This talanoa discussion, led by Professor Albert Refiti, will address the names by which Te Moana Nui a Kiwa has been known and consider alternatives that reflect the vast and interconnected histories and cultures of the region. It follows on from the 2019 talanoa “Salty Blood and Tears,” hosted by the Vā Moana Research Centre at Auckland University of Technology, inspired by the late Teresia Teaiwa’s assertion that “We sweat and cry salt water, so we know / that the ocean is really in our blood.”

The talanoa will be held in Elisapeta Hinemoa Heta’s ‘Ua Tafa Mai Ata: Matāli’i ki Wainuiātea. Heta’s architectural installation takes the form of a marae ātea, or public forum, that is inspired by the atua Wainuiātea, associated with the ocean. ‘Ua Tafa Mai Ata: Matāli’i ki Wainuiātea provides a context and structure from which the expansiveness of Moana Nui a Kiwa will be addressed.