.
Hono also features a hapū-run retail store, Tatai, that will stock quality Māori products and crafts.
The official opening will take place next week.
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