He tauira toi a Rereao Taite rāua ko Te Haana Paewai ki Toi Oho ki Apiti, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa. I te Whiringa-ā-rangi 2019 i haere rāua ki te National Gallery of Canada hei whakatūhura atu ki te whakaaturanga toi ‘Àbadakone / Feu Continuel’ he huinga ringatoi o ngā iwi taketake. Ko te kaupapa matua he tautoko - kia huruhuru i ngā parirau o Mata Aho Collective kia kawe atu rātou me tā rātou mahi toi “AKA” ki tāwāhi. Kei te tū tōnu te whakatūranga nei tae noa ki te Māehe 2020.

Anei ētahi o ngā wheako whaiaro e hāngai ana ki ō rāua haerenga…

Rereao Taite

Ko Rereao Te Reo Irirangi Hineraukatauri ahau, ā, koinei taku haerenga ki Te Aka o Whaitiri.

I te tuarima o Whiringa-a-rangi i timata māua ko Te Haana i tō māua haerenga ki Te Aka o Whaitiri. Kāore i roa 27+ hāora whai muri ka tau māua ki Ottawa, engari tō māua waimarie i te mea i tata mahue māua ki San Francisco.

Taumaha ana ngā kamo, ngenge ana te tinana me te mea nei he karetao. Ka heke māua i te arawhata, ā ka kite māua ia Erena rāua ko Terri e pōhiri ana i a māua me tō māua mārama pai ehara tēnei i te moemoeā! I te kitenga atu i a rāua ka oho te tinana, ā, ka mataara te wairua.

Ka mārama, ka mārama

Tākiri ko te ata

Korihi ko te manu

He manu korori

He manu kororā

Kōrerotia mai nā

Nō tuawhakarere

Nau mai e te ao

Haere rā e te pō

E hī ake ana te ataakura

He tio, he huka, he hau hū

Tīhei, mauri ora.

Oho i te ata, kua mahana te tinana i te moenga engari kua tio te ihu i te makariri o te huarere. Ko te ono karaka i te ata, ā, kei te tino ihiihi te ngākau ki te tirotiro haere i te whenua. Ka huakina e ahau ngā ārai, ā, ka taka te kapa kua rere te huka. Ka puta ahau i te whare, ka oma ahau ki runga i te huka, ka puta mai ngā kērera pango ki te korikori ki te hukarere me te mea nei he tamariki e korikori ana.

Ka tae atu māua ko Te Haana ki te whare pupuri toi ki te āta tiro ki nga mahi toi, waihoki, ki te tūtaki anō i te Aka o Whaitiri.

Nā ngā ringaringa o Mata Aho i āta tāniko i tēnei o ngā aka, arā, nā Erena Arapere rātou ko Sarah Hudson, ko Bridget Reweti, ko Terri Te Tau. Ko tā rātau hiahia ki te whakaatu i te tino motuhaketanga o ngā wāhine ki te pupuri i te mātauranga. Ko te tino tauira o te mahi nei ko Whaitiri.

Ka heke te hukarere, ka heke ko te rā. Tīrama ana mai ngā rama o te pō i ngā tiriti o Ottawa. Ka rere te wā, ā, ka tae mai te rangi o te whakatuwheratanga o te whare pupuri toi.

I a māua ko Te Haana e whanga ana kia Mata Aho, ka kite māua i tētahi tangata e kapo whakaahua ana, ka pīki kata ahau me te kōrero he rite tonu te āhua o te tangata rā kia Will Wilson. Kāore i roa ka taka te kapa ko tērā a Will Wilson.

Ka taki noho ngā ringatoi huri noa i tētahi porohita, ā, kei waenganui tonu he momo ahi-kā-roa, ā, konei hei tohu i te ahi kua mura mai i ngā pō, i ngā ao kua pahure.

Ko Will Wilson tētahi o ngā ringatoi i rangahaua e māua ko Te Haana i tō māua tau tuatahi i te whare wānanga. Wekeneru! Ka mārama pai ahau he nui ngā ringatoi mīharo ka kitea i te pō nei.

