Toi Māori Aotearoa is marking three decades of supporting Māori artists and taking Māori art to audiences around the world.
Its work is grounded in whakapapa, whenua, iwi identity, history and tikanga, with Māori artists working within the tikanga of the iwi and communities they engage with. Tumu Whakarae Tamahou Temara says that approach has shaped the organisation’s work both in Aotearoa and overseas.
“Tuatahi, ko ngā whakaaro Māori ake nei nō roto i wā tātou nā whakapapa, nā runga i ngā tātai kōrero i takohahia mai, i whakatakahia mai e ngā mātua tīpuna,” hei tā Tamahou Temara.
Projects have included taking waka to Europe and Māori carvers working alongside Indigenous artists in Canada and the United States.
“He whakairo tahi me ngā tāngata taketake o roto o Kānata, o Amerika hoki, te whakatū i wā rātou nā pou nui ki runga i ō rātou nā whenua,” e ai kī ia.
“I whakaarohia e te iwi Sailish nō roto o Seattle kia hangaia tētahi whare i roto i tō mātou āhua, ko te ingoa o te whare nei ko Paimarie.”
Te Tiriti o Waitangi, Māori self-determination, identity and the protection of mātauranga Māori also remain central to the organisation’s kaupapa.
That comes as changes to government funding place renewed focus on how Māori arts are supported.
Under the National-led coalition government, Creative New Zealand’s operating budget was cut by $1.3 million over 4 years; changes affect Toi Māori.
Temara says government agencies are quick to call on kapa haka and Māori artists when representing Aotearoa overseas, but Māori leadership within the arts remains important.
“Tere tonu rātou ki te hopu i wā tātou nā kapa haka, wā tātou nā tāngata mahi toi ki te whakaatu atu ki rāwāhi,” hei tāna.
But he says Māori leadership is essential when it comes to Māori arts.
“Mā te Māori anō te Māori e āki, e ārahi i roto i ngā mahi.”
