Maori impact on Pacific festival

Press, 24 August 1988, Page 22

Maori impact on Pacific festival

The Maori participants in the recent fifth festival of Pacific Arts in Townsville, Queensland, made considerable impact during' the ceremonies and performances at the celebration of Pacific cultures.

The languages and art forms may have been diverse, but an underlying mood of unity between the peoples of the Pacific remained throughout the festival, according to the chairperson of the Council of Maori and South Pacific Arts, Cliff Whiting. “Maori peole are extending their hand to the Pacific community to establish and maintain networks for the future development of the region,” he says. ’ “From our welcome by the Aboriginals and Torres Island people at the airport and the performances of the 25 nations represented at the

official opening, we affirmed the bond that Maori people have with their Polynesian, Melanesian and Micronesian brothers and sisters.” Maori performing artists, film and video makers, weavers, composers, carvers, potters and language artists met their colleagues from other nations to share knowledge and skills and talk through problems and concerns experienced by indigenous peoples in the Pacific. Cliff Whiting, representing the New Zealand delegation, presented a koha of a symbolic pounamu, bone and wood fishhook to the Aboriginals and Torres Islanders, at a ceremony of welcome. Te Waka Huia, a traditional performance group and the largest group representing New Zealand, made the first of several

performances at the ceremony on the banks of the Ross River. Te Waka Huia also performed a greeting to the tangata whenua at the opening ceremony at Queens Park. They performed a haka and waiata at dusk to official hosts, including the Prime Minister of Australia Bob Hawke, and Governor-General Sir Ninian Stephens. The ceremony ended with a lasergenerated show of moving images on Townsville’s central Castle Hill. The laser show revolved around images common in indigenous cultures; birds, snakes, the land, and music and dancing. The film festival accompanying the fifth Festival of Pacific Arts included three films by New Zealand filmakers: Merata Mita’s “Bastion Point” and "Patu,” and Barry Barclay’s “Ngati.”