Hine Ata

Hine Ata is a daughter of Tama-nui-te-Ra (the Sun) and is known as the morning maiden. She is closely associated with the star Kopu (Venus) because Venus signifies the presence of a new day.

"Wahine are seen as the Sacred House of Humanity (Te Whare Tangata). We are the vessels moving within the genetic river of time, holding the future, carrying forward one generation to the next. And like the flowing of this ancient 'river of time', which signifies the immortality of human existence, so is the birth and cycle of each new dawn. The rhythmic melodies of Te Koki (Dawn Chorus) welcomes in each new day - awakening the world to refreshed potential and possibilities."

Acknowledgement: Te Awa Atua: Menstruation in the pre-colonial Maori World - Ngahuia Murphy