An intrinsic part of life's journey

TRADITION WITH A TWIST: Hinekura Lisa Smith at work at Te Ahu. In front is her finished piece Kahu Aniwaniwa. PICTURE/PETRINA HODGSON

Tai Tokerau weavers continue to stage demonstrations of traditional weaving techniques and local resources in the atrium at Kaitaia's Te Ahu as part of their month-long exhibition honouring past weavers of Muriwhenua. (In honour of weavers past, Northland Age June 24).

'Contemporary kakahu' was the theme last week, Hinekura Lisa Smith travelling from Auckland to participate.

Ms Smith (Te Rarawa), a member of Ahipara's Whiri Toi Gallery and a granddaughter of Tana Kingi Arano, is a Maori education lecturer at Auckland University's Te Puna Wananga. She is currently working on her PhD in Maori aspirations to live as Maori.

"My real interest is bringing together my experience as an educator and whatu and raranga and where they overlap. I am more interested in why and how we do it, rather than what we are producing," she said.

"I see my PhD as a means to recomplexify some of the language and weaving terms that have been simplified over the years. There's so much knowledge contained within language, particularly with the Maori language."

Ms Smith, who has been weaving for more than 20 years, said she always felt it was an intrinsic part of her life journey, but learning the skills had not come easily.

"I had to search out opportunities to learn," she said, including a night course with renowned Northland weaver Judy Hohaia.

"Raranga [weaving] has literally woven me out of debt," she added, recalling weaving "a few kete" and selling them to buy food from the supermarket.

She enjoyed working with kiri kanga (corn husks), using the whatu style (finger twining), which was less time consuming.

"I have two children and a full-time job, so finding time to weave can be difficult. Using this contemporary material means I can still keep weaving [which she also teaches].

"I think it is vitally important that we maintain the traditional materials, but using contemporary materials makes weaving more accessible to people.

"Weaving also teaches you perseverance, holding on to tikanga, sitting with wahine and the whanaungatanga (relationship through shared experiences) that happens. That's the importance I think, sitting together and talking."

Fellow Whiri Toi Gallery member Pare Nathan said she was thrilled to have Hinekura as part of the group.

"I like her approach because, she's a busy person but she still wants to keep weaving and hold on to the traditional style. The ideas she has are just awesome," she said.

The exhibition had been a great success so far, she added.

"Lots of people are coming in, and it is so great to see all the tamariki coming through. They are all really enjoying it. We have such a wide network of weavers, and it is lovely to have them all coming in and sharing their skills with the community," she said.

Demonstrations take place week days in the Te Ahu atrium between 10am and 3pm. Next week's theme will be wahakura (baby bassinet) and whariki.