Tohe Puku - Silent Protest

This tohu has alot of meaning for me. Abused children don't always have the outlet or ability to stop or speak out against their abuser, and often find a way to disengage. The two feathers represent arms being crossed in the front as if in a foetal position, a position of nurturing and safety, and going to that space. Here it is used as a symbol of protection and a "Silent Protest".

At the time this was being created, Ihumatao was also under protest, and it is appropriate also as a "Peaceful Protest", with the feathers reminiscent of Te Whiti and Tohu's use of the Raukura as a symbol for peaceful resistance against the confiscation of Māori land in 1881.