The fern design

This fern, by designer Jean Voon, incorporates symbols from many of the cultures present in Aotearoa. It was first created for the Human Rights Commission and gifted to Tangata Tiriti for the publication of our book Tangata Tiriti – Treaty People: An Interactive Workbook on the Treaty of Waitangi.

We see it as an illustration of how each culture can maintain their identity while respecting the rights of tangata whenua and having a common framework for relating to each other: Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Jean explains more about the inspiration for the design and the meaning of the different elements in this article.