Ahikāroa - Keep it Lit 2021

Ahikāroa, Māori concept of title to land through the ‘burning fires of occupation’, imagines a natural progression of an alternative New Zealand post-colonial history, one of Māori visual narrative and architectural dominance. ‘Keep it lit’, reminds us to continue bringing to the fore of National and cultural identity, our Māori visual cultural inheritance. The term ‘Ahikāroa’ translates as; ahi - fire, kā - burning, roa - long. In every Māori village there was at least one fire that was kept burning at all times, being there was no matches, it was extremely important that each whanau group maintain their fire, night and day. Fire was a gift from Mahuikā, a sign of life and a symbol of mana whenua, the stories and the people. Ahikāroa was the closest understanding Māori had of land ownership.

An Empire of landscape is evidenced in the ongoing ascendancy of western architectural dominance in Aotearoa which prioritises, in the Nations’ psyche, the traditions, stories and histories of the dominant western traditions, to the detriment of indigenous identity. Ahikāroa Imagines an alternative Māori reality that claims common acceptance of Māori historical narrative in books, games and dominant visual culture. Ahikāroa casually accepts Māori architectural dominance, designed in part around a popular New Zealand board game ‘Cathedral’. Developed as a game in 1962 by Bob Moore, a young pilot in the Royal New Zealand Airforce at Wigram Airbase in Christchurch, from finding the Christchurch Cathedral an easy landmark during his training exercises. The game works to capture territory to allow you to place all of your game pieces, while preventing your opponent from doing likewise. 

Ahikāroa can be played in the same manner* but, with alternative, underlying premise. Each piece has its own ideological value and historical significance in Māori architectural and socio-political development. Māori architecture is duplicated for the black and red player, not as adversaries, but to signify the symbolic balance of duality underlying Maori belief as expressed in the tradition of kōwhaiwhai painting red or black, to expose the white spaces. When presented with game board, Ahikāroa can be played *Players note. Cathedral is ‘broken’ as a major first move essentially sets up a series of forking moves that either gives the first player lots of territory, or gives the first player some territory, while scattering the second player's pieces. This move can always be constructed, no matter how the neutral cathedral piece is initially placed, and the second player will be unable to recover from either resulting position. To combat this it is suggested that Mataatua is placed after the first player makes their initial move, followed by the second player making their move.

Mataatua Wharenui - ‘the house that came home’ (white); Te Temepera o Ratana (1ea black/red); Miringa Te Karaka (1ea black/red); Tūrongo whare (1ea black/red); Tūrangawaewae Whare (1ea black/red); Tapu Te Ranga Marae (1ea black/red); Hiona Zion - Rua Kenana (1ea black/red); Wharekai + Wharenpaku (1 ea black/red); Wharenui + Wharekōrero (2ea black/red); Wharewaka (2ea black/red); Wharepuni (2ea black/red); Pātaka (2ea black/red) + 29 pieces

Game can be site installed and played.
Total area of the game is 2000 X 2000mm, recommended for a 2000 x 2000 mm tile chessboard base.
Rules are included.
One only available for sale

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