Whakaraupo Carving Centre Opening
te-pati-maori
Mon Jul 05 2010 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)
Whakaraupo Carving Centre Opening
Monday, 5 July 2010, 12:16 pm
Speech: The Maori Party
Whakaraupo Carving Centre Opening; 30 Godley Quay; Christchurch; Friday 2 July 2010; 1pm
Rahui Katene; MP for Te Tai Tonga
When Ngai Tahu opened Mo Tatou – sharing Ngai Tahu taonga with Te Papa Tongarewa; we were told there were four themes that ran through the exhibition – and indeed the cultural characteristics of the people themselves, both past and present.
These themes were culture; tenacity; sustainability and innovation.
Today, at this official opening of the Whakaraupo Carving Centre we see those same themes featuring again in the concept of this programme and the opportunities for development that spring forth.
Whakaraupo, at its very core, is about the nature of knowledge and knowing. It is about our culture – he kakano i ruia mai i Rangiatea – the seed which will not be lost.
In this carving school, the powerful symbols of woodcarving are preserved. The course will be motivated by the drive to retain the patterns and the history of Te Wai Pounamu – the unique story that is ours.
One of the first projects the boys undertook was to carve the large chipboard panels they showed us earlier depicting the tupuna, and the descendants who are connected with the Banks Peninsula. In this way, the programme makes a direct link between the past and the present; it keeps our heritage alive. And as you heard, they went out and learned about the history and geography of the area, they learned the stories, the culture, and about themselves and what they are capable of.
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The second pou of this new whare, is tenacity – the middle name of Cain Tauwhare.
Cain’s Aunty Dawn Cottier and Aunty Sissy Briggs had a dream, to bring to life the distinctive legacy of our art.
But when Cain started asking questions, one response he got was that ‘you’re better off to go into prison, to learn how to carve in the South Island’.
In his own words, that comment rocked Cain’s world, and he set about establishing a carving school out of a former boat-building shed in Lyttelton.
With the help of the Community Board and project manager, Noeline Allan; the Whakaraupo Carving Centre opened on 11 January this year, and it has never looked back.
The third pou, is that of sustainability. The art of carving preserves our stories, our legacy over hundreds of years It is our written language, our archives, our museum, our art gallery.
Te Toi Whakairo is an art form, subject to the rules and laws of tapu. It protects and retains our wairua – the spirit of the people; and our mauri – our lifeforce.
But if sustainability is about protecting and respecting our history in Te Tai Tonga; it is also about laying out the whariki for our young men into the future.
We congratulate the hard work the centre is putting into supporting these taioho moving into adulthood.
It is expected that later on, other diploma and degree courses will be offered, and we look forward to that with anticipation.
Today we build on the fine tradition of our ancestors in mahi whakairo and celebrate its growth through the master carvers of the future.
The fourth and final pou, is that of innovation.
In the video featuring this centre, Cain talks about this programme as being just the beginning.
And it reminds me of the origins of the word whakairo – literally the carved pathway of the maggot.
Just as the maggot, the iro, gnaws through wood, creating its own unique paths; te toi whakairo is about designing distinctive patterns etched out of the soul of wood, out of pounamu, out of bone.
In this respect, the Whakaraupo Carving Centre establishes the richness and the creativity of Maori art for all who want to see.
I want to congratulate the sponsors of this centre – Community Trust; COGS; Creative New Zealand, Stark Bros, Christchurch City Council and Community Max for the integrity you have displayed in recognising the potential of this project.
I am really proud of the project that our co-leader, Tariana Turia, initiated just over a year ago in the form of Community Max. It has been a great opportunity for our rangatahi to gain experience and skills while working in the community.
Community Max is an avenue for our young people to become involved in community or environmental projects, getting paid at least the minimum wage and being able to take up training related to their project.
And it’s had some amazing results – 82% who've completed it have so far remained off a benefit. It’s an ideal opportunity to gain real life skills; to become immersed in the community.
And one of the real spin-offs of the project is that it has encouraged communities to care – to take responsibility for nurturing their young people to develop their potential.
We can see the support this community has given the centre, from the use of the community recreation hall, through to the support the Army is giving through preparing and serving the food for our häkari. It is obvious that the warmth and the enthusiasm of the community around this centre have been a strong contributor to the success of this scheme – and so I congratulate you and I thank you.
A couple of weeks ago Tariana and Paula Bennett announced that Com Max would be extended to enable another 1500 young people into programmes – but this time it was targeted to Northland, Bay of Plenty, Waikato and the East Coast to address high unemployment in those areas.
Like you, I was really disappointed when I realised that once again Te Waipounamu was missing out on the extension. You better believe I stamped my feet and did a haka over that. When I was shown the figures, and saw how bad the situation was for young Maori job-seekers in those four areas I understood why they had been chosen, but it is still disappointing; the need is just as great here, but the numbers game defeats us every time.
Still, we must be courageous and innovative, when thinking about the possibilities that the Com Max investment has provided us with up to this point – and consider where to next.
So this is the chance for us to put our money where our mouths are and to get the funding to keep the centre going. I will continue to do that inside Parliament, my electorate secretary has been talking to a well known philanthropist, and I hope all of you will do what you can to seek funding.
Today then is a very important platform for moving forward. It is a chance to congratulate and celebrate the first intake graduates.
Just as the iro never drills down into the same path twice; we must also start thinking about the new pathways ahead. The challenge for all of us here today, is to consider what we can do, to consolidate the very foundations in front of us.
I want to thank you for the honour that you have accorded me, as the Member for Te Tai Tonga, in this wonderful opening ceremony. I wish you all great success; inspiration and strength as you each determine your own journey forward.
Tena tatou katoa.
ENDS
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