NZ Olympic Team Honour Pounamu Journey With Inaugural Winter Wānanga
For the past 20 years, each Olympic and Paralympic team member has been gifted a pounamu pendant carved by Ngāi Tahu Pounamu, to help unite and inspire athletes while competing for their country.
Five NZ Team Olympic athletes and one Paralympic athlete to Milano Cortina attended the wānanga alongside Chefs de Mission Marty Toomey and Jane Stevens. The two-day cultural immersion was created to give athletes and staff a deeper cultural understanding and connection to Poutini Ngāi Tahu, pounamu, and te ao Māori, through shared learning, reflection, and whakawhanaungatanga.
The Winter Wānanga marked a significant milestone in the New Zealand Team's ongoing commitment to upholding a team culture of manaaki with a programme centred around three themes - People, Place, and Pounamu.
Athletes were immersed in the whakapapa of pounamu, including the creation, artistry, sustainability and its significance as a taonga shared across Olympic and Paralympic campaigns.
Olympic gold medallist Zoi Sadowski-Synnott said she felt incredibly grateful for the opportunity to learn more about the meaning and history of pounamu.
'The pounamu we receive at the Games is incredibly special, but having this experience gives us a deeper understanding of what it truly represents,' she said.
'This is the first time I've ever been a part of something like this, and it's really special to have been welcomed so warmly, with Poutini Ngāi Tahu sharing their history, culture and family with us.'
Ngāi Tahu Operations Manager Chantal Tumahi says it was a full circle moment to host the inaugural wānanga, marking the first time athletes have had input into the design of the pendants that will be made for the Milano Cortina Winter Games.
'Pounamu connects the wearer to whenua (place), whānau (people) and whakapapa (ancestry). When gifted to our Olympic athletes pounamu becomes a powerful symbol of connection - grounding them in Aotearoa, reminding them of where they come from and linking them to one another.
'All pendants gifted to NZ Team and Paralympic athletes are carved from a single piece of Pounamu. This shared origin unites every New Zealand Olympic and Paralympic athlete, binding them through the mauri (life force) of the stone. When one athlete wears their pounamu they carry with them the strength, support, and presence of every other athlete – a permanent bond forged through the enduring nature of pounamu.'
Pounamu is a cornerstone of Te Kapa o Aotearoa, the New Zealand Team. It is a prized taonga that has become a symbol of pride, mana, and excellence for all Olympic and Paralympic athletes of Aotearoa New Zealand.
Pounamu holds deep spiritual and cultural significance to Ngāi Tahu. The taonga is a powerful representation of identity, ancestry and connection to people and place. As kaitiaki of all pounamu within their takiwā (territory) Poutini Ngāi Tahu have a deep responsibility to protect and preserve the mana of the stone. Pounamu plays a vital role in maintaining traditions, upholding cultural practices and supporting the aspirations of Poutini Ngāi Tahu.
For the first time since it was presented to the New Zealand Team by Ngāi Tahu Pounamu in 2004, the mauri stone, a symbol of life force and spiritual connection to Aotearoa, returned home to the Arahura river, carrying with it the collective energy, stories and mana of every athlete who has represented our nation on the world stage.
'It was very humbling to return the New Zealand Team mauri stone to its home in Arahura, to replenish the mauri of the stone and strengthen the relationship of NZOC and Poutini Ngāi Tahu as kaitiaki of the stone,' said Nicki Nicol, CEO of the NZOC.
The Winter Wānanga marked a meaningful step in the New Zealand Team's cultural journey, deepening athletes' connection to pounamu and home.
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