Maori Place Names - 37

At Ruakokere

East Cape, North Island

May 2009 Ajr

A Favoured Tree

Small Cabbage Tree in Flower. Arts Centre, Christchurch. Nov. 2009 Ajr

Ti Kouka = Cabbage Tree
(From the Cordyline family)
The cabbage tree has always had a favoured place in traditional Maori life. Its leaves are tough – much tougher than flax – and they were dried and used to make bird snares, roof thatching and sandals for the feet. The root, the pith of the trunk and the sweet sap are all edible and because of their prolific distribution, the trees provided a ready and abundant food source. It is still said that if the cabbage trees flower early in spring, we’re in for a long, hot, dry summer. The cabbage tree is also incredibly hardy and resilient and if you cut it back – even severely – it sprouts vigorous new growth. (This is just happened to the large cabbage tree in my garden. It was recently topped quite harshly because it was interfering with power lines and already, just a few months on, it has several lush new bunches of leaves). This capacity to regenerate is referred to in the old Maori proverb: “Ka whiti te ti, ka wana te ti, ka rito te ti – When a cabbage tree is broken it shoots up, and grows a new head of leaves.”

School's In.

It was mid-morning when I drove into the Bay of Plenty town of Opotiki. The skies were impossibly blue and I was on the lookout for interesting things to photograph. Amazingly, I drove right past these spectacular gates at Opotiki Primary School. It wasn't until I was on my second circuit of the town photographing something else entirely, that I happened to glimpse them in my rear vision mirror.

It goes without saying that I made a hasty U-turn and pulled up outside the school. My wandering was short-lived though as a huge white bull terrior came bounding towards me. It was just one more of these hideous dogs that seemed to think I looked like a tasty snack. They're one of the few dog breeds that really frighten me. I leapt back in the car and took my remaining photos from the car window and I was unable to get the details about the carvings - other than the fact that the European figure represents Sir Bernard Fergusson, Governor General of New Zealand from 1962-1967. I loved the fact that so many primary and secondary schools from Opotiki onwards on my journey around East Cape to Gisborne, feature stunning carvings and ornate gateways. You rarely see such overt expressions of traditional Maori culture and craftsmanship - in the South Island especially - and I think it's marvellous that the kids in these areas grow up in the midst of it all. Like all kids though, I guess many take it for granted. www.opotikinz.com

A Bird in the Hand

The South Island Robin

Pitoitoi or Toutouwai
Like a number of small forest birds that had no use as food or for their feathers, the robin was considered by early Maori to have special powers in telling in the future. If you heard a robin's call on your right side, it was good luck and if you heard it on the left, it was bad luck. I photographed this little down down on Stewart Island. Robins are incredibly friendly and as you walk through the forest, they hop out onto the paths in front of you. If you scratch the earth with your hand, or with a stick, they'll hop over to hunt for bugs. Because their numbers have severely declined they are a protected bird and this little guy has banded ankles thanks to conservation efforts by the Department of Conservation.

Maori Place Names - 36

Looking down on Waihau Bay

East Cape

May 2009 Ajr

In a Quiet Corner

Old Plaster Casts

Of Maori Carvings

In a Christchurch Antique Shop
November 2009. Ajr

Bush Business

The Kidney Fern

Like the kawakawa and puriri trees, the tiny, low-growing kidney fern was often worn by Maori in mourning. In fact you'll still often see woman wearing wreaths of greenery on their heads during tangi (funerals). In a much broader sense, ferns have always been important to Maori - their leaves provided early bedding, and the roots of the Aruhe or bracken fern was commonly eaten after they had been pounded and cooked. And of course the koru - the unfurling fern frond - has always been a recurring design element in Maori carving and more recently in Maori art and design.

By The Beach

Hawai is a tiny community on State Highway 35 that travels around the North Island’s East Cape. It’s little more than a cluster of houses and a very cute marae that is tucked away from easy traffic view by a hedge and a thicket of cabbage trees. It goes without saying that I stopped here during my Frommers’ trip around the Cape in May. I was going to get out in the hope of finding someone to talk to about the community but as soon as I stopped my car outside the marae gates, a large barking dog came bounding towards me. I leapt straight back into my car. I had already been cornered by wild dogs in three separate ‘remote’ communities in the Far North and I wasn’t about to tempt fate a fourth time.

