Contemporary Kete(baskets)
For Sale
In a City Design Store
Friday, April 10, 2009
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Seaside Church
This is the cute-as-a-button Whare Karakia (church) at Rapaki Marae. A Maori mission was established here and in 1865 when the Methodist missionary, Te Koti Te Rato moved to Rapaki, the local community built this little church on the rise above the beach. It opened on May 4, 1869 with a multi-denominational service with hymns sung in both Maori and English. It’s still used today for occasional services.
Whare Karakia, Rapaki, Banks Peninsular. March 2009. AjrIt’s a peaceful retreat tucked under giant trees and surrounded by a small cemetery. I sat awhile and thought about the photos of kaumatua hanging at the front of the church, wondering what their lives may have been like in 1869; and I admired the tukutuku panelling on the little altar and the shelves at the rear of the church, neatly stacked with old bibles.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Art Deco Maori
New Zealanders have always had a habit of doing things their way, so it should be no surprise to anyone that when inner city Napier was rebuilt in 1932 after the 1931 earthquake that claimed 258 lives, designers of the day incorporated Maori designs into some of the Art Deco buildings. Today Napier is lauded as one of the finest examples of mass Art Deco building in the world – and the only one that includes Maori design motifs.
All Photos: Napier Antiques Centre, 2008. Ajr There are four buildings in the city that include Maori design and by far the most impressive is the ASB Bank building which has a stunningly beautiful interior ceiling that features stylised red, black and white Maori designs in an amazing kowhaiwhai pattern. A matching frieze runs around the tops of the walls. I don’t have a photograph of that – yet – but I intend getting one on my trip to Napier next month. The outside of the building also features koru and zig-zag designs similar to those used in Maori weaving. They symbolise waves and represent Raumano (the whale). This combination of elements resembles the ancient aukati (barring the way) design but equally represents pure Art Deco design. The whale motif is continued in the bronze grille over the windows. In the meantime, I can show you these photos that I took on last year’s Napier visit. They’re from the exterior of the Napier Antiques Centre and, as unimpressive as they are as photographs, they do give you an idea of the combination of Art Deco and Maori design elements.
Recognising a Maori Presence
Victoria Square, Central Christchurch. March 2009. Ajr This is the painted totara pou (carved pole) carved by Christchurch’s Riki Manuel in 1994. It was commissioned by the Christchurch City Council in partnership with Nga Runanga ki Waitaha to commemorate the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi at Akaroa. He poupou tohu ahi-ka o Ngai Tahu – A mark of the long burning fires of Ngai Tahu. It stands in Victoria Square in the centre of Christchurch, close to statues of Captain Cook and Queen Victoria and celebrates the presence of Maori in Canterbury.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
More From the Food Files
2008 AjrContemporary Kai
A Toheroa Taste Treat
Courtesy of Ngai Tahu chef, Jason Dell
Another dish prepared for Ngai Tahu's Te Karaka Magazine
Meet the People - 9
All Images Supplied by Maori Tours, Kaikoura. Another in the Series Meet the People – Contemporary Maori Doing Ordinary and Extraordinary Things – Maurice Manawatu (Ngai Tahu, Ngati Kuri) is a man who cares deeply about his Maori culture. He is defined by it and he is passionate about giving visitors a deeper insight into how Maori have adapted to a modern world. Kaikoura is home to Maurice and his wife, Heather and their family and both were previously employed by the highly successful Whale Watch operation for thirteen years. They decided to set up their own tourism operation – Maori Tours - in 2001 to offer an authentic and personal Maori experience based around the Ngati Kuri people of Kaikoura. “We wanted to do it in a way that was real – a conversation-based, non-performance, behind-the-scenes look at what life is like for Maori, what struggles they face, what it is like for a pakeha to be married to a Maori. A lot of pakeha want to understand more about Maori traditions and Maori have an obligation to share that,” they say.
