A petition to get the Tino Rangatiratanga flag added as an emoji is gaining traction, driven by a rangatahi who believes it is a crucial step towards cultural representation online.
The idea for the petition came to Leah Heremia (Ngāti Kahungunu ki Heretaunga, Ngāitai ki Tōrere) after trying to use the Tino Rangatiratanga flag in a social media post and realising it was not available.
“I hesitated to start it as I was only 17 and wasn’t sure I had what it took to do something like that but then recently with the power of our Toitū Te Tiriti movement, it inspired me to start it up.”
The petition aims to raise awareness and promote the inclusion of Māori culture on global digital platforms.
“The Tino Rangatiratanga flag is not just a symbol, it is a powerful representation of our culture, our identity and our history. Yet, our flag is not included in the set vocabulary of emojis, a universal language used by billions of people across the globe daily.”
Heremia said having this emoji “would be one small step to more inclusion of indigenous and for Māori to be known across the world”, and she believed it would be “very good timing” for everyone to use online alongside the Toitū Te Tiriti movement.
Heremia also said that Te Pāti Māori MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi Clarke’s “powerful movements” in Parliament are spreading Te Ao Māori across the world, and using this emoji as a sign of support on digital platforms can add to that.
“Stuff like that is just an extra boost towards the recognition that is deserved for Māori.”
While the petition has already gathered over 3700 signatures, Heremia said the goal is to collect “as many as possible”.
She said this is because Unicode, the organisation responsible for approving emojis, requires proof that there is high demand for an emoji before it can be added.
“If it stays at 3700, I’ll still go ahead with it, because I don’t want anyone’s efforts to go to waste.”
The young Māori advocate has also contacted Linda Munn, the last surviving designer of the iconic Tino Rangatiratanga flag, to seek permission before moving forward with the petition.
“Until she gives me permission, I won’t move forward with it.”
With the petition continuing to grow in support, Heremia is hopeful that the Tino Rangatiratanga flag will soon be added to the set of emojis that represent the “rich diversity of the world’s cultures”.
The flag was unveiled in 1990 on Waitangi Day. Photo / RNZ, Layla Bailey-McDowell
What is the Tino Rangatiratanga flag?
The creation of the Tino Rangatiratanga flag began in 1989, when the members of Te Kawariki, a political group, launched a flag competition.
Hiraina Marsden, Jan Dobson, and Linda Munn created what we know now as the ‘Tino Rangatiratanga’, and Munn owns the copyright.
Talking to Te Ahi Kaa in 2017, Munn said: “[The media] always talk about myself, Jan and Hiraina being the creators, but you know for me there were a lot of people behind this, and a lot of them are not with us anymore”.
The flag was first unveiled on Waitangi Day in 1990, the 150th commemoration of the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Munn said Tino Rangatiratanga is a set of values she has always lived by.
“Even if you’re not Māori we should all have a choice on how we live our life … But for us, Tino is foremost about moving Māori forward. That symbol is ours. It doesn’t have a colonised design. It’s not just for hīkoi,” Linda told Te Ahi Kaa.
Leah Heremia said she is a "proud Māori" and the Tino Rangatiratanga flag 'is not just a symbol, it is a powerful representation of our culture, our identity and our history'. Photo / RNZ, Emma Andrews
What do the colours represent?
Outlined in the original poster - ‘The Maori Flag, a symbol of liberation and identity’ - in 1990, it said black represents Te Korekore, the realm of potential being. It symbolises the long darkness from which the world emerged, representing the heavens and the male element-formless, floating, and passive.
White represents Te Ao Mārama, the realm of being and light, the physical world. It symbolises purity, harmony, enlightenment, balance, and the rising air.
The koru represents the unfolding of new life, renewal, and the promise of hope for the future. It can also be interpreted as a depiction of white cloud masses over Aotearoa.
Red represents Te Whei Ao, the realm of coming into being. It symbolises the female element: active, flashing, and emergent. It is associated with south, forests, land, gestation, and spirals. Red represents Papatūānuku, the Earth Mother, the sustainer of all living things. Red is also the colour of earth, from which the first human was created.
At the bottom of the poster it said: “The design represents the balance of natural forces with each other. To live is to live with nature. To appreciate life is to understand nature.”
