The Pathway to the Sunrise

It was a sunny morning at 10.30am when I finally pulled into this rest area overlooking spectacular Waiotahi Beach not far from Opotiki. I had set off that morning from Rotorua and was heading for Te Kaha at the top of East Cape for my first overnight cape stay. It was a 4-5 hour journey that ended up taking me nine hours, due to the fact that I kept stopping to photograph marae, churches and the stunning beaches that make up this beautiful coastline. On that note, may I add that if you haven’t been around East Cape, you really must – especially if you’re interested in Maori culture. You’ll see dozens of marae and some of the most spectacular Maori carving in all of New Zealand.

But back to these beautiful powhenua, also called pou, or poupou (carved poles), which I didn’t photograph all that well thanks to the bright morning sun in my eyes. Standing side by side on the rise above the beach at Paerata and called Te Ara kit e Rawhiti – The Pathway to the Sunrise, they tell the story of both the Pakeha and Te Whakatohea histories of the area. They were carved by local Master Carver, Heke Collier of Opotiki and were originally unveiled in 1991 near the Waiotahi River Mouth. They were moved to this location, just off State Highway 2, in 1996.
I spent some time here. There was no one else about but for a few passing cars and the lone seagull that looked down on me from the top of one of the pou. Waves were crashing onto the beach and I had plenty of time to think about the Te Whakatohea iwi (tribe), its six hapu (sub-tribes) and the rich bounty – fish, birds, shellfish, forest, eels – that have sustained its people over generations. Like much of the East Cape region, there’s a lovely sense of ‘paradise lost’ about the place and it’s always a wonder to me that more people haven’t discovered it. www.whakatohea.co.nz

The Back Cupboards

New Zealand photographer, filmmaker, artist and designer, Neil Pardington (Ngai Tahu, Ngati Mamoe, Ngati Waewae & Scottish descent), opens his amazing show The Vault at Christchurch Art Gallery tonight. I’ve been looking forward to this exhibition for months for it brings together all the things I love – museums and especially museum storerooms, photography, taxidermy, artefacts, collections, the notion of memory and stored histories – they’re all there in beautiful, brilliant images that resonate with a million of my own stored memories. I collected everything as a child and my father made me little glass-fronted cases for storing my birds’ egg collection, my butterflies, my pressed leaves and flowers, my seed and nut collection, my stone and gemstone collections. How I never ended up working in a museum I’ll never know – but it’s no surprise to me that one of my sons does. (He’s at Auckland Museum).

That aside, Neil Pardington’s ‘Vault is another matter entirely – a brilliant ‘expose’ of the behind-the-scenes artefacts and collections in storage. He got the idea for the photographic series while he was working behind the scenes at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa and it has been a work in progress ever since, as he has explored the vaults, archives and basements of museums, art galleries, archives, banks, libraries and hospitals – “my focus is on places we store those things that are precious to us and conversely, those very similar spaces we store the obsolete and unwanted,” he has said of his work.
In the Christchurch exhibition, Pardington presents 40 photographs (taken on large-format camera) that ‘expose storehouses of memory and places filled with mystifying treasure.’ They include my favourites, the stuffed animals and birds…all with cute little cardboard labels attached to their legs; paintings attached to sliding storage walls; specimens in jars; rooms filled with mannequins; shelves filled with rolls of film in tins; Maori artefacts; buildings filled with army vehicles; textiles, card catalogues and much more. It’s a scrumptiously voyeuristic peek into the normally unseen, off-limits world of the nation’s treasures and it will be on show at Christchurch Art Gallery until March 14, 2010. www.christchurchartgallery.org.nz www.neilpardington.com
Images supplied by Christchurch Art Gallery are, from top to bottom:
Neil Pardington Taonga Maori Store #4, Nelson Regional Museum 2007. Lambda/C-print, dimensions variable. Reproduced courtesy of the artist.
Neil Pardington Taonga Maori #2, Whanganui Regional Museum 2006. LED/C-print. Reproduced courtesy of the artist.
Neil Pardington Land Vertebrates Store #1, Auckland Museum Tamaki Paenga Hira 2008. LED/C-print. Reproduced courtesy of the artist.

