"Serve & Protect" by Tamaora Walker.

Piece stands at: 400mm (h) x 360mm (w)

Shield form. A tool of defence and protection. A symbol of family lineage, an extension of one’s self.
Manaia. Kaitiaki/Guardian, celestial knowledge, the core principles of protection and preservation.
Multiple Koru. A representation of people, our environment, and the balance of all things in the natural world.

This taonga talks about how it is our responsibility to gather and use the knowledge and the tools needed to keep the health and well-being of the people and our environment paramount. Creating a safe and sustainable way of living for future generations; knowledge of the past uphold the present and creates what is yet to come. "For one to be whole, first, he must know who he descends from, what he has done, where he is going, and why, to then be fully invested in himself, his family, his community, and his future."