Latest news with #TeArawa
Scoop
22-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Aronui Hosts Thousands On The Rotorua Lakefront For Matariki Drone Show
Press Release – ARONUI Indigenous Arts Festival Painting a story across the night sky in a mesmerising performance, manuhiri [visitors] and residents of Rotorua were treated to a story of Matariki, told by Ngti Whakaue/ Te Arawa artists. The stars aligned on Friday and Saturday for the Aronui Drone Show above Kouramāwhitiwhiti (Rotorua Lakefront) for captivating Matariki storytelling experiences featuring drones, light and sound displays. Part of a wider offering from the Aronui Arts Festival, this was the second year of hosting Matariki events in Rotorua. Painting a story across the night sky in a mesmerising performance, manuhiri [visitors] and residents of Rotorua were treated to a story of Matariki, told by Ngāti Whakaue/ Te Arawa artists. Funded by One Foundation, Rotorua Trust, Rotorua Lakes Council, DIA Lotteries and Rotorua NZ, the free outdoor event is a world-first performance and New Zealand's largest drone show. that pays tribute to the Māori New Year, telling the story of Matariki using drones as the medium. The show has been recognised as a combination of cutting-edge technology, rooted in ancient knowledge. It tells a story of honouring those who passed in the year since the rising and setting of Matariki the previous year; focussing on the lifting of their memory to the stars, where they will be forever remembered by their loved ones. June Grant ONZM, one of Aronui's Board of Trustees said the fusion of tech, culture and the arts shows the relevance of mātauranga Māori [knowledge, wisdom] in contemporary arts: ' The movement of drones can represent the stars of the Matariki cluster, the flight of manu, or the journey of souls returning to the heavens. Each shape can hold deep meaning combining ancient knowledge with futuristic tools. This fusion shows the world that mātauranga Māori is alive, relevant, and adaptable, grounded in the wisdoms of our Tūpuna and open to new ways of expression.' The festival transformed Rotorua's nightlife at the Village Green into a scene of energy and new beginnings as Rotorua's residents and visitors herald in the Māori New Year over the long weekend. Organisers say thousands came to see the show, with some people video calling loved ones in, from all over the world. For its second year, additions were made to the performance which included tohunga reo/ taonga puoro artist Dr. Anaha Hiini. He joined the team, crafting a live soundscape using traditional Māori instruments to accompany the visual storytelling alongside taonga puoro artist Riki Bennett. This year the entire performance- narrative and music- was broadcast live on Te Arawa FM, for the first time, expanding its reach across the region. Dr. Hiini said: 'I want it to illuminate the stories, meanings, and traditions behind this sacred time. The show should offer both education and inspiration, helping people not only to understand Matariki, but to feel its presence, history and relevance in our lives today.' Aronui Chief Executive and Artistic Director Cian Elyse White says the positive response from the community inspired a bolder return; 'The energy last year was electric- there was such a positive vibe in the city, with people travelling from across the motu to see the show. Matariki holds deep meaning for Māori, and it's wonderful to see the new year being embraced by the wider community.' During the 2024 Tompkins Wake Rotorua Business Awards, Aronui won the Mountain Jade award for Creative Arts and Design. They were also a finalist in Scion's Innovation and Technology category. The Rotorua Matariki celebrations also included an Exhibition of Light at the Arts Village and an expanded Rotorua Night Market that showcased food, crafts, and stalls from past Aronui Māori Market vendors, it ran on June Friday 20 and Saturday 21 – turning the lakefront into a vibrant place to spend the Matariki long weekend. Aronui Chairwoman, Mercia-Dawn Yates said the drone show is a powerful way to share mātauranga Māor i: 'I'm incredibly excited to be showcasing our stories in such a powerful and innovative way. Using modern technology as a vessel to share mātauranga Matariki allows us to honour our traditions while reaching new audiences, ensuring our knowledge continues to shine brightly into the future. Mānawatia a Matariki.'
Scoop
22-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Aronui Hosts Thousands On The Rotorua Lakefront For Matariki Drone Show
The stars aligned on Friday and Saturday for the Aronui Drone Show above Kouramāwhitiwhiti (Rotorua Lakefront) for captivating Matariki storytelling experiences featuring drones, light and sound displays. Part of a wider offering from the Aronui Arts Festival, this was the second year of hosting Matariki events in Rotorua. Painting a story across the night sky in a mesmerising performance, manuhiri [visitors] and residents of Rotorua were treated to a story of Matariki, told by Ngāti Whakaue/ Te Arawa artists. Funded by One Foundation, Rotorua Trust, Rotorua Lakes Council, DIA Lotteries and Rotorua NZ, the free outdoor event is a world-first performance and New Zealand's largest drone show. that pays tribute to the Māori New Year, telling the story of Matariki using drones as the medium. The show has been recognised as a combination of cutting-edge technology, rooted in ancient knowledge. It tells a story of honouring those who passed in the year since the rising and setting of Matariki the previous year; focussing on the lifting of their memory to the stars, where they will be forever remembered by their loved ones. June Grant ONZM, one of Aronui's Board of Trustees said the fusion of tech, culture and the arts shows the relevance of mātauranga Māori [knowledge, wisdom] in contemporary arts: ' The movement of drones can represent the stars of the Matariki cluster, the flight of manu, or the journey of souls returning to the heavens. Each shape can hold deep meaning combining ancient knowledge with futuristic tools. This fusion shows the world that mātauranga Māori is alive, relevant, and adaptable, grounded in the wisdoms of our Tūpuna and open to new ways of expression.' The festival transformed Rotorua's nightlife at the Village Green into a scene of energy and new beginnings as Rotorua's residents and visitors herald in the Māori New Year over the long weekend. Organisers say thousands came to see the show, with some people video calling loved ones in, from all over the world. For its second year, additions were made to the performance which included tohunga reo/ taonga puoro artist Dr. Anaha Hiini. He joined the team, crafting a live soundscape using traditional Māori instruments to accompany the visual storytelling alongside taonga puoro artist Riki Bennett. This year the entire performance- narrative and music- was broadcast live on Te Arawa FM, for the first time, expanding its reach across the region. Dr. Hiini said: 'I want it to illuminate the stories, meanings, and traditions behind this sacred time. The show should offer both education and inspiration, helping people not only to understand Matariki, but to feel its presence, history and relevance in our lives today.' Aronui Chief Executive and Artistic Director Cian Elyse White says the positive response from the community inspired a bolder return; 'The energy last year was electric- there was such a positive vibe in the city, with people travelling from across the motu to see the show. Matariki holds deep meaning for Māori, and it's wonderful to see the new year being embraced by the wider community.' During the 2024 Tompkins Wake Rotorua Business Awards, Aronui won the Mountain Jade award for Creative Arts and Design. They were also a finalist in Scion's Innovation and Technology category. The Rotorua Matariki celebrations also included an Exhibition of Light at the Arts Village and an expanded Rotorua Night Market that showcased food, crafts, and stalls from past