He tokotoko kaitiaki, he tokotoko kōrero

On wānanga, especially in the ngahere, you will find Aroora kaimahi carrying tokotoko or rākau with them. Carved by renowned Ngāti Wai carver Te Kaurinui Parata, these tokotoko have been crafted from the same Pōhutakawa rākau as CLM's Te Hukātai o Kāhu Kōrako. They serve a number of functions; they can be used as physical aids to assist participants should the need arise, as well as clear the path for the group spiritually as we traverse Te Waonui-a-Tāne. Additionally, the carvings on our tokotoko are very useful aids in sharing many of our traditional stories.

One last point of interest; you'll note there are 7 cream dots painted on the shaft of our tokotoko, these are references to the 7 tikanga of Aroora, act as depth measuring points for crossing a river, and can theoretically (although untested) assist in detection at low light as their paint glows in the dark.

An introduction to our tokotoko and example of the narrative associated with them below.

Te tokotoko Kāhu
Like the whakatauki, ‘Te haaro o te kāhu ki tuawhakararere' (View the future with the insight of a hawk), this rākau reminds us to always look ahead ensuring we choose the right path. The kāhu sits atop tiki that remind us of our connection to Te Moananui-a-Kiwa and is also a nod the Aroora kaupapa's foundation story when the last words of the Aroora framework and booklet was completed and a Kāhu landed beside the author's writing desks window.

Te tokotoko Kukupa
Like the whakatauki, ‘E kore te miro e rere ki te kukupa, engari ko te kukupa ka rere ki te miro’ (The miro berry does not fly to the kukupa, the kukupa flies to the berry.), this rākau reminds us that we must actively pursue the taonga that we desire, be it knowledge, or worldly possessions. It gives us a reference point to explore the Kukupa's inherent importance to the ngahere,and the lessons we can take from this knowledge. The kukupa sits atop the pou Māui referencing its relationship to this tupuna in traditional narrative. For the author this rākau also reminds him of his whakapapa connection to Taiāmai and the whakatauki ‘ka kata ngā pūriri o Taiāmai’.

Te tokotoko Ruru
Like the two tiki that our Ruru sits atop there are two whakatauki that capture the essence of this rākau. Te manu huna ā Tāne (The hidden bird of Tāne) reminds us that not everything is in plain sight and at times we must hunt for the truth below the surface of what we see or hear.
He Ruru noho motu (The owl who lives deep in the forest) is often used to reflect someone of a reclusive nature however another interpretation of this whakatauki is that it points to the importance of fostering your self-reliance or your mana motuhake. The two tiki can also remind us of the dual nature of waitahi (the physical realm) and wairua (the spiritual realm). Lastly the Ruru is a nod again to the Aroora kaupapa's origin story, where when it's author sitting under a tree writing the 7 tikanga of Aroora a Ruru flew down and sat beside him.
Te tokotoko Hōkioi me te Kawekaweau.
Slightly different from the other rākau this tokotoko was carved specifically to represent the author's whakapapa. At the top sits an eagle representing the haukainga of his Pākehā tūpuna who lived in the Orkney Islands north of Scotland. Linklater is a habitual Orcadian placename (and surname) that can be found a couple miles from the archeologicaly famous Tomb of the eagles.
At the bottom of the rākau, close to Papatuānuku, is a Kawekaweau a kaitiaki of Te Roroa and Waipoua.

Te tokotoko Kakahi (not pictured)
Carved specifically for Jamille, at first glance this rākau might look out of place in the ngahere as it has a Kakahi or Orca carved on it. However this rākau reminds us of the connection between Tāne and Tangaroa, reminds us of the relationship between the Tohorā and the Kauri, and reminds us of the interconnected nature of the land and sea.
It is also a cheeky nod to Jamilles preference for the ocean over the mountain.