In honour of weavers past

MATARIKI EXHIBITION: Pare Nathan with a kete from the Te Hapua collection, which will be part of the Matariki exhibition. PICTURE/PETRINA HODGSON

Matariki, which signals the Maori new year, has traditionally been a time to reflect on those who have passed and celebrate life, culture, language and the forthcoming year. To celebrate this Matariki, Ahipara's Te Whare Whiri Toi Gallery will stage an exhibition honouring past weavers of Muriwhenua.

The month-long exhibition, which opens at Kaitaia's Far North Heritage Museum at Te Ahu on Saturday, will showcase the weaving of Te Hapua Art and Crafts and Te Rarawa Marae, Pukepoto, from 1970 to 1990, incorporating historic photographs, articles and video interviews, as well as more than 30 pieces, ranging from kete to piupiu and korowai.

"Tai Tokerau is renowned throughout the country for having good weavers," Te Whare Whiri Toi member Pare Nathan said.

"The ability to weave is a gift, a treasure to be admired and acknowledged. We need to showcase these past weavers' work."

Those who will be featured include Aunty Martha Te Maru and Aunty Tottie Robson, from Te Rarawa Marae, and Emily Lazarus and Lucy Norman from Te Hapua.

Harakeke 'pioneer' Viv Gregory, who discovered different flax varieties and planted them around marae all over the country, will also be included in the exhibition.

"It has been quite an emotional journey for the whanau involved. For some of them this is the first time they have seen their relative's work. Most kete were given away at the time of making them, as is the tradition," Mrs Nathan said.

One of the stories that struck a chord for her was about the creation of the sails for the Tinana waka, built for the 150th anniversary of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1990.

"These wahine decided they would weave a traditional sail. So they researched and talked about how best to do it. They spoke of spending days doing the binding, and here is us wanting to finish a kete straight away," she said.

"It's just been amazing, listening to all the stories of these women. They did it in their own way."

Tai Tokerau weavers will also stage demonstrations of traditional weaving techniques and local resources in the atrium at Te Ahu, and weaving workshops will be offered for school children. The exhibition itself will focus on different aspects of weaving each week.

The exhibition, which has also been organised as a lead-in to next year's national conference at Ahipara's Roma Marae, which is expected to attract more than 200 weavers, will close with a kaumatua/kuia ball at Te Ahu on July 26.

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