Aim To Preserve Historic Maori Art

Northern Advocate, 10 May 1939, Page 10

Aim To Preserve Historic Maori Art

An enjoyable trip to Motatau was paid by the children of the Native School at Whakapara on Friday afternoon, to see the beautiful carvings done there by Mr Pirie Taiapa and his assistants. Accompanied by the teachers, and Mr Maurice Luke, who represented the school committee, the party set out at mid-clay, conveyed • by Mr McKegg, Native Supervisor, and Miss Wright, District Nurse. On arriving at Motatau, the party was welcomed by Mr Taiapa and Mr John Cooper, and, after lunch, was taken to the meeting-house. Speeches of welcome were given by Mr Cooper, Mr Taiapa interpreting, and by Mr Walker, teacher at the Motatau Native School.

Mr Taiapa explained the idea of the Maori carving and how the whole story of a tribe, containing all the ancestry, was carved in these pieces of art, so strange and mysterious to the Pakeha mind. Willing Sacrifice. He explained the old custom of sacrifice in learning an art, describing how two young men begged to learn how to do these carvings, and. when asked what they were willing to sacrifice if they wore taught, laid their hands on the carving block and each expressed his willingness to have his smallest finger cut off, the little finger being considered useless. 1 Hence all the Maori figures in carving had only three fingers and thumb. Mr Taiapa, who comes from North Gisborne, and who started work in Motatau eight years ago, stressed the generosity of Mr Tau Henare in enabling the work to be done so easily. All the timber was a direct gift from him.

All types of carving right through New Zealand were represented, nine large tribes altogether. The Ngatipuhi people had no carvings until about four years ago. Other tribes had kept the records of their ancestors on their carved figures in their meetinghouses, but there were no records of the ancestors of the people of Northland.

The peak of Maori carvings was in the 60’s and 70’s, but from that time on it. had almost died out, and was only

. I now again coming-into its own, thanks to a few Maori people who realised that losing that wonderful art was like the losing of history books to the European people. Collection by Maoris. The Maoris had. already collected £3OOO towards this work for the decorating of their meeting-houses, 18 of which had already been finished. This was a wonderful example of their keenness that the carving should be learned and applied. After the lecture, Mr Taiapa took the visitors to the- workshop and there

demonstrated the methods of using the various tools. Between the carved panels in a meeting-house are the panels of tukituki work. Mr Taiapa said that in a few weeks he would gather 30 or 40 young women to learn these beautiful designs in Maori lacing. Many native schools were ah’eady learning this particular art, he told the children. At the conclusion of the lecture, on behalf of the school. Mr Luke thanked Mr Taiapa for his talk and demonstration. Mr McKegg also thanked the speaker.