Their intimate ‘from the heart’ tour focuses on visits to ancient Maori pa sites, (there were once 14 fortified villages on the Kaikoura Peninsula), a look into Maori traditions and a bush walk to explore traditional use of trees and plants. Maurice and Heather begin by welcoming guests into their own home and Maurice tells the stories of his ancestors - stories that reinforce traditional and modern Maori life and the spiritual connections Maori have to their environment. He introduces his visitors to his favourite Kaikoura places; he gives them an introduction to weaving with harakeke (flax); he takes them on bush walks to explain the traditional uses of trees and plants as food and medicine; and in the end, he pulls out his guitar and encourages everyone to loosen up and sing along in true Maori fashion. It’s an encounter to remember and one that goes a long way towards breaking down cultural barriers. http://www.maoritours.co.nz/Traditional Designs - 6
Traditional Maori Design Motifson
Market Hats
For others in this series click on Traditional Designs in the label line below this posting
Monday, April 6, 2009
The Subtleties of Maori Tourism
When most people think of Maori tourism they think of kapa haka groups and song and dance performances; but Maori tourism has become a lot more sophisticated and it’s often much more subtle than that. The song and dance performances have an important role to play but there are enormous opportunities for Maori culture to be incorporated in a more understated manner. One company doing just that is Ngai Tahu Tourism, which now owns a wide range of tourism businesses from boating experiences to iconic guided walks, hot pools and eco-tourism adventures. I think immediately of their Dart River Jet Safaris, which whisk you 37 kilometres into the remote reaches of the Dart River in the deep-south and into the World Heritage Area of Mt Aspiring National Park at the base of the Southern Alps – and area frequented by early Maori hunting for highly-prized pounamu (greenstone). It is in the jet boat commentary that you get introduced to the Maori component of the venture – a commentary that talks of the mystery of the long lost treasure remembered by old Maori and recorded by the first European explorers; tales that tell of a sacred pounamu location known as Te Koroka.
Both Images Supplied by Dart River Safaris, Queenstown.
Up-river at Puia, passengers are told of the small temporary Ngai Tahu settlements that dotted the area; and of Puia, the site of a significant early Ngai Tahu settlement, which was used as the first stopping point from Te Koroka, further upstream. Early Maori would raft the stone downstream in mokihi (small rafts made from reeds) and stop at Puia to break the pounamu into more manageable pieces, which they would carry over the alpine passing, wearing nothing but paraerae (sandals) and tahau taupa (shin protectors) woven from the tough leaves of ti kouka (cabbage tree) to ward off the spiky Taramea (Spaniard Grass); and feather cloaks for warmth. The inaka pounamu (pale greenstone) from this region is very distinctive and was the most highly valued of all. It was transported to coastal settlements and fashioned into tools, weapons and jewellery and traded throughout New Zealand.
Te Koroka was eventually overtaken by more accessible West Coast pounamu sites and knowledge of 'the great rock taniwha with a tongue of pounamu spilling from its mouth’ was relegated to legend, although the story was preserved in the oral traditions of Ngai Tahu. It wasn’t until 1970 when a hunter named Tom Trevor found a boulder that he took back to Queenstown, that Te Koroka was rediscovered. That discovery was not made public until 1976 and investigations showed little had changed in the area since Ngai Tahu’s early visits. Today the area is protected by a topuni – a Maori custom where a person of chiefly status extands their mana (power and authority) and protection over an area or person. Entry to the sacred site is by written permit only – and a Dart River Jet Safari into the general locale is probably about as close as most people are ever going to get to it. www.dartriver.co.nz
Sunday, April 5, 2009
A Place of Significance
Castle Hill, Porter's Pass. Dec. 2008. Ajr The hefty limestone outcrops of Kura Tawhiti (Castle Hill), near Porter’s Pass - between the Torlesse and Craigeburn Ranges in the Southern Alps - are among my favourite places. Towering, sculptural, with an almost animate quality to them, they were used as shelters by early Maori navigating their way across the South Island along a network of trails….. hunters and gatherers visiting the rich food and fibre sources of the Waimakariri River basin. Some of the outcrops still show evidence of early rock drawings said to have been made over 500 years ago by the Waitaha people, the first Maori travellers in the area – but you have to know where to look and what to look for. The limestone valley is of special spiritual, cutlural and historical significance to Ngai Tahu and the area was declared a topuni ( a protective cover), in 1998 as part of the givernment's Treaty of Waitangi Settlement with Ngai Tahu.
