The eight tendrils of the guardian octopus ‘Te Wheke o Muturangi' will unite indigenous cultures for the Toi Kiri: World Indigenous Tattoo Culture 2022 this weekend at Whareroa Marae.

This international three-day event will host world class Tā Tatau and Tā Moko indigenous skin marking artists from today, September 23 to Sunday, September 25.

This is the third time the festival is being held in Tauranga Moana at Whareroa Marae and grounds in Mount Maunganui.

Te Tuhi Mareikura Trust chairperson Julie Paama-Pengelly says the festival serves two purposes.

'Firstly, it's the opportunity for indigenous people who are reviving their practices around skin marking – which are often embedded in art and cultural practices – to get together, share strategy, learnings, knowledge and techniques, and to plan for the future.

'The second part of the festival is about educating everybody else as to how our practices differ and why they're more than just designs.

Julie says the festival also teaches people that skin marking designs are not something separate from indigenous culture. 'They're embedded with what we do and we try discourage people commercialising and using them without that context.”

Julie encourages festival-goers to keep an eye out for Te Wheke o Muturangi – the guardian octopus – which has been designed especially for the event by Lucas Vargas of Art Body Creative Studio in the Mount.

She says Te Wheke comes from the concept that Tahiti is the centre of the octopus, where the eight legs are the navigation routes Māori ancestors took between outer islands like Hawaii and Aotearoa.

'The octopus is a conceptual representation of the currents that would've been navigated to get to all those islands, so Tahiti is the centre of our knowledge in some ways, and the centre of origins of the practices we all have connected as pacific cultures.”

Linda Munn, left, Julie Paama-Pengelly, Chontelle Hohaia and Ayesha Kee with the national Māori flag. Photo: John Borren/SunLive.

Exploring and appreciating different cultural worlds through skin marking and art Julie says: 'The community has a really unique opportunity to travel the world without actually leaving home.”

Toi Kiri will share a wonderful mix of live music and cultural performances for the public to enjoy too.

'We've got some really amazing acts.”

There will also be a variety of indigenous stalls offering art, clothing and delicious food throughout the festival.

'We are excited to have put together a whole cultural package where the true worth is in the sharing of real cultural experiences with each other and our community.”

The main public event will run from today at 1pm to Sunday, September 25, at 5pm at the Whareroa Marae and grounds, Mount Maunganui.

Tickets are $10 per day.

To pre-purchase your ticket visit: https://www.tetuhimareikura.org/event-details/toi-kiri-2022-festival.