Instead, I wound down the car window and took these quick shots of the marae – or what I could see of it. It’s the Tunapahore Marae, home base of the Te Whanau-a-Apanui hapu (sub-tribe), Te Whanau-a-Haraawaka and the main wharenui is named Haraawaka. Leaving the snarling dog behind, I drove further down the road and parked opposite the camping ground on a rise overlooking the beach. Waves were crashing ashore, licking at the piles of driftwood. Like almost every East Cape beach I passed on my travels, it was completely empty of people and if it hadn’t been for that dog, I would have wandered along the sands. But it was a case of onward-ever-onward and I left, feeling a little bereft at my coming away with just a few hurriedly scribbled notes. Another time perhaps….. www.apanui.co.nz

On Getting Lost

I got lost in the Bay of Plenty town of Whakatane in May. I was passing through on my way to Opotiki and on around East Cape and, having already travelled from Rotorua, I was conscious of the miles yet to travel before I arrived in Te Kaha. But sometimes getting lost is a blessing. I found that many times of this year’s Frommers New Zealand trip – each time I was unsure of directions (rarely I might add), I was always presented with ‘a small gift.’ In this case, I found myself outside a marae in the centre of town and then, driving around the beach on what I thought was the right road, I found myself in a dead-end. But with that dead-end came the bronze statue at the mouth of the Whakatane River, the memorial to the landing of the canoe Matatua, which I’ve written about on this blog previously (enter Whakatane); and this waka (canoe) in a shelter beside the river.

Named Hinemoana, this waka tetekura is a ceremonial waka built at Te Aurere in the Far North in February 2007, by Hekenukumai (Hector) Busby. It was designed to enable young people to develop the personal leadership and teamwork skills that come with being part of a waka crew. It’s built with a solid kauri hull with other components in totara and synthetic materials and the Maori carvings were created by Jack Brooking, Albert Te Pou and Tamati Holmes. The eagle mask was created by Canadian master carvers Dempsey Bob and Stan Bevan; and painting is by Theresa Reihana. The waka’s home base is in this custom-built shelter in Whakatane. www.TeAurere.org.nz

One Bay, One Marae, Many Waka

It was a sunny, early afternoon in May when I swung sharply off State Highway 35 near the Omaio Store on East Cape. I’d spied a big group of waka pulled up onto the grassy hillocks just above the sand and I needed to investigate. (I wrote a blog about those waka back in May and you can read it if you enter Omaio into the blog search box above left). This narrow road – the Old Coast Road – continues on to the Hoani Waititi Reserve but I never got that far because in addition to the waka, there were the wonderful carvings on the marae directly across the road from the beach.

This marae – Omaio Marae – is home to the Te Whanau-a-Apanui hapu, The Whanau-a-Nuku; and the wharenui (meeting house) is named Rongomai-huatahi. The Te Whanau-a-Apanui iwi (tribe)– named after the 17th century ancestor – Apanui Ringamutu – has a large coastal territory that runs from Te Taumutu-o-Apanui, between Torere and Hawai, to Potaka at the top of East Cape. Their 13 hapu (sub-tribes) have established bases (mostly) close to the coast, where marine resources have traditionally been bountiful. www.apanui.co.nz

Maori Place Names - 35

Hokianga Hills, Hokianga

Northland

May 2009 Ajr

Bird Tales: The Red-Billed Gull

Unfortunately I haven't been able to establish the precise Maori name for this, the red-billed seagull. I've found at least five different words for seagull - katete, akiaki, karoro, tara, and tarapunga. Maybe they refer to different species of gull? As always, any knowledgeable comments left below greatly appreciated. What I have discovered about the red-billed gull though, is that it was once considered tapu, or sacred around Lake Rotorua. This arose from an incident in 1823 when the northern Ngapuhi tribe attacked the Te Arawa people, who were hiding on Mokoia Island in the middle of Lake Rotorua. Unknown to them, Ngapuhi had brought their canoes in from the coast for the attack. But they were unexpectedly foiled - to a degree - when the colonies of red-billed and black-billed gulls shrieked in alarm when they saw the canoes, alerting the Te Arawa people to enemy presence. After the battle, in which many lost their lives, the Te Arawa tohunga (priest) recited a karakia (prayer) over the gulls, declaring them sacred so they would not be harmed.

More from the Markets

Carved Heru

(Hair Combs)

In Bone

Cathedral Square Markets, Christchurch.

October 2009. Ajr

Tick Tock.

An Orange Clock

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.