Maori - The Old and the New
Te Puia, Rotorua. 2007 Ajr I was writing about Te Puia's weavers yesterday but it's also worth mentioning the stunning examples of traditional Maori buildings you'll find at Te Puia - one of Rotorua's major attractions. The whole place received a gorgeous NZ$20-million facelift in 2006-2007 and I happily spent about two hours walking around checking out the old (a replica of a traditional Maori village as shown above) and the new (modern in interactive touch-screen galleries that outline histores and legends). Te Puia is also home to the dramatic hissing and gushing of Pohutu Geyser, which erupts 10-25 times a day to up to 20-metres. www.tepuia.com
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Weavers at Work
Te Puia, Rotorua. 2007 Ajr I love watching Maori weavers at work. There's something quite mesmerising about watching their fingers fly as they deftly weave the strands of harakeke (flax) into often elaborate articles. I was in my element then, at Te Puia in Rotorua, when I visited during my last Frommers New Zealand trip in 2007. They are home to the marvellous New Zealand Maori Arts & Crafts Insitute, where you can watch art works being created in both the carving and the weaving schools. www.tepuia.com www.frommers.com
Friday, April 3, 2009
Inner City Marae
Rehua Marae, Christchurch. March 2009. Ajr It’s easy to miss Rehua Marae in central Christchurch, tucked away as it is, between grand old homes and modern townhouse complexes in comfortable St Albans. I came upon it unexpectedly when I was out biking a few days ago, so I stopped for a quick look around and a photo of two. Rehua began life on the other side of town as a hostel in the 1950s, accommodating young Maori apprentices who came to Christchurch under the Maori Apprentices Trade Training Scheme at Christchurch Polytechnic. The hostel moved to Rehua’s current site in 1952 and by 1955 the Methodist Church and Ngai Tahu elders had begun planning for a wharenui there. The construction and carving of Te Whatu Manawa Maoritanga o Rehua began in 1957 and at the time it was the first carved wharenui to be built in the South Island for over one hundred years. It was opened in 1960 as a wharenui representative of all the tribes of New Zealand, with interior carvings and tukutuku panelling completed by different Ngai Tahu runanga – the 1200 square feet of tukutuku panels for instance, was made (from fibre from Arahura in Westland), by the women of Rapaki, Taumutu, Wairewa and Otautahi. Today the wharenui is nestled into a leafy corner of the greater Rehua complex beside a pretty flax-bordered stream. It plays host for important gatherings, hui, tangihanga, parties of school children, political meetings and assorted tourism and church functions.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Plastic Maori
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Jacob Scott, Karanga (foreground) and Nga Mahanga (behind), 2009. Courtesy of TheNewDowse.jpg)
Jacob Scott, Karanga, 2009. Courtesy of TheNewDowse I can’t wait to get to Lower Hutt in the North Island to see what promises to be one of the most exciting exhibitions of contemporary Maori art I’ve seen in a long time. Plastic Maori is now showing at TheNewDowse. Curated by Blumhardt Foundation/Creative New Zealand Curatorial Intern, Reuben Friend (of Pakeha and Ngati Maniapoto/Tainui descent), this colourful extravaganza is an exhibition of works by fourteen Maori artists, who have taken plastic and other synthetic materials and created thought-provoking works that explore the issue of cultural authenticity in contemporary Maori art. From the development of stone tools soon after their arrival in New Zealand hundreds of years ago, the Maori have never shied away from new technology and this exhibition continues that tradition as it looks into the appropriation, commodification and mass production of Maori taonga (treasures).
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Says Reuben Friend: “Plastic Maori asks the viewer to consider what happens when synthetic materials replace the customary organic materials used in Maori art. Can a plastic hei tiki really be as valuable as a bone or greenstone hei tiki? Can laser cut sheets of Perspex replace carved wooden ancestral figures? Plastic Maori invites you to consider some of these issues and to observe how each of these artists has negotiated these matters in their art work.” The show includes vibrant and thought-provoking works like Gina Matchitt’s tukutuku panels made out of recycled computer keys; and resin tiki lollipops by Wayne Youle. Aroha Armstrong and Tawa Hunter of Rotorua’s Too Luscious, present resin jewellery based on customary Maori designs; and Christina Wirihana has used plexiglass, brass and plastic grip to weave korapa – the woven nets she used as a child to catch fresh water koura (crayfish). There’s much more – and you have plenty of time to get to Lower Hutt as the show runs to August 9, 2009. www.newdowse.org.nzThe work above – Michael Parekowhai, Pākāhā (the security guard), Kapa Haka Series (detail), 2003. Courtesy of TheNewDowse. "Pākāhā (brown) is one of 15 fibreglass sculptures from Parekowhai’s 2003 Kapa Haka series. These works were modelled after Parekowhai’s elder brother, who was working as a security guard at the time. Each sculpture is named after a colour and has that name written in te reo Maori on its security badge.”
