Museum Notebook: A woman on a mission

Huia Kirk at a fundraiser launch for Pūtiki Church in 2012. Photo / Bevan Conley

I have known Huia Kirk of Pūtiki my whole life. A notable Whanganui historian and teacher, she is armed with a razor-sharp wit and is often accompanied by a well-behaved dog. Huia has been a stalwart of our community for more than seven decades. She has always been driven to work for her community.

In the 1960s Huia was a volunteer at the Whanganui Regional Museum. In the years that followed she has continued to support the museum and is a Life Member. In 2004 Huia donated a collection of taonga tuku iho (family heirlooms) to the museum. Some of that collection is proudly displayed in the Ngā Waihonohono exhibition in Te Ātihaunui-a-Pāpārangi, the Māori Court, at the museum.

Curated by the Whakahoutanga curatorial team, the taonga in the case celebrate Māori arts and recreation. The centrepiece is a Pūtiki Māori Club uniform. It was made and worn by Huia's beloved mother Emily Numia Kirk (née Churton).

It consists of a tīpare (headband), pare (bodice), korowai (cloak with tassels) and a piupiu (skirt made from the harakeke or NZ flax plant). The patterning on the tīpare and pare is called tāniko and the diamond shape represents the pātiki (flounder). When the pātiki pattern is displayed it means the people have enough resources to host guests. Back in the old days you were judged on your ability to manaaki, to care for or to host. The Pūtiki Māori Club pattern was designed by the late Sir Kingi Ihaka and senior female members of the Club. This would have included Paeroa Hawea, Moki Te Patu and my grandmother Maudie Ruaka Reweti.

Pūtiki marae is also known as the matapihi, or the window to the river. Way back when the river was a highway of sorts, groups of travellers were expected to stop at Pūtiki to pay respects and to ask for permission to travel upriver, the fastest way to gain access to the central North Island.

Accompanying the uniform is a delicate hei tiki made from pounamu nephrite. It was made by Hori Pukehika using old traditional tools. The tiki belonged to him, but he gave it to his daughter Wini Murray of Parikino, who was Huia's whanaunga (a relative). Whaea (auntie) Wini then gave it to Huia for her 21st birthday. As far as Huia knows, the hei tiki does not have its own name possibly, Huia muses, because the tiki was so small.

Wini also gifted a set of traditional short poi which are displayed next to the uniform. Many years later Huia was given a pair of long traditional poi that were made by another Pūtiki local, Wai Waitere in the 1960s.

Huia, a respected teacher, was a teacher at Parikino School, continuing a family tradition that saw both her mother and her aunt teach at upper river primary schools.

Huia was chairperson of the restoration trust which oversaw the restoration of St Paul's Memorial Church at Pūtiki. All the conservation work has now been completed, except for the pulpit tapestries. The church has been granted New Zealand heritage category 1 status.

Generous with her time, her knowledge and her taonga, Huia continues to work tirelessly for her community. She can often be seen walking briskly along Pūtiki Drive and into town. She's a woman on a mission.

Lisa Reweti is the programmes presenter at Whanganui Regional Museum.