Willa Black Prints NZ - Waiata and Story
Tūtira Mai Ngā Iwi
The story behind one of Aotearoa's most loved waiata - who wrote it, what it means, and why the correct wording matters.
Few waiata are as instantly recognisable across Aotearoa as Tūtira Mai Ngā Iwi. For generations, New Zealanders have sung it at schools, marae, sports events and community gatherings. Yet many people do not know the full story behind it - or that for decades, much of the country has been singing parts of it incorrectly.
Written by Canon Wi Te Tau Huata
Tūtira Mai Ngā Iwi was written in the 1950s by Canon Wiremu Te Tau Huata - often known as Canon Wi Te Tau Huata - a respected Anglican minister, military chaplain and influential Māori leader of Ngāti Kahungunu.
Huata composed the waiata while travelling with his children near Lake Tūtira in Hawke's Bay. As the story goes, he would sing lines aloud while driving and his children would repeat them back, helping shape the waiata as they travelled. Over time, the song spread widely through schools and communities across New Zealand, eventually becoming one of the country's most widely sung waiata.
Behind the familiarity is a deeply important Māori story of authorship, language and cultural integrity.
Why the correct wording matters
One of the most important conversations surrounding Tūtira Mai Ngā Iwi emerged when Ngatai Huata - daughter of the composer - publicly explained that many New Zealanders had unknowingly been singing incorrect lyrics for decades. Because the waiata was distributed widely through school resources without proper consultation or crediting, mistakes entered printed versions over time.
Ngatai Huata has worked to restore and protect the correct wording as originally written by her father. This is more than correcting pronunciation or spelling - it is about respecting authorship, whakapapa and the integrity of te reo Māori. For Māori communities, waiata are not simply songs. They carry history, identity and connection. Getting the words right matters because language itself carries meaning, genealogy and cultural memory.
When we honour the words correctly, we honour the people, stories and whakapapa behind them too.
A waiata about unity
At its heart, Tūtira Mai Ngā Iwi is a waiata about unity. The repeated line "Tātou tātou e" means "All of us together." The waiata encourages people to stand side by side in harmony and collective strength.
That message is part of why the song continues to resonate so strongly - especially during moments where connection and togetherness matter most. For many Māori, the waiata also reflects the importance of kotahitanga - unity, solidarity and shared purpose.
Stand together. Move together. Sing together.
Why it still matters today
Part of the power of Tūtira Mai Ngā Iwi is its accessibility. People across generations know it. Children learn it early. Entire crowds can sing it together within seconds. But beneath that familiarity is something deeper.
The waiata reminds people of the importance of standing together - whether through celebration, grief, protest, sport or community gathering. It has become woven into the cultural fabric of Aotearoa because its message remains timeless. In moments of challenge, New Zealanders often return to waiata like this because music creates connection in ways ordinary conversation sometimes cannot.
Best for: understanding why waiata remain one of the most powerful expressions of Aotearoa identity.
Waiata as art, story and identity
Waiata are living cultural taonga. They preserve stories, language and emotion across generations. That is part of why Māori waiata continue to inspire contemporary art and design throughout Aotearoa.
Lyrics, whakataukī and visual storytelling rooted in te ao Māori create artwork that feels grounded in identity and belonging rather than passing trends. For many people, surrounding themselves with meaningful Māori art at home is a way of staying connected to language, whakapapa and culture in everyday life - keeping the waiata present even when there is no one singing.
Best for: homes that want to hold culture, language and memory visibly in their everyday space.
Tūtira mai ngā iwi
Tātou tātou e
Tūtira mai ngā iwi
Tātou tātou e
Whaia te māramatanga
Me te aroha
E ngā iwi
Tātou tātou e
A contemporary art print celebrating one of Aotearoa's most loved waiata. Whether displayed in a living space, classroom, office or gifted to whānau, this artwork acts as both a design piece and a cultural reminder of unity, language and connection. It sits beautifully alongside the wider Māori Waiata collection and makes a deeply meaningful gift for anyone with a connection to te ao Māori and the spirit of kotahitanga.
View this print →"Art inspired by waiata carries emotional weight because people already hold personal memories connected to the songs themselves. When those words are brought into visual form, the artwork becomes memory, identity and story held visibly within a space." Willa Black Prints
Waiata hold memory in a way other art cannot
A waiata can remind someone of school assemblies, kapa haka, marae gatherings, grandparents and whānau, celebrations and milestones, and moments of unity and belonging. When those words are brought into visual form, the artwork becomes more than decoration. It becomes memory, identity and story held visibly within a space - present every day without needing to be spoken aloud.
Language on the wall keeps culture alive
Displaying te reo Māori in the home is a quiet but meaningful act of cultural connection. For whānau with children, it normalises the language in everyday life. For those learning te reo, it keeps words and phrases present. For anyone with a connection to Aotearoa, it is a daily reminder that language is living - and worth preserving with care.
A meaningful gift for any occasion
Waiata art prints make deeply thoughtful gifts for people with a connection to Māori culture, te reo Māori, or the specific waiata itself. For teachers, a classroom print of Tūtira Mai Ngā Iwi creates a cultural anchor in the learning space. For whānau, it celebrates shared heritage. For friends marking a new home or milestone, it carries meaning that generic wall art simply cannot.
Explore the full Māori Waiata collection
The Willa Black Māori Waiata collection celebrates some of the most meaningful and recognisable waiata in Aotearoa through modern Māori-inspired design. Each print brings a different waiata into visual form - offering a way to hold language, story and cultural connection on the wall in a way that feels both contemporary and deeply grounded in te ao Māori.
Honouring authorship is part of buying well
The story of Tūtira Mai Ngā Iwi is also a reminder that Māori cultural knowledge deserves care, respect and accuracy. When we choose art rooted in te ao Māori, we are making a choice about what we value. Supporting work that honours authorship, whakapapa and the integrity of te reo Māori - rather than borrowing from it carelessly - is part of what it means to buy with intention.
Willa Black Prints NZ
Bring waiata, story and connection into your home.
Explore the Tūtira Mai Ngā Iwi print and the full Māori Waiata collection - made to order and shipped across NZ and Australia.
