The fight to protect toi Māori continues as tauiwi take on our art for their own use. Tohunga artist Sandy Adsett, attended the world art gathering at Turangawaewae Marae and says the fight is against cultural theft.
“We got to fight for it, it's not going to be accepted because you're going to have people put into place to ensure that it is a Māori face that people see.”
Adsett of Ngāti Kahungunu lineage is a well-known contemporary Māori artist who’s helped develop and introduce Māori Arts in Schools programmes.
He’s also one of the 100 indigenous artists who's in Turangawaewae Marae for the 9th International Indigenous Artist Gathering. The event highlights the diversity within contemporary indigenous art.
“All our art was done by tohunga by elders and all of a sudden we step up because we've being brought through a European art education.”
Waikato Museum / Te Āo Māori News source
The event this year is under the name, Puuhoro oo mua, Puuhoro ki tua and is exhibiting Māori artwork and other cultural pieces from across the globe at Waikato Museum.
One of those artworks features a helicopter with the Mana Motuhake o Tuhoe flag printed on it, as a true representation of the conflict between Māori and the crown during Operation 8.
Waikato Museum / Te Āo Māori News source
Art curator Maree Mills told Te Ao Māori News, “a number of artists did address raupatu”.
Puuhoro oo mua, Puuhoro ki tua is run by Te Atinga through Toi Māori Aotearoa which is a committee that backs Māori artists to be different to mainstream.