Creative Kai
Eel Tacos, Wairewa. 2007. Ajr It’s some time since we visited the Wairewa Runanga at Mako Marae at Little River near Christchurch to spend the day with chef Jason Dell (Ngai Tahu, Ngati Wheke) and runanga kaumatua, cooking and talking about tuna (eel) for one of Te Karaka magazine's kai features. There’s been a long tradition of tuna harvest at Wairewa; and there’s always been an element of mystery about the tuna migration and strict tikanga has surrounded tuna harvest. They have traditionally been caught between February and April during the last quarter of the moon (hinepouri) when the nights were darker and the eels had begun moving down the streams and into Lake Wairewa, ready to migrate out to sea to spawn in the Pacific. Local whanau adhered to strict rules – food, drink and smoking were all banned from the drains and stepping across drains was equally frowned upon. When it came to producing a modern eel meal, Jason managed to surprise most of the kaumatua that day - they’ve been brought up with baked or boiled eel – perhaps some curried eel, or smoked – but never anything quite as exotic as warm eel salad with watercress, Maori potatoes and bacon; and never anything as tasty as smoked eel in parmesan tacos with shredded lettuce and vanilla mayonnaise (pictured above). Their decision was unanimous though – “it was all delicious, a real treat” – and as they reached for the last of the eel and roast pumpkin butties, they promised to go home and try something new with their own tuna. If you want to read more about traditional methods of drying eel, you can read a piece I wrote last week by clicking here.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
School's In!
After School Lessons for Koukourarata Tamariki. Image Supplied by Koukourarata Runanga Te Runanga o Koukourata, based at Port Levy on Banks Peninsular, have taken proactive steps to ensure that their young people are getting the educational help they need to enable them to map a path to a brighter future. They’ve funded an after-school programme of extra tuition for their tamariki (children), collecting them after school, driving them to the Kip McGrath Educational Centre in Christchurch and then returning them directly to their homes afterwards. The programme is now in its third year and those involved say the benefits have been numerous and the children have made significant gains in their learning. “We’ve been delighted with the results,” says Koukourarata project manager, Peter Ramsden (Ngai Tahu, Rangitane) pictured above (centre rear), with a group of the runanga children. “It’s been a real success story.”
Re-Creating the Old Ways
Image Supplied by Tamaki Maori Village, Rotorua. The Tamaki Maori Village just outside Rotorua is a re-created village that presents Maori life as it used to be – complete with buildings, carving, weaving, singing, dance, moko (tattooing) and traditional welcomes. Night visitors are also treated to Maori kapa haka performances and a traditional hangi meal. This photograph shows a traditional pataka or storehouse to the left of the warrior performing a traditional challenge. www.maoriculture.co.nz
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Meet the People - 8
Another in the Series Meet the People – Contemporary Maori Doing Ordinary and Extraordinary Things – Christchurch-based Maori artist, Rua Pick (Waitaha, Ngati Ruapekapeka) creates works “of the spirit, for the spirit – timeless stories of sky, land and sea.” Rua grew up in Northland in the Bay of Islands surrounded by Maori myths and legends, the ocean and living traditions. He always had an interest in mythology, whether it be Maori or Greek and his continued interest in the dramas and foibles of the human condition are now played out in oils on canvas. Selwyn Wilson, one of the country’s first Maori art teachers, was influential during his Bay of Islands High School years. Rua later moved to Christchurch (after a two-year stint in Raglan) to study for a year at Ilam School of Fine Arts at Canterbury University.
