It’s cool to kōrero — Sept 2024 – Kaitiaki Nursing New Zealand

Whero (red) is one of the three colours that make up the design work on kōwhaiwhai panels. This kōwhaiwhai is on the rafters of the Ngāti Maru wharenui, Hotonui, which was built in 1878, and is now at the Auckland War Memorial Museum. Photo by Kahuroa, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=796807

The tino rangatiratanga flag, worn by one of its three designers Linda Munn. Whero (red) is one of the three colours that make up the flag, and in this context stands for coming into being and life, and Papatūānuku, the earth mother. Photo: Courtesy New Zealand Herald

Pūtau toto whero — red blood cells. Photo: Adobe Stock

Haere mai and welcome to the September “it’s cool to kōrero” column. We’re now looking at colours, the first one being whero, which in te reo Māori means red.

Kupu hou (new word)

Whero (red)
He whero tāku waka hou. — My car is red.

How to pronounce this correctly, with the help of co-editor Renee Kiriona:

Whero is an important colour in Māori culture — it is associated with power and nobility, and also with fire and passion. It can also symbolise the bloodlines of Māori people and their connection to the earth.

And along with pango (black) and mā (white), whero is also one of the main colours used in kōwhaiwhai panels in ancestral meeting houses.

The same three colours are used in the tino rangatiratanga flag, with whero representing coming into being, life and Papatūānuku, the earth mother.

Ringa whero is another word for rangatira (chief). It literally means “red hands” — this is because traditionally the body and hands of a rangatira would be smeared with red ochre.

Whakataukī

Ma pango ma whero, ka oti te mahi. — With black and with red, the work is completed.

This is about how important it is to work together to get something done. Whero (red) refers to the leaders and pango (black) to the workers or the community.

Other words and phrases related to whero include:

Ringa whero – a chief or leader
Pūtau toto whero – red blood cell
Rīpeka Whero – Red Cross
Rīpene whero – red ribbon or red tape
Nīko whero – red cabbage
Pūwhero – to blush (ie to be red or pink)

E mihi ana ki a Renee Kiriona rāua ko Mairi Lucas.

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Uncut – news briefs

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