Ka taki noho ngā ringatoi huri noa i tētahi porohita, ā, kei waenganui tonu he momo ahi-kā-roa, ā, konei hei tohu i te ahi kua mura mai i ngā pō, i ngā ao kua pahure. I konei ka tīmata te iwi taketake ki te whakatau i ngā ringatoi o te kaupapa o Abadakone. Nāwai rā ka tuku rātau i te rākau kōrero ki te manuhiri. Ka noho rangatira te whare, ā, kāore e roa ka rongo ōku taringa i te reo karanga o Mata Aho. Ka tū māua ko Te Haana ki muri tonu i ngā pou, e whakarongo ana ki tō rātau mihi aroha, mihi maioha ki te hau kāinga, ki ngā ringatoi, waihoki ki te kaupapa.

Ka haere te wā, ā, ka tīmata te whakatuwhera matua o te pō. Ka tonoa mātau ki te tautoko i te hunga mau i ngā peka Cedarwood. Ka whakamārama mai te hau kāinga he tohu o te māngaringari.

Pao! Te tangi o ngā taramu. Pao! Ka tīmata te waiata o Dayna Danger me te rōpū Odaya. Ka hīki mātau i ngā peka rākau, me te mea nei ko mātau ngā pou o te whare, ā, ko ngā peka ngā maihi o te whare. Ka tiro ahau ki te ope, ā, ka kekeno taku tiro ki a Mata Aho, heke ana te roimata i tō rātau ohorere, me te mōhio kua poho kereru ahau i te nui o ā rātau mahi! Me te mōhio kōinei te tauira e hiahia ana ahau te whai. Te taki mano, te taki tini o te marea i tae mai ki te tiro atu ki ngā mahi toi nō ngā iwi taketake.

I te kuhunga atu ki te urunga, me te mīharo hoki o ngā mahi. Ka tere huri taku aroaro ki ngā mahi o Will Wilson. Ka hono ana ki ngā kōrero tuku iho o Kwakwaka’wakw, ā, ko te whakaahua matua me kī, e mau pōtae maaro ana tētahi Stormtrooper nō Star Wars. Ko tana tukanga mahi he rite tonu ki ngā mahi o ngā rā o mua. I whakamahia hoki e ia ngā rawa nō ngā tau tōmuri o ngā tau 1800 ki ngā tau mōata o te rau tau 20.

Ka rere te wā, ā, ka rere hoki ngā rā. Ka piri atu māua ko Te Haana ki a Dempsey Bob, ka kawe ia i a māua ki te mātaki i te kiriata o Laakkuluk Williamson Bathory, he pakipūmeka CBC ‘In the making: A Journey Inside the Creative Process’.

Ko tā Laakkuluk i te tīmatanga o tana kōrero kia wawe te haere o tōna waka toi, me tīmata tātau ki te whenua, arā, ‘Nō te whenua te tīmatanga, mā te whenua ka ora tātau.

I tēnei o ngā whakaaturanga i whakaatu i te huarahi toi o Laakkuluk. Ko te ingoa o tana mahi toi ko te “Greenlandic Mask Dancing”. He kanikani tēnei i tuku iho i ōna tīpuna, heke tonu i tōna Māma ki a Laakkuluk tae rawe ki tāna tamāhine. Ko tā Laakkuluk i te tīmatanga o tana kōrero kia wawe te haere o tōnawaka toi, me tīmata tātau ki te whenua, arā, ‘Nō te whenua te tīmatanga, mā te whenua ka ora tātau’.

I te roanga o te pō ka noho māua ko Te Haana ki te taha o Dempsey Bob, ka whakawhitiwhiti kōrero māua ki a ia, ā, ka haerere haere i te whenua. Ka peka atu mātau ki te hoko Beavertails me tōku whakaaro he rite a Dempsey ki ngā koro o te kāinga. Nā wai rā ka hua mai ko te Koro Dempsey. Ko tā Dempsey ki a māua ko Te Haana hei tautoko i a māua ki ngā mahi toi, ‘Never stop learning, because that’s when you stop seeing art’.

