Kāhu ki Rotorua: World Indigenous Arts Festival 'out of this world'

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See below for English translation

Tino miharo te hui ahurei taketake ki Toronto

E hīnawenawe kau tonu ana te tapeha o Te Ataraiti Waretini nō tana whakaurunga ki te hui ahurei taketake o te ao i tū ki te whenua o Kanata i Toronoto.

"Nō te pikopiko o rangi kē tēnei hui ahureie hoa mā". Nōku e tū Māori ana i te hui ahurei nā, ka rangona e ahau te māuri ora e rangatira ai tātou ngā iwi taketake o te ao, he ahakoa huri atu ai ahau ki whea kai reira te mana e ngangana kau ana."

Ngā rangatira katoa, mai i ngā pou whakarite kaupapa, tae ki te pae whakawā, whaihoki ngā manu mīreirei he hāpai i te kauwae me te mana o tātou te iwi taketake".

Nā tōna matua wahine nā Maria a Ataraiti i ako ki te whatu me te raranga. Whai pānga ai a Te Aataraiti ki a Tūhourangi-Ngāti Wāhiao ki a Tainui me Mataatua hoki.

Ko Te Ataraiti tētehi o ngā mātanga toi i whakakanohi i a tātou te iwi Māori ki tēnei hui ahurei. He wā nui te taumaha hoki mōna, i mua i tana haerenga atu ka hemo tōna matua kaokaoroa a Hemi Waretini he taina nō tana matua tāne ake i a Te Kuru Waretini. Ka nui te whakangākau ki tōna tupapaku i māhuetia.

Me tana whakamihi hoki ki a Maisey Rika te korohī mako o te motu nānā i whakaae ki a kawea e Te Ataraiti tana waiata a Pohutukawa hai whakarākeitanga mā ōna pūeru.

"Ko te waiata ko Pohutukawa te aho tuitui i te whakakitenga, he whakamihi nōna ki te terenga o Matariki e ai ki a tātou te Māori ko te kaupeka hou e haere atu ai ngā mate, e tū rangatira anō ai te hunga ora". " Ka kite a Pohutukawa ka kite i ngā tini tūpuna me ngā mate o ngā tau, nā reira tētehi wāhanga nui o taku whakakitenga kia mōhiotia rātou he ahakoa kua kore ā tinana kai te ngākau e haere tahi ana".

Nā te mana o tēnei hui ahurei i whakakao mai ngā iwi taketake o te ao. Kua e whia kē ngā tau e noho atu nā i te whenua o Ingarangi engari he ahakoa he poto noa te wā ōna i Toronto ka pūare anō ngā kuwaha o te ao ki a ia. Ko Ataraiti te pou tarahae o te kamupene Maru Creations, ka nui te painga o te iwi ki āna mahi.

"Mai i ngā manu mīrerirei me tō rātou hiahia ki a mōhiotia ngā kōrero ki a tika ai ā rātou whakaatu atu ki te iwi e mātaki kau ana, nā wai rā ka whakatata mai ki a ia etehi atu mātanga toi me ngā pou timata i a IFAA22 me te tuku whakamānawa hoki e te tiamana ki aku mahi".

Ko te noho tahi me ngā mātanga he wā whakawhitiwhiti kōrero tētehi taima nui te whakaharahara.

"E hoa mā kua tūtakingia e ahau e whia kē ngā mātanga mahi toi o te ao me tō rātou aroha nui ki te tuku whakamaramatanga mai me pēwhea e tika ai a rātou mahi tae atu ki ngā kōrero tūāpapa".

"He rite kaha nei ngā tikanga mo te waihangatanga, kāua e apo whenua, kia tika mō te mahi anake, kia tika te karakia, whakamāhia te rauemi katoa kia kāua e moumouhia". " Kātahi tētehi kōrero nui, he wā hoko niho beaver mōtoi mō tētehi o aku whakarei – me taku mōhiohio ko ētehi o ēnei pīoi ka noho tūturu hai hoa haere mōku haere ake nei, haere ake nei.