Unravelling History

I’ve spent some weeks now trying to find out about this gorgeous little whare - called Te Whakaruruhau - which I spied on Ferry Road here in Christchurch, when I was driving past one day. Turns out it was once part of the now-closed Te Waipounamu Maori Girls’ College, and Anglican initiative that was established in 1909 in the old St Alban's Vicarage in Mill Road, Ohoka, not too far from the Maori settlement of Tuahiwi (home to the Ngai Tahu hapu, Ngai Tuahuriri).

Tuahiwi was a large, thriving Maori community then and was also home to a Maori mission, which was established in the 19th century. I’ve featured the historic Maori church (1867) on this blog previously. It still is a largely Maori community but it's much smaller - now a cluster of houses, primary school, sports grounds, the church, a marae - just north of Christchurch.

Te Waipounamu was the only Maori girls’ boarding school in the South Island and by 1921 (1926 according to some other accounts), it had moved to Christchurch and girls from all over New Zealand attended because of the school’s excellent reputation for teaching Maori language and culture. This beautifully carved little whare was the old school chapel. In Christchurch, the school served many decades and then became a college hostel for Maori school girls. The site – to the best of my knowledge – is now a Maori cultural centre incorporating a hostel and educational facilities. That’s all I’ve been able to find out. If anyone has any further information, I’d love you to leave a comment below.

Maori Place Names - 34

Tikitiki, East Cape.

North Island

May 2009 Ajr

Sculpture in the Park

Following on from my comment about plaques or information boards beside Maori works in public places, I was heartened to find just that near this rock carving in Christchurch Botanic Gardens. Te Puna Ora, The Stream of Life, is an historic site blessed by Tip Manihera ...the rest you can read on the plaque.

The rock has been carved by local carver, Riki Manuel and Douglas Woods and if you're looking carefully, you might walk right by it without even seeing it, as it's tucked under a tree beside the spring and camouflaged among grasses and ferns.

Books & Stories

I got three terrific little books out of the library last week – that’s them up above. My favourite is ‘he kete he korero – every kete has a story’ – a kete being the traditional Maori woven basket that I feature here on this blog with probably monotonous frequency. I love them and they DO all tell a story through their unique designs, weaving patterns and colours, through the people who have woven them and the materials used. This book, written by Toi Te Rito Maihi and Maureen Lander (Reed Publishing), gives you a charming insight into the weaving practices and kete of 21 artists up and down the country, all from different tribal backgrounds. Gorgeous photographs and intimate stories – definitely a must-read if you’re interested in traditional Maori crafts. Nga Waka Maori – Maori Canoes (ILP Books) by Anne Nelson, is also excellent for its appraisal of Maori marine technology developed in ancient times, through to 20th century waka making. I love the inclusion of early photographs from the 1930s, the racing and regattas, the historical drawings and the modern renaissance of waka carving – all marvellous stuff. Margaret Orbell’s ‘The Natural World of the Maori’ (David Bateman) is also a good read. It details the plants, trees, marine life, birds and land animals that have always played a significant role in Maori life and diet; and the hunting and gathering practices they used to get them. I wish I had more free hours to sit and read my way through from start to finish.

Carvings - A Pair

I spotted these two carvings marking the entrance to a complex on Ferry Road in Christchurch. I've been trying to establish exactly what the complex is and it appears to be a Maori cultural centre of some sort. I'll be bringing you photographs of the stunning little whare (meeting house) I saw there, in a few days time - and hopefully a bit of the history behind it. I always think it's a pity that there are so many Maori carvings and buildings around the country with absolutely no indication at all as to their origins or current uses. Where they obviously arouse interest, perhaps local councils could consider putting up a small plaque or an information board. That wouldn't break the bank, surely?

Hello Dolly!

I love these very cute Tama and Moana photo-blocks created by Leonie Richardson. Leonie has taken two Maori dolls and posed them in front of iconic New Zealand landscapes. You'll find them in good art and design stores. I spotted these ones in Christchurch. Must go back and buy some.