Nāwai rā, kua tae mai ki te pō whakamutunga, ka hui tahi mātau ko Mata Aho, ko Koro Dempsey, ko Rongo Wētere me tōna whaiāipo. Ka noho tahi, ka kai tahi, ka kata tahi, ā, ka heke hoki he roimata, nā tō māua waimarie ki te whai wāhi ki tēnei kaupapa. Ka tuku mātau i ngā mihi aroha ki a Koro Dempsey mā, ā, ka puta atu mātau ki te waiata me te kanikani.

Ka heke te hukarere, ā, ka eke māua i te wakarererangi ki te hoki mai ki te kāinga.

Nei te mihi ki te kaupapa i whakakotahi i a mātau ngā iwi taketake o te ao ki te whakanui i tō mātau auahatanga, i tō mātau tuakiritanga. Āku whakamiha ki ngā pou o Mata Aho, me kore ake ko koutou, kua kore māua ko Te Haana e kite i te tino mahurangi o ngā ringatoi taketake, waihoki, i te ao toi kei waho atu i te whare wānanga

Ko Rereao ahau, ā, koinei taku haerenga ki Te Aka o Whaitiri.

Te Haana Paewai

He tauira māua ko Rereao ki Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa. Kātahi anō ka ea i a māua tau tuatoru i te whare wānanga. Ko Toioho ki Apiti tō māua tohu. Ko Erena Arapere rātou ko Sarah Hudson, ko Bridget Reweti, ko Terri Te Tau ngā mema o te rōpū Mata Aho Collective. I whai kē rātou, ngā mema o Mata Aho, i te tohu e whai ana māua ko Rereao i tēnei wā. I te reo Pākehā nei ko te Bachelor of Māori Visual Arts.

Nā, i mōhio kē au e pā ana ki ā rātou mahi toi me tō rātou whakaaturanga ki Kānata. I kite au i tā rātou mahi toi i mua i tōna hanga mutunga, hēoi i taua wā i whakaaro au, “e kore au e kite i tēnei mahi toi anō”, nā te mea ka kawe te mahi toi nei ki Kānata. Ohorere katoa au i te wā i tono mai a Erena ki a māua ko Rereao, kia pātai atu mēnā e hiahia ana māua ki te tautoko atu i a Mata Aho mā ki Kanata. Aē mārika! Nā, ko tēnei tuhinga e pā ana ki taua haerenga.

Tē taea te tuhi e pā ana ki ngā mahi katoa i puta mai i aua rangi e rima ki Kanata nā reira, ko tēnei kōrero i tuhia e au ka kōrero e pā ana ki te whakaaturanga toi o Àbadakone.

Te Pōwhiri

Koia nei te rā o te whakaaturanga. Ko te ingoa o te whakaaturanga ko Àbadakone. I te reo Pākehā ko te “Continuous Fire”, i te reo Wīwī ko “Feu continuel”. He rite tonu taua kupu ki te ahi kā roa. Ko te kaupapa o tēnei whakaaturanga, kia whakaatu i ngā mahi toi mīharo e puta mai ana i ngā iwi taketake o te ao. I tae atu mātou ko Mata Aho mā ki te “Pre-Ceremony”. He momo whakakotahitanga o ngā kaimahi toi kia mōhio tātou he aha ngā mahi mō te rā nei. I reira i tūtaki māua ko Rereao i ētahi tāngata. Ko Rongo Wetere rāua ko tōna hoa wahine. Ko Rongo tētahi koroua e noho ana ki Kānata. I ngā tau kua pahure, i whakapau kaha ia ki te whakatū me te hautū I Te Whare Wānanga o Aotearoa. Ahakoa ehara ia i tētahi o ngā ringatoi, he tangata tautoko i te kaupapa. He pai te kite atu i tētahi koroua ahakoa kei tāwāhi.

I tūtaki hoki māua i a Dempsey Bob. He kaimahi toi a ia nō ngā iwi o Tahltan me Tilingit ki Amerika. He tino manawanui a ia ki ngā tāngata Māori. I koha mai a ia i tētahi pepa iti, he momo kirituhi, ka whakapiri me te wai. He kaiako te tangata nei, ā, he rite tonu a ia ki tētahi matua,. He tino ngākaunui a ia.