Ka nui te ihiiihi i tae ki a Te Ataraiti i tēnei hui ahurei me te mea hoki kua tāti kē ia ki te whakatakoto rautaki mō ētehi atu hui ahurei kai te pae tawhiti.

Hiwi Ashby, left, and Kayla Broughton, travel to support best friend Te Ataraiti Waretini in presenting Maru Creations designs at IFAF22 in Toronto.

"Ka nui hoki ngā akoranga i makere mai ki ahau i tēnei hui ahurei, kua pūare taku ngākau ki te taiao, kua tomokia ahau e te wairua o te ao e puta ai te hiahia ki te whakanui i ngā iwi taketake o te ao ki Aotearoa ake.

Me taku whakangākau hoki ki te whānau, ki ngā hoa tata nā rātou ahau i amo e tae ai ahau ki te hui nā, me i kore rātou kua kōtore noho paepae kē ahau".

Wheoi anō ko tētehi tikanga o te hui ahurei kia waihangatia ngā ringa toi tētehi taonga mā te hui ahurei , ka waihangatia kētia e ahau kia toru ngā taonga, ko te whanaungatanga tētehi, ko Tarawera tētehi ko te tuatoru ko Hinemihi nā taku whānau tonu i whakaatuhia, ā, ko tētehi wāhanga he mea kiriata i hopukina i te whare o Hinemihi i Whakarewarewa.

"Ka nui te mana o ngā mea e toru nei, he ahakoa he iti, ko tōna mana he momona e mea ana he iwi māia tātou, hinga i te wā ka takoto ki raro, hinga anō ka tū ai".

— Raimona Inia

Weaver Ataraiti Waretini is still buzzing over her participation at the World Indigenous Arts Festival in Toronto, Canada.

"The experience was out of this world. I, as a Māori, experienced a safe space overseas where indigeneity was celebrated and indigenous excellence was seen in every part of the festival.

"All people from organisers to designers, panelists and models were there to uplift every indigenous person."

Ataraiti, (Tuhourangi-Ngati Wahiao, Tainui, Mataatua) who learned to weave from her mother Maria, was at the festival hosted by First Nations people earlier this month. It was a poignant time for her because Hemi, a younger brother of her late father Kuru Waretini, passed away just as she left our shores.

Kararaina Pene sits on Tarawera wearing (Tarawera) woven by Maru Creations.

She thanks singer Maisey Rika for allowing the use of the song Pohutukawa for her presentation.

"One of the elements that brought our show together nicely was the waiata Pohutukawa.

"It acknowledges one of the stars of Matariki that signals our Māori new year.

"Pohutukawa is the star that helps us remember those who have passed away. I wanted a way to remember those who have passed throughout the show and so grateful to have it
through this song."

The festival brought together creative iwi taketake from all around the world. Ataraiti spent a number of years in the UK but her time in Toronto introduced her to even more people from different walks of life.

Ataraiti, who owns and operates Maru Creations, said their designs were received well from everyone.

"That ranged from the indigenous models wanting to know the story behind each piece to present them with justice on the stage, other designers wanting to have conversations and IFAF22 founders and chairman giving beautiful congratulations."
Engaging with artists and designers using traditional practices was a bonus for her.

"I've met other designers who are so talented from the processes they use to create their taonga to the meaning behind each piece.

"The processes are similar, you don't take more from the whenua than you need, You karakia and you try not to waste anything.

"Recently I was traded beaver teeth earrings for one of my necklaces. Some of these people I will be friends with for life."

Ataraiti found the festival inspirational and already has plans for future developments.

"I've learned a lot from this festival and have ideas of wanting to uplift and celebrate indigenous cultures in Aotearoa.

"I'm so grateful to my whānau and friends for all their help and support to get here for the festival in person, without them, it wouldn't be possible."

For the festival, entrants were asked to produce a film to highlight their work. Three pieces, Whanaungatanga, Tarawera and Hinemihi, were modeled by whanau members and part of the film was shot at Hinemihi meeting house at Whaka.

"All three are significant journeys of some things we carry as Māori and our resilience during these times."