Maori Place Names - 33

Hokianga Hills, Hokianga

Northland, North Island.

May 2009. Ajr

Pounamu: An Enduring Legacy

I wrote about the terrific new exhibition, Kura Pounamu: Treasured Stone of New Zealand at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa here last week (click on link below), but I thought I’d just add a word or three and bring you two more beautiful pieces from the display. At the risk of repeating myself – because I have written about pounamu several times before – I just wanted to add a note about the stone itself – rather than the 200-plus pounamu taonga (greenstone treasures) that make up Kura Pounamu. Greenstone occurs naturally only in the South Island of New Zealand, where it is found in seven main areas: Nelson, Westland, South Westland, Makarora (Wanaka district), Wakatipu, Milford Sound and the Livingstone Mountains. The two main types of pounamu are nephrite and bowenite – bowenite being the softer of the two and with a different mineral formation. It is also rarer than nephrite. The image above is a ‘Tuhiwai’ mere pounamu (nephrite weapon), Ngati Toa and Ngai Tahu iwi (tribes), Otago. Kahurangi variety,Westland. Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.

Maori classify pounamu according to its colours, markings and translucency and there are many local names for different pounamu. The four main varieties recognised by most iwi (tribes) are inanga, kahurangi, kawakawa and tangiwai. The range of appearance within each of these varieties is enormous and more than one variety can exist within one stone. Inanga – especially prized by Southern Maori - is a pearly-white or grey-green colour and varies from translucent to opaque. Kahurangi is the rarest variety of pounamu, is highly translucent and often comes in vivid shades of green. In the old days it was the preferred stone for the blades of toki poutangata (ceremonial adzes) owned by rangitira (chiefs). Kawakawa is the most common variety and it comes in many shades, often with small dark flecks. Tangiwai is clear, like glass, and ranges from olive green to bluish-green in colour. It is a bowenite rock and the most ancient form of pounamu found chiefly in two isolated areas at Piopiotahi (Milford Sound). (This, it should be noted is a brief summary of pounamu varieties only - just to give you an insight into the basics). The image above: Kaka poria (bird leg-ring) pounamu (bowenite), Tangiwai variety, Piopiotahi (Milford Sound). Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. Kura Pounamu is showing at Te Papa until February 2011. www.tepapa.govt.nz

Three Red Tiki......

Hanging on a Wall

Three Red Tiki

All About to Fall

A Winter View

Carved Waharoa

(Gateway)

Phillipstown, Christchurch

October 2009

On the Edge of a Stream

I drive by these poupou (poles) several times a week and have been doing so for years. I finally stopped recently to take photographs and then set about the marathon task of trying to find out who had created them and why. Thanks to the helpful team in the Transport and Greenspace Unit of Christchurch City Council, I now have the details. Firstly, the location – a small clearing beside the Otakaro (Avon) River, near the Barbadoes Cemetery where Barbadoes and Salisbury Streets meet Cambridge Terrace. Now called Cambridge Green, the area was created to highlight an area of cultural and historical significance, which, like other areas along Otakaro, has great importance to the local iwi and hapu, Ngai Tahu and Te Ngai Tuahuriri. Of particular interest is Saint Mary’s Stream, which flows into the Otakaro at this point.

The junction of St Mary’s Stream and the Otakaro was once the site of Puari Pa, home to the chief, Tautahi after whom, Otautahi/Christchurch is named. According to library records too, it is thought that this spot is where Tautahi married Waitaha princess, Te Auru in the 18th century, consolidating bonds between the Maori families of Kaiapoi and Koukourarata (Port Levy, Banks Peninsular); and between Ngai Tahu and Waitaha. The sacred waters of the stream were said to have been used to bless this union - Maori believed the wairua (spirit) of the water had healing powers and it was often used by tohunga.
The Otakaro was also an important source of food for the people of the Puari Pa. They gathered tuna (eels), inaka/inanga (whitebait), Kokopu (native trout), koukoupara (cocabullies), parera (grey duck) and putakitaki (Paradise shelducks) from its waters and banks; and harakeke (flax), which grew well along its banks, was used for weaving clothing and mats and making ropes. It’s interesting to stand on this quiet site today and contemplate what life might have been like in that busy pa. The waters of the stream now form a pool on one side of the small green before flowing into the Otakaro.