He mīharo rawa atu te kite i te tokomaha o ngā iwi taketake rerekē e kaha whakaatu ana i ā rātou ake tikanga, e mau ana hoki i ō rātou ake kakahū.

Kua tae ki te wā o te pōwhiri. He rerekē ki ngā pōwhiri o Aotearoa. Ko tā rātou mahi ka noho ā-porowhita. Ka kāngia ētahi rau, ka tukuna te auahi, ka uhia te tangata. Ka pēnei te mahi huri noa i te porowhita. Ā muri ake ka whakawātea te papa, ka tukuna te mānuka ki ngā manuhiri. Nā te mea nō iwi taketake kē ngā manuhiri, ka whai wā tū te katoa kia tukuna he karakia, he mihi, he waiata rānei nō tō ratou iwi. He mīharo rawa atu te kite i te tokomaha o ngā iwi taketake rerekē e kaha whakaatu ana i ā rātou ake tikanga, e mau ana hoki i ō rātou ake kakahū.

Te Tuwheratanga

Ko te tuwheratanga he momo pōwhiri anō mō ngā tāngata i ahu atu ki te whakatūranga toi o Àbadakone. I tū māua ko Rereao hei ‘cedar leaf holders’. He tikanga tā te iwi o reira, ka tū ētahi tāngata ki ngā tahataha, ka mau ki te peka cedar i tētahi ringa, ka hīkina ki runga. He momo pōwhiri tēnei. Nā, ko ngā tāngata e kake mai ana, ka hīkoi ki waenganui i a mātau e mau peka cedar ana. Ko ngā ringatoi me ngā kaumātua i tae atu i te tuatahi, kātahi ka kake mai te marea. I te tuwheratanga o Àbadakone ka tū ētahi kaikōrero, ka tuku kōrero i te reo Pākehā me te reo Wīwī hoki. Ka tū ētahi whakaaturanga kanikani me ētahi pao taramu hoki nā ngā tāngata iwi taketake o reira i mahi. Tokomaha ngā tāngata i tae atu. He 3000 neke atu ngā tāngata i reira. I muri i tēnei pōwhiri, ka whakatuwheratia te whakaaturanga toi ki te katoa.

Ngā Mahi Toi

He mīharo rawa ngā momo toi i reira, he maha hoki. He rerekē katoa te āhua o ia mahi. Ko te mahi toi a Dempsey Bob he whakairo o tētahi pōtae mārō, he momo pōtae ka whakamaua e ngā toa o tōna iwi. I whakairo e ia tētahi wuruhi i runga i taua pōtae. He mōwai rawa te whakairo, he tino ataahua. He rerekē taua mahi whakairo ki ā tātou mahi whakairo.

Mata Aho Collective

Ka tae atu mātou ki te mahi toi a Mata Aho Collective. He teitei rawa, he roa rawa tēnei mahi. Ko te mahi toi i hangaia ki ngā taura hī ika nunui. He momo kākāriki te tae. I whatu e rātou aua taura kia hangaia he momo pou porowhita tāroa. Ko te ingoa o tā rātou mahi ko AKA. Ko te tikanga o tā rātou mahi e pā ana ki te pūrākau o Whaitiri. He wāhine kāpō a ia. Ko tāna mahi i ia rā he kaute i ngā aka. Ko ia anake te tangata i mōhio kei hea ngā aka matua, arā, ngā aka e hono ana ki Rangiātea. Ko ia te tangata i hāpai i a Tāwhaki kia piki ake ia ki ngā rangi tūhāhā.

Mīharo katoa te kite atu i tētahi toi kaupapa Māori e tū ana ki whenua kē atu. Ko au e tū poho kererū ana. Te mutunga mai o te pai.

He Hokinga Mahara

He maha ake ngā kōrero e taea e au te kōrerotia, hēoi, koirā te whakarāpopotonga.