Friendship, learning and a calling to their craft are some of what the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts’ (NZMACI) latest intake of tauira (students) have experienced in their first few weeks.
NZMACI’s Te Wānanga Whakairo Rākau (National Wood Carving School), Te Takapū o Rotowhio (National Stone and Bone Carving School) and Te Rito o Rotowhio (National Weaving School) only take less than ten new tauira every year, due to the unique learning style involved.
General manager Eraia Kiel says that is to give tauira the best learning experience possible.
“We have a very unique learning style, where it’s 90% hands on and 10% theory.
It’s a specialised art, that’s why we have very small intakes – to give tauira quality tuition. We also give them all scholarships to attend.
“And because we’re solely funded through tourism and through the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute Act, we’re able to teach in the closest possible way that our ancestors, pre European contact, would have.
“Because of the standard of excellence we have here, I think that can be quite intimidating for some people. But this is a real avenue for young Māori as a pathway to the future.”
Many of the students have felt their craft chose them, rather than the other way around.
One such student is Angela Farrar, a first-year student in Te Rito.
“It’s been great for me, I’ve come away from being self-employed in business and come here to weave and it’s been an amazing journey so far. I decided I needed and change and weaving chose me.
“What I’ve enjoyed the most is feeling positive about being Māori and learning to weave with other like-minded wahine; feeling safe, feeling looked after, being fed – emotionally, physically, spiritually. We’re really well looked after here.”
Te Rito o Rotwhio
Whakairo Rākau tauira Wetere Scrimshaw has also enjoyed his first few weeks at NZMACI, having been welcomed by other students and teachers alike.
“It’s been really good so far. A bit of a change to where I’ve come from, but I feel right at home. Before this, I was working at Waipa Mill as a fitter and before that, I spent eight years in the navy.
“I always had an interest in whakairo and did carving throughout high school, then towards the end of my navy career, I felt drawn back to te ao Māori and to reconnect.”
Te Wānanga Whakairo Rākau o Aotearoa
Te Takapū tauira Katete Cassidy grew up being inspired by NZMACI.
“One of the reasons I wanted to come here was because I was brought up in kōhanga reo, te kura kaupapa and te wharekura. During that time, I was inspired by a lot of the whare that were built by past tauira and kaiako. After hearing the kōrero of the houses and taonga being built, I was inspired to look into it.
“I’ve wanted to be a tauira here since I was 10 years old. But it wasn’t until I turned 30 that I was able to apply, 20 years later.
“I chose Takapū specifically because at the time, the industries I was working in had me using my hands a lot for finer crafts and works.”
Te Takapū o Rotowhio
Under the Act of Parliament, NZMACI is able to confer its own qualifications, so when tauira graduate, they leave with a NZMACI tohu – an equivalent of a diploma at masters level, due to the time spent on the floor with tutors.
Kiel says: “It’s very hard to find one central place with so many tohunga (masters). When you’re surrounded by excellence, chances are you’re going to be excellent.
“A lot of things students learn you won’t learn anywhere else. We teach eight different tribal styles of carving, for example. At the stone and bone school, they get to work on miniature pieces through to life-sized pieces.
“The weaving school is also very diverse in its curriculum, covering all aspects of weaving. All of this is taught by masters of their craft, some of who have followed their passion for up to 50 years.”
Kiel says NZMACI tauira also work on commercial pieces, as well as projects of national and international significance.
“Some of the national projects are about supporting other iwi Māori with their cultural aspirations, which is hugely satisfying and rewarding for both staff and students.
“Our sustainability model means everything created on site gets sold and the revenue reinvested back into the schools.
“Students also get to experience first-hand what it’s like to work in the tourism industry, because every day they’re having interactions with manuhiri (visitors) who are looking and asking questions. They get to learn very fast how to balance their work and interact and engage with our manuhiri, because they’re the reason we exist.”
Kiel says it’s been working well for 60 years now, with this year celebrating the 60th year since the signing of the Act.
“As we move into the future, we hope we can have more interest throughout the country and also start to expand our offerings here. As much as carving and weaving are beautiful aspects of our arts and crafts, there is also a lot more we can be doing in terms of perpetuating our traditional artforms.