My learning journey into Tikanga and how it’s interconnected with my art and my own family

 Te Reo Maori is a beautiful and metaphoric language.   It uses words, pictures, symbolism and imagery to give it rich meaning and I think that’s why I’m drawn to it, as I am a very visual person.  

I’m no stranger to whakatauki (Maori proverbs) and symbolism.  We used that a lot as my time as art tutor with Canterbury prisons.  Theses proverbs were themes for artworks and art exhibitions, but they also drew a powerful correlation to the men’s and women’s own personal journeys.  One that comes to mind was an exhibition that I curated of prisoner artworks after the Christchurch Earthquakes Ruwhenua Whakaaro - Thoughts of the earthquake.  The whakatauki was Ka Hanga Rua te ao hou, Mai I nga pereki tawhito , translated reads Recreate the new world from the bricks of the old.. We talked about this in our artworks in a physical sense of rebuilding the city but on a personal level it spoke of moving forward in their journey, of recreating a new positive future for themselves and their whanau while addressing and acknowledging their past.

The waka in this picture is one of the artworks that was created and sold at auction.

Citation for the waka

This waka was carved by a prisoner at Canterbury Men’s Prison to be included for an auction of Prison Art in March 2012 post Christchurch earthquakes.  100% of the proceeds for the sale of this artwork, of which there were over 75 magnificent pieces from wood carvers, sculptors and pen and pencil artists was donated to the Christchurch community.

An amazing $22,000 was raised and donated to the Canterbury Mayoral earthquake relief fund.

The wood that this waka was carved from was gifted from Graceworks demolition and recycling and came from a church from the red zone in Christchurch after the September 2010 and February 2011 earthquakes.

As curator of the 2012 auction, it was my responsibility to theme the auction.  I used the following which was a Maori whakatauki (Proberb).

Ka Hanga Ru ate ao hou

Mai I nga pereki tawhito

“Recreate the new world from the bricks of the old”

The idea was to challenge the prisoners to look at their own spiritual road to a new beginning and the rebuilding of their own lives but also the physical sense of the Canterbury rebuild.

The carver who poured his soul into the creation of this waka had this to say about the carving and what it stood for: 

181 people lost their lives on 22 February 2011 hence the date on the tail of the waka.

At the front of the waka 2010 signifies the first earthquake in Christchurch.

The work Nga-Hapu signifies the good the earthquake has done in bringing Christchurch together as one people

Across the base are 181 patiki diamonds representing those who lost their lives

The paddles represent the 20 major tribes in Christchurch , each paddle has its own fingerprint.

The base represents the four main rives Waimakariri, Avon, Selwyn, and Ashley combining all the cornerstones of Otautahi - Chirstchurch.

The emblem in the middle of the base belongs to Matapuna.  Matapuna representing change and rebuild.  This was the Special Treatment Unit at Christchurch Men’s Prison where the carver was housed during that time.

The Waka signifies moving forward with the knowledge from the past to assist our future “Kotahitanga” togetherness.

It also represents succeeding with personal challenges and the spirit of rebuilding together to move forward.

It also signifies recognition that resilience is strengthened through unity and good will.

It shows that we each determine our future and set it in motion by our decisions today.

And that we learn from our elders and carry that legacy forward to the generation that comes after us.

 Personal Connection to the Waka

My father-in-law, the late Denis Hazlett, who was a hugely passionate about my role in the arts, not only generously purchased the waka at auction, but also went a step further by asking if I could organise a meeting with the prison artist.  None of the prison artists could attend the art auction as we had held it outside the wire and in the community.  Denis wanted to meet the young carver and tell him how proud he was to have purchased the Waka.  So after gaining authorisation from the southern regional commissioner, Denis was able to enter the prison and sit down with the artist. 

On the passing of Denis, the gifting as a loan from the Hazlett family of the Waka to sit in the offices at Hazlett to me signifies all the above.  When remembering Denis (and absent friends ) and acknowledging the team at Hazlett, this sense of rebuilding and moving forward together spiritually and also the handing over for the waka to sit proudly at the new physical address, to me fits perfectly.

Recreate the new world from the bricks of the old.  As the whakatauki suggests, and as the waka signifies, move forward and row together in unity while we build on our foundations with the best bricks from the old and the knowledge that those who have gone before have passed down to us.

Written by– Corina Hazlett