The three large poupou have been erected here as an acknowledgement of the historical importance of the site. They were originally commissioned by Di Menzes and purchased by the Hagley/Ferrymead Community Board. They were created by tohuka whakairo (master carver) George Edwards, (Ngai Tahu) of Wairewa, who has created a number of handsome works for many organisations, including the impressive Pouhake at Nga Hau e Wha National Marae, here in Christchurch. On consultation with Reverend Maurice Manawaroa Gray, Upoko (Chairman) of Te Runaka ki Otautahi, Ngai Tahu, it was decided the poupou needed plinths to tie them to the ground. These were subsequently designed and created by the City Council City Solutions team and the Maori designs on them were created by Paula Rigby, Maori Arts Advisor, Christchurch City Council. The three poupou represent the three waves of migration to Christchurch and were installed on site in August 2005. The site has a Wahi Tapu registration with the New Zealand Historic Places Trust and has received a Christchurch Star Heritage Award. Which all sets me to thinking just how much more enriched our knowledge of ‘our place’ can and ought to be. There’s something special and intangible about standing on a spot that once teemed with a different history, with a vibrant life now layered over by time. www.ccc.govt.nz www.historic.org.nz www.ngaitahu.iwi.nz

Meet the People - 26

Another in the Series Meet the People – Contemporary Maori Doing Ordinary and Extraordinary Things – At just 14, Hokitika’s Holly Robinson (Ngai Tahu), knows exactly where’s she’s going in life and she plans to get there fast. The fact that she was born without a lower left arm has never stopped her from doing anything and she certainly hasn’t let it stand in her way of incredible athletic success. “I was seven when I decided I was going to win everything I entered,” says Holly. “I’ve always had big plans and my main goal now is to attend the 2012 Paralympics in London as part of the New Zealand team.” Holly already has more trophies, certificates and national records than you can poke a stick at and for her, it’s just the beginning. Her parents, Steve and Pauline say she’s always been competitive – “right from when she started playing football at four,” says Steve. “She’s very outgoing and very determined. We got her an artificial limb when she was small but she kept throwing it away and even without it, she could tie her own shoelaces by the time she was three.”

Holly started with rugby and netball at four. She still loves netball and is currently a member of three teams - the Westland High School team, a regional rep team and the South Island Secondary Schools team; but athletics are her real passion. She currently holds the Paralympics New Zealand senior and junior records for discus, javelin, shot put and long jump. She is a member of the Greymouth Senior Athletic Club, Parafed Canterbury and now, the Paralympics New Zealand Under-20 squad, which competed in the Australian Paralympics Youth Games in Melbourne in October. Since 2006 she has accumulated a string of awards and selections into representative teams; and in 2007 she was a finalist and runner-up in the Hokitika Lions Young Achievers’ Award. She was nominated for the Westland Sports Sportsman of the Year award this year and just to top all that off, she recently scored 100% in her netball exams, qualifying her to become a netball umpire. It goes without saying that most of Holly’s time is given over to physical activity. She trains or plays sport six days a week. That includes a gym session once a week, playing basketball, training for her three netball teams and several hours a week with her Greymouth athletics coach, Danny Spark.
Not content to rest just yet, Holly has applied for a place in the New Zealand Academy of Sports fast track programme, ‘Xccelerate 2 Xcellence,’ which aims to identify and support paralympic sports talent. She is also determined to get to the Paralympic World Games in Christchurch in 2011 and then to the Paralympic Games in London in 2012. “That’s my next big challenge. That’s what I want most of all,” says Holly. “Getting to London in 2012 would be the best thing ever.”

