Nearly 60 years after its inception, Te Wānanga Whakairo Rākau o Aotearoa has welcomed its 51st intake of tauira, continuing the legacy of keeping Māori carving traditions alive for future generations.
The latest cohort of tauira will spend their time developing their whakairo skills while learning the mātauranga, tikanga, and stories that sit behind the art form.
For generations, this knowledge has been passed down from master carvers to students, creating a continuous line of learning that remains at the heart of the wānanga.
Ranginui Thomas says the strength of the programme comes from the way knowledge is carried forward, with each generation of carvers learning from those before them and eventually passing those teachings on themselves.
“kei te kawea tonuhia e tēnei wānanga, nga mātauranga i takea mai i a Hone Te Kāuru Taiapa, nāna ki ana tauira,” says Thomas.
A strategy to keep the tradition alive
The carving school was established in 1967, following the vision of renowned master carver Hone Te Kāuru Taiapa, who wanted to ensure Māori carving traditions would continue to survive and thrive.
The programme was created to train future generations of carvers and protect the mātauranga that has been passed down through iwi for centuries.
“Heoi anō e tūtuki ai tēnei kaupapa, koira tētahi o nga rautaki, kia tokoiti noaiho te kahui tauira a nga rangapū o tenei kura,” says Thomas.
This year’s 51st intake has already stood out. Many tauira have arrived with a strong foundation in te reo Māori, having come through kura kaupapa and Māori education.
That connection to language and culture has helped shape a group that brings a profound understanding of the traditions they are learning.
The passing of knowledge to future generations
For these new tauira, the focus is on building their carving abilities while nurturing the passion and dedication they already bring to the craft.
For B Tamaki, carving has been a part of life from an early age. He grew up surrounded by the wood shavings of his father, a master carver who trained under Pakariki Harrison. That early connection became the foundation of his own journey into whakairo.
“I tipu ake au i te kongakonga o ngā rākau, ko taku pāpā he tohunga whakairo, i akona i raro i ngā akoranga o Pakariki Harrison, nō reira, āe, koia taku ara tuatahi ki roto i ngā mahi whaikairo,” says Tamaki.
Taiwhanake Waaka-Peters says being part of the NZMACI whānau and creating mahi that can inspire people both in Aotearoa and internationally is one of the most exciting aspects of joining the programme.
“I am most excited about being a part of a whānau here at NZMACI and being a part of creating mahi for not only Aotearoa but also internationally to inspire others outside of our culture,” says Waaka-Peters.
Only a small number of students are accepted into each intake. This deliberate strategy allows tutors to work intimately with the tauira, sharing an enormous amount of knowledge in a short period of time.
“ko tērā āhuatanga tonu rā i roto i ngā tau, ngā piki tūranga i roto i ngā tau, koira tētahi o ngā āhuatanga hirahira o konei,” says Thomas.