Now 40, he has been working fulltime as an artist since 2000 and when he’s not painting in his upstairs Toko Mata Studio and Gallery in inner city Christchurch, he’s out exploring the land, “getting a feel for the land where the early stories were set.” One of his favourite spots is the limestone valley of Castle Hill, near Porter’s Pass “considered in Waitaha myth to be Te Whare Kohanga or the sacred nest of the sandstone grandmother. He also visits South Island Maori rock drawing sites, which have been a continuing inspiration for many of his paintings. Rua has exhibited extensively in group and solo shows throughout New Zealand; he’s been a finalist in the Wallace Trust Awards numerous times; and a number of his works illustrated the book “Whispers of Waitaha – Traditions of a Nation.” He’s currently guest artist at a show at Nelson’s Suter Art Gallery (until April 26) and if you click on Rua Pick in the index line below, you’ll see some of the works in his studio stairwell. You’ll also find many more of his paintings on his website - www.ruapick.vc.net.nz 
Monday, March 30, 2009
Maori History Storehouse
Rotorua Museum. 2007. Ajr Quite apart from being a stunningly beautiful building, Rotorua Museum of Art & History is a storehouse of Maori history. The new Don Stafford Wing opened in 2008 houses exhibitions that focus on the Te Arawa people, much of the mountainous and volcanic geography that was sacred to them, along with an exhibition that details the history and war time achievements of the 28th Maori Battalion. The Te Arawa people can lay claim to starting tourism in New Zealand. Back in 1860 the Tuhourangi people were already organising day trips to the famous Pink and White Terraces of Lake Rotomahana – Te Otukapuarangi and Te Terata and Guide Rangi is remembered as an early Rotorua tourism icon. If you can’t get to Rotorua any time soon – which is a shame; it’s one of my favourite places, complete with all it’s smelly sulphurous air – you can check out much of that fascinating history by clicking on to their website – www.rotoruamuseum.co.nz or www.tearawa.iwi.nz
Sunday, March 29, 2009
New Marae, New Era
The New Marae Under Construction at Rapaki. March 2009. Ajr Building is forging ahead on the new Rapaki Marae Development Project. I drove by the construction site a few days ago. The roof is on, the windows are about to go in and the actual building is due for completion by the end of May. Then it’s down to the business of interior decoration. Christchurch carvers, Fayne Robinson (Ngai Tahu) and Riki Manuel (Ngati Porou) are completing all the interior and exterior carvings; and Rapaki weaver, Doe Parata will oversee the weaving of tukutuku panels. The new marae replaces the old Te Wheke Hall and sits on a grassy knoll overlooking the sandy crescent and rocky foreshore of Rapaki Bay, over the Port Hills from Christchurch. The new development is due for completion in November 2009.
Learning the Language
Sign. 2008. Ajr I came upon this sign some time ago. I can't remember where but I thought it a cute tool for helping children learn Te Reo (Maori language).
Roughly translated
- harikoa=happiness
- pukuriri=anger
- pouri=sadness
- mauiui=sickly/tired
- hiamoe=sleepy
- hoha=bored
- rangirua=uncertain
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Cloaked in History
Kaitorete Spit, Banks Peninsular. Aerial view. Feb. 2009. Ajr This is an aerial view of Kaitorete Spit on Banks Peninsular that I took from a plane window on my way to Dunedin recently. It’s a place that intrigues me because of its fascinating history and its associations with early Maori. It was back in 2004 that one of the country’s most significant textile finds was unearthed here – tiny fragments of a Maori cloak carbon dated at around 1500AD, making it two centuries older than any cloak ever before found in New Zealand. (The oldest known cloak prior to the Kaitorete Spit find was a 17th century example unearthed in a Fiordland cave). Kaitorete Spit is around 6000 years old and is known to be one of the most ecologically and culturally important sites in New Zealand. It contains a remarkable collection of plants, several rare species of insects, reptiles and birds and it is of significant cultural value to Ngai Tahu for the fact that over 500 archaelogical sites – many of them ancient ovens and tool-making areas - have been found there. Archaeologists have also unearthed the charred remains of a small shelter, stones tools, a flounder midden, evidence of cooking ovens, pieces of kokowai (red ochre) traditionally used by Maori for painting and decorating, a second cloak fragment, pieces of woven sleeping mat, albatross bones, tools, pieces of roof thatch, part of a woven belt and a 600mm long segment of carved wood. All have been removed from the site and restored within the controlled environment of Canterbury Museum. www.canterburymuseum.com
Traditional Designs - 5
Traditional Maori Design Motifson
Contemporary Tee-Shirts
For others in this series click on Traditional Designs in the label line below this posting
Friday, March 27, 2009
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