A Small Visual Moment

Just a Single Carved Moment

At Cathedral Square Market

Christchurch - October

Part of a Pattern

Traditional Koru Patterns
Painted
Hiding Behind Harakeke Leaves

From the Kete Files

Small Red Beads

Decorate a Northland Kete

A Bird in the Bush

I’ve introduced you to our fabulous kereru before but I thought these photographs warranted a second post. I took them some months back in the native bird enclosure at Orana Wildlife Park here in Christchurch. Officially Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae, this gorgeous chubby bird is usually known as kereru in Maori, although Northland Maori also call it kuku or kukupa. Maori hunted the birds for food and their feathers and although it is now illegal to hunt kereru, they are still caught illegally in some places. That, coupled with habitat loss, competition and predation, has seen their numbers gradually decline – not that it seems that way sometimes, when these fat birds ‘whoosh’ across the treetops in search of their favourite berries.

Since the extinction of the moa, the kereru is now the only New Zealand native bird with a large enough beak to eat, digest and disperse the large fruits of native karaka, tawa and taraire trees and without them, large tracts of native forest would soon begin to disappear. Thankfully, in a good year, with plentiful food supplies, they can nest up to four times, laying a single egg in a flimsy nest, which hatches after 28 days. Particularly diligent pairs of birds have been known to incubate an egg in one next, at the same time looking after a large chick in a second nest nearby.
When you get up close to these birds you can see why they would have been a popular part of the Maori diet. Growing to around 22 inches in length, they usually weigh between 550 and 850 grams – plenty chubby enough for a taste treat. They’re one of my favourite birds - not to eat I hasten to add – rather to admire. I love their slightly-out-of-proportion bodies – the tiny heads and that big cuddly puffed-out chest; the iridescent glow of their colourful feathers; and the soft cooing sound they make as they roost high up in the trees. They’re still relatively common in Canterbury – especially over on Banks Peninsular. Let’s hope it stays that way.

A Whale of a Tale

On Wednesday, I was sitting in a cafe when I heard there had been a whale stranding on Southshore Beach, near New Brighton, Christchurch. I've seen whales in the ocean before but never up close, so this seemed like the perfect opportunity to get a firsthand glimpse at one of these magnificent ocean creatures. I grabbed my camera and off I went. Unfortunately, the whale - a five-metre lactating female Cuvier's beaked whale - died just as I arrived but for all the sadness of that, there was still a beauty in the moment - her silky smooth grey skin, the yellow and white lichen-like speckles, her upright tail fin. Like most people there, I stood there will a mix of sadness and awe.

Despite the best efforts of those who had arrived early, while the whale was still struggling on the outgoing tide, it seemed inevitable that she would die. Department of Conservation representatives present said she may have already been ill, or perhaps hit by a boat and she may have come ashore to die. As is normal practice in the case of any whale stranding on the New Zealand coastline, the local Maori iwi (tribe), in this case Ngai Tahu, had been informed of the whale's death. They are then allowed to take the dead whale's jaw bone to use for carving. The body of the whale would then studied to determine a cause of death and then buried. Anyone who has watched the multi-awardwinning New Zealand movie "Whale Rider," will know that whales have a special place in Maori mythology. The North Island's East Coast iwi have often incorporated the whale into their carvings - an acknowledgement to the ancestral story of Uenuku and his sons Paikea and Ruatapu. Paikea is said to have survived a disaster at sea in which many others drowned, by calling to the gods and being saved by a whale - his tipuna (ancestors). He rode the whale to New Zealand and settled with the people at Whangara on the East Coast. The two large tribes, Ngati Porou (Eastland) and the South Island's Ngai Tahu both claim a strong ancestral links back to Paikea. www.ngatiporou.com www.ngaitahu.iwi.nz

A Treasured Stone

A stunning new exhibition has opened at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa in Wellington. Entitled “Kura Pounamu: Treasured Stone of New Zealand”, the exhibition features over 200 pounamu taonga (greenstone treasures) from across New Zealand. In addition to works from Te Papa’s own collection, visitors will have a rare opportunity to see luminous pounamu treasures from special private collections including the New Zealand Olympic Team’s mauri stone that travels with them to competitions; and touchstones from the South Island iwi (tribe), Ngai Tahu.

