Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air
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Kua eke ki te rima tekau mā rima o ngā tau a Clive Fugill e whakarākei ana e whakaihiiihi rākau Māori ana e ora tonu ai ngā kōrero a ngā pakeke o ngā tini iwi o te motu.
Ehara a Clive i te tangata noa. Ko ia te Tumuwhakarae o te wānanga whakairo rākau, he mātanga, otīā he tohunga whakairo rākau.
Mai i te whakakao kōrero a tērā iwi, a tērā iwi, tae ki te whakairo wharenui me te tuku i te mātauranga ki ngā pia ko Clive te kanohi pakeke katoa o te New Zealand Māori Arts & Crafts (NZMACI).
Ko te katoa o tōna oranga he whakairo rākau. Nā tēnei aroha nui ōna ki tēnei pūkenga hohonu i whakarangatira ai a Clive i te huinga Nga Tohu Toi i Tauranga. Ko Clive tētehi i whakahonoretia o tētehi huinga toi kotahi tekau mā rua. Ko te hunga whakaheke toihau e whitawhita ai te whare tapu nui o Tangaroa kia kāua ōna kura nui e ngaro ki te pō.
Ka tini hoki ōna toronga whakapapa ki ngā iwi o te motu, wheoi anō, tūturu, he Ngāti Ranginui, he Ngai Te Rangi, he Tainui, whaihoki he Ngai Te Arawa hoki. E noho ngākau whakaiti ana nā te mea kua whakamihia a Clive e tōna iwi me ōna rangatira.
"Harikoa ana i ngā tini mihimihi ki ngā mahi kua oti i a au engari kia whakamihia koe e tō iwi ake, kātahi ka whati ngā kokonga o te ngākau, ka timata ngā kanohi ki te roimata".
E ai ki a Eraia Kiel, te pouwhakahaere matua o NZMACI, "He toka ākina ngaru tuatea a Clive.
Nō NZMACI te waimaria kua noho nei ia mō ngā tau e rima tekau mā rima te roa. He rangatira ki te whāngai i tōna mātauranga ki ngā taringa horo kapua. E tika ana he rangatira ia, kai te kitea tōna rangatiratanga i ngā whakairo ā āna tauira".
He ahakoa nōna e itiiti ai i āhua rata mai a Clive ki tēnei tūmomo toi, i wāhi kē atu tōna ngākau.
"Kua roa kē taku ngākau e mau ana i ngā whakarākeitanga o ngā whakairo, otīā hoki ngā pūrākau a te Māori ka roa au e mātai pū ana ki aua whakairo rā engari nōku kē te pōhēhē nui he mea kāore e taea e ahau'.
Nōna e itiiti ai e matakerepō ana, nā reira kāore e tino pai tana aro ki te ako, engari he māori noa ki ōna ringaringa te whāwhā me te waihanga kame. Ka kite atu i a Clive, ka kite hoki i tana naihi pakupaku e whakairo wāhie ana.
"E ānini ana taku mahunga, katahi ka haria e ōku mātua ahau ki te tākuta , nā reira i mātau ai ahau he matakerepō. Ka whakawhiwhia ki aku mōwhita, hua mai te ao me ngā tini āheinga katoa.
Wheoi anō tae mai taua wā kua mōhio kē ahau ki taku pirangi – he mahi toi. Katahi ka hua ake ngā huarahi e rua, ko tāku kē, he whai i te huarahi e tika ana ki taku ngākau. Ka tae ki te otinga o te kura e rua rawa ngā huarahi. Ko te waihanga whare, ko te whakairo rākau. Nā te mea he kiritea ahau ka roa kē ngā whakawhitihanga kōrero e whakatuturungia ai i taku toto Māori.
Ka eke ki te rā i mua o te Kirihimete i te tau kotahi mano, e iwa rau, e ono tekau mā ono, ka tae ki ahau taku reta whakaae.
E pūare ana te wānanga whakairo rākau ki ahau. Ko taku ohu, te ohu tuatahi o tēnei wānanga'. E whia kē ngā whare kua oti i a Clive, e whia kē ngā whakatupuranga kua oti i a ia te ako, e whia kē ngā tangata rongonui ki tūtakingia e ia katoa i ngā tau e rima tekau mā rima huri rā, huri noa i te marangai puta noa i tēnei rohe, karapoti haere i te motu.
