Ko te whakanui i ngā pukenga toi Māori te kaupapa o te pō o Ngā Tohu a Te Waka Toi 2008.

Rahi ake i te toru rau tāngata i whakarauika atu ki te Hōro o te taone o Te Whanganui ā Tara me ngā mananui o te ao toi pērā me te tuahine a Te Arikinui Kingi Tuheitia a Heeni Katipa, te Minita Tuarua mo ngā Toi me ngā Taonga a Judith Tizard me te Mema Paremata mō Te Tai Tonga a Mahara Okeroa.

E whitu ngā tohu, e rua hoki ngā karahipi i tākohatia e Te Waka Toi (te poari toi Māori o Creative New Zealand) ki ngā pukenga toi Māori. I whakawhiwhia ki a Iritana Tawhiwhirangi i Te Tohu Tiketike mo tana mahi nui mo ngā kōhanga reo. “Nō a tātou mokopuna ngā rangi o āpōpō,” tā Iritana Tawhiwhirangi.

E rima ngā tohu Tā Kingi Ihaka he whakanui i ngā pukenga toi e whakawhanake, e whakamau nei ki ngā toi Māori me ōna tikanga ka whakawhiwhia ki a:

Matakino Lawless (Te Arawa)

Rapiata Darcy Ria (Rongowhakaata)

Katerina Daniels (Te Arawa)

Rangiteremauri Tari (Tūhoe)

Kereni Bartlett (Ngāti Kahungunu)

Ko te Tohu Aroha mō Ngoi Pewhairangi he tohu nui mō te reo Māori ka riro ki a Merimeri Penfold (Ngāti Kuri).

Ka riro ki a George Henare (Ngāti Porou) i te Tohu Toi Kē mō tāna mahi nui ki te ao whakaari.

Ka riro ki a Waiana Jones (Te Arawa, Te Aupouri) me Aimee-Rose Stephenson (Ngāti Kahungunu, Rongowhakaata) i Ngā Karahipi a Te Waka Toi mō ngā tauira kura tuatoru e ū nei ki ngā toi Māori. He whā mano tāra te wāriu o ia karahipi kia pūāwai ai ngā toi Māori a ngā tau e tū mai nei.