Valued for its beauty, strength and durability, pounamu is found only in the South Island and it has traditionally been used for centuries as a peace-maker, weapon, adornment, tool and treasure. Kura Pounamu showcases traditional and contemporary pieces, including a breathtaking mass display of hei tiki (pendants in human form, as shown above), ear pendants, necklaces, tools for carving (adzes and chisels) and a wall dedicated to a display of mere pounamu (nephrite weapons). Many of these objects have a whakapapa (geneology) and fascinating histories, many of them linked to famous New Zealand historical events and people.
Visitors will also be able to enter an immersion room, where they can touch pounamu boulders on loan to Te Papa by the kaitiaki (guardians) of pounamu, the South Island’s Ngai Tahu iwi. Acclaimed musician Richard Nunns and Dteve Garden has also composed pieces especially for the show, which will be played on pounamu taonga puoro (traditional Maori musical instruments made of pounamu). It’s an interactive area where visitors can hear the stories associated with pounamu; and where they can also record and share their own stories.
Pounamu has always played a powerful role in affirming and building a variety of relationships for Maori. In the past, families exchanged pounamu treasures when people married to symbolise their new connection; and former enemies presented each other with gifts (pounamu mere perhaps) to establish links and lasting peace. In some districts, this peace-making tradition was called te tatau pounamu – a ‘greenstone door.’ This extensive exhibition, which occupies Te Papa’s Level 4, also tells the stories of important events – the story of the ceremonial pounamu used at the signing of the Ngai Tahu (Pounamu) Vesting Act 1997, when the new Labour Government formally handed ownership of pounamu to Ngai Tahu. If you’d like to know more about this exciting exhibition, Te Papa have developed a mini-site – www.tepapa.govt.nz/pounamu, which provides further information about the exhibition and the taonga in it. All images shown here are the property of and are used courtesy of The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa; and should not be downloaded. They are as follows: Top: Hei tiki (pendant in human form), 2008, by Lewis Tamihana Gardiner (b.1972), Te Arawa, Ngati Awa, Whanau-a-Apanui, Ngai Tahu iwi (tribes), pounamu (nephrite), synthetic fibre. Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.
Second from Top: Hei tiki, pounamu, inanga variety, Arahura River, Westland. Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.
Centre: Hei Tiki, pounamu, inanga variety, Arahura River, Westland. Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.
Bottom pair – top image: ‘Tuhiwai’ mere pounamu (nephrite weapon), Ngati Toa and Ngai Tahu (tribes), Otago, pounamu (nephrite) kahurangi variety, Westland. Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.
Bottom image of pair: Hei matau (hook-shaped pendant) pounamu kawakawa variety, Westland. Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. The exhibition runs untils February 2011.

Meet the People - 25

Another in the Series Meet the People – Contemporary Maori Doing Ordinary and Extraordinary Things - Whirimako Black (Ngati Tuhoe, Ngati Tuwharetoa, Ngati Ranginui, Kahungunu, Te Whakatohea, Te Whanau-a-Apanui, Te Arawa, Ngati Awa), is one of New Zealand’s leading Maori vocalists. I was wandering around town last weekend (here in Christchurch) and couldn’t help noticing all the posters announcing the arrival of this award-winning jazz diva, who will perform with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra at the Christchurch Town Hall on Friday, October 30. Known for her expressive voice (and her traditional chin moko), Black appears regularly at festivals in New Zealand, Australia and Europe. She sings in both Te Reo Maori and English, often works with traditional Maori instruments and has produced six solo albums. Several of her albums have been finalists in the NZ Music Awards, with her debut album ‘Hinepukohurangi: Shrouded in Mist’ being named Best Maori album in 2001. In 2006 she was awarded a NZ Order of Merit for services to Maori music.

Maori Place Names - 32

Whakapara, Northland

"A Clearing in a Bush"
May 2009 Ajr

Flying the Flag

The Tribal Flag

Of

Ngati Kahungunu

www.kahungunu.iwi.nz