Kua oti i a ia te pukapuka, 'Ngā taonga whakairo a te Māori', nānā hoki ngā pikitia i tuhi, whaihoki e tuhi pukapuka anō ia ko te whakairo te kaupapa. "Mōku ake, kia mau i a tātou i ngā tikanga tawhito o te whakairo, he ahakoa kai te arahina te whao e te tikanga o tātou te Māori, māna tō māramatanga e whakawhanake ai, kātahi nā koe ka kite i te kaha mutunga kore.
Koina te reo kōrero ki ahau, koina hoki te take i whakatūria ai a NZMACI, kia mau i a tātou i ngā tikanga o tātou te Māori kia kāua ia e totohu i ngā ngaru o te ao hou".
Ko tētehi pātai ki a Clive, kai te whakaarongia pea koe ki te whakairi ake i āna whao me tāna pātuki, ka pukukata ia, he ahakoa e whitu tekau mā toru tōna rahi hai tāna, "Hai aha noa atu māku te whakairi i āku whao, ko tōku ao ko te whakairo, me i ritaia ahau, kua huri kē ahau ki te whakatika i taku kāreti e whai ruma anō ai ahau ki te whakairo.
Kātahi hoki nā tōku umanga nui nei, kāore kau aku amuamu, kāore kau.
He ahakoa kua kaumatuatia me e pai ana ki ngā tangata whakahaere o te wāhi nei ki a whakairo tonu ahau, ka hākoakoa katoa ngā kokonga o tōku whatumanawa".
Renowned Master Carver Clive Fugill has spent the past 55 years taking chisel to wood, breathing life into the stories of his ancestors through his carving.
From documenting tribal history and carving wharenui to teaching new generations of carvers, the longest-standing New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute (NZMACI) kaiako has dedicated his life to the art of whakairo (carving).
It is this passion, mātauranga and traditional artistry that saw Clive honoured at the inaugural Ngā Tohu Toi awards in Tauranga Moana. He was one of 12 artists who received the award for their contribution transforming the visual experience of Māori stories and practices.
Clive, who has whakapapa to Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāi Te Rangi, Tainui, and Te Arawa, says he is no stranger to being recognised for his craft, but this award is particularly special, because it comes from the iwi of his ancestral home.
"It's always nice to have your work acknowledged, but it holds even more significance when you're being recognised by your own people."
NZMACI general manager Eraia Kiel says Clive's contribution to the institute and traditional Māori art has been invaluable.
"Clive has been an unwavering fixture at NZMACI for more than five decades, never hesitating to share his time and knowledge generously.
"He is a rangatira, a true leader and his students' successes are testament to his commitment."
A career in carving was not an immediate choice for Clive, despite his early fascination with the art form. "I have always been drawn to the beauty and storytelling in Māori carving, I would stare in awe at them on the marae, but I never thought I would one day creat e them."
As a young child, Clive suffered – unknowingly – from poor eyesight, impacting his ability to learn at school. But he always had a natural way with his hands, and was often found by his parents carving pieces of firewood with his pocket knife.
"It wasn't until I started getting migraines that my parents realised I was near-sighted.
"The day I got my first pair of glasses, the whole world opened up to me. But by that point
I already knew my talent was in art – it was then for me to decide which art pathway I wanted to take.
"By the end of school, I was tossing up studying archaeology or pursuing carving at NZMACI. Being so fair-skinned, we had to jump through a few hoops to prove my whakapapa, but on Christmas Eve 1966, I received my acceptance letter for the first intake of the carving school."
In the 55 years that followed, Clive has become a stalwart at NZMACI, teaching several generations of traditional Māori carvers, while also carving marae across the motu, and creating bespoke taonga for royalty, presidents and celebrities.
He has authored a book on traditional carving tools, illustrated with his own drawings, and is currently writing another book on the art of whakairo.
"For me, it's so important we uphold the tikanga of the traditional art. While you may work within the parameters of tikanga, your vision and creativity is limitless.
"That's what speaks to me and it is what NZMACI was established to do – passing on our Māori practices and ensuring we don't lose that knowledge."
Asked whether he has plans to retire, Clive 73, just laughs.
"Why would I retire when I love what I do. If I did retire, I would probably clean out my shed so I could do more carving in there.
"I've had an amazing career, I don't have a single complaint.
"I'm in pretty good nick for 73 so I'm happy to keep doing this as long as they let me."
The Rotorua law student who authored it says the support was 'overwhelming but inspiring'.