A History of Change

All images abve from 'Rangitiratanga' at TheNewDowse, Lower Hutt. April 2009 Ajr

I visited TheNewDowse in Lower Hutt yesterday, to see firsthand, the stunning exhibition Plastic Maori that I wrote about here a week or so ago. I was delighted to discover they are also running another ongoing Maori exhibition, “Rangatiratanga,” which considers the changing face of Maori history. It features the pataka whakairo (carved storehouse), Nukutewhatewha, which was built as part of a political initiative in the 1850s. I read on the gallery’s website that “it was commissioned by paramount chief, Wi Tako Ngatata as a symbol of support for the Kingitanga movement and is one of seven pataka built around the North Island as “Pillars of the Kingdom.” It is a tohu (symbol) of the change that characterizes Maori history and is exhibited in conjunction with a series of big modern banners and profiles of 21st Maori social leaders, artists, scientists and entrepreneurs…...

"Nukutewhatewha - detail,' Neil Pardington. April 2009 Ajr

...........and nearby, you can see the latest work in the gallery’s Hit the Wall series – a project that showcases the work of New Zealand and international graphic designers. The work shown here is ‘Nukutewhatewha’ by Neil Pardington (Ngai Tahu, Kati Mamoe, Kati WaeWae), who is creative director of the award-winning Wellington design company, Base Two. www.newdowse.org.nz www.basetwo.co.nz

Capital Culture

Civic Square, Wellington. April 2009. Ajr

This is Te Aho a Maui (Maui's Line), in Wellington's Civic Square.

Maui is the legendary figure who fished up the North Island. The design is symbolic of the land meeting the sea - and in fact it follows on from the City to Sea Bridge that I wrote about here on Monday and last Saturday. Te Aho a Maui is represented by the terracotta paving unravelling from the mountains to the sea. The mountain and adjacent waterfalls represent and reflect the complexities of New Zealand's heritage.

Traditional Designs - 7

Traditional Maori Design Motifs

On Market Bags

Cathedral Square, Christchurch

Christchurch Feb 2009 Ajr

To see other examples of the use of traditional Maori design motifs in contemporary product use click on Traditional Designs in the label line below this post.

Meet the People - 10

Melanie Smith April 2009. Ajr

Another in the Series Meet the People – Contemporary Maori Doing Ordinary and Extraordinary Things – Kaikoura’s Melanie Smith (Tainui) is big on all things New Zealand and that passion is obvious in her cute Kaikoura store, Little Rock. Located right in the main street, it’s full to overflowing with an assortment of contemporary Maori product and some quirky reminders of the past, like those great little red plastic tomato sauce bottles that hark back to the fifties. Believe it or not, they’re her biggest seller and she buys them in lots of 200 to keep up with the demand. Coming a close second are the paua shells that Melanie and her partner, Matt Campbell buy off local divers and process in their own Kaikoura factory. As well as supplying Little Rock, they also wholesale the shells to a number of other local retailers, plus several further afield.

At Little Rock, Kaikoura. April 2009 Ajr
Melanie has lived in Kaikoura for twenty years. She shifted there to be with her grandmother - always been a big influence on her life – and she stayed. Prior to Little Rock she had her own interiors store across the street. But now she’s in her element promoting the best of New Zealand-made. “Kaikoura is a great place to be and I’ve seen a lot of changes here in twenty years – all for the better. I’m all for progress,” she says, as she wraps yet another red tomato sauce bottle for a happy customer.

More Matchitt

City to Sea Bridge, Wellington. April 2009 Ajr

Following on from Saturday’s images of Wellington’s City to Sea Bridge (scroll down), here are some close-ups of a number of the Para Matchitt sculptures that sit at the top of the bridge. “How We Got Here” is the theme of the gateway poles; and according to the nearby artist’s statement, “the celestial representations and symbols of love illustrate how our ancestors arrived in Aotearoa – as people are now arriving at the waterfront or crossing to the heart of the city.”

Market Pounamu

Pounamu

For Sale

@

Riccarton Rotary Market

Christchurch

A Meeting of Cultures

A Spanish Flamenco Guitarist

Busking

Beneath the Maori sculpture on Wellington's Waterfront

April 2009. Ajr

Buried History

Buried Village, Rotorua. 2007 Ajr

It was a warm, sunny, winter’s day in 2007 when I last visited the Buried Village in Rotorua. It’s a place that captured my imagination as a child and every time I return there, I still imagine the horror faced by the inhabitants of the village of Te Wairoa, when Mount Tarawera erupted in 1886. Today you can wander the park-like grounds beside the Te Wairoa Stream, wondering what it might have been like to be covered in ash, rock and boiling mud. The eruption buried three villages and around 150 people lost their lives. Te Wairoa was the only one that was excavated. There are a number of unearthed dwellings there – like this Maori tohunga’s whare (house) pictured above. Legend has it that the tohunga (high priest) is said to have predicted the disaster after the sighting of a phantom waka (war canoe) on Lake Tarawera in the days leading up to the explosion. www.buriedvillage.co.nz

City To Sea

City to Sea Bridge, Wellington. April 2009. Ajr

I don’t know how many times I’ve driven UNDER Wellington’s City to Sea Bridge but today, for the first time ever, I walked OVER it. I’ve always admired the glimpses I’ve had of Para Matchitt’s sculptures and now I can safely say, they’re even better up close. Matchitt, a Hawke’s Bay-based contemporary Maori artist, created the works in 1993. This is a detail of one of the wooden works. I’ll bring you the best of them here on Monday morning.

A Shelf Full of Souvenirs

Souvenir Carvings

Christchurch

March 2009. Ajr

Love For Sale

Picton April 2009 Ajr

Aroha

(Love)

On Sale in a Picton Store

Kete For Sale

Contemporary Kete

(baskets)

For Sale

In a City Design Store

A Swing of Pendants

Pounamu

Christchurch Arts Centre Market

Jan 2009 Ajr

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. Ajr
It’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.

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.

More From the Food Files

2008 Ajr

Contemporary 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 Motifs

on

Market Hats

For others in this series click on Traditional Designs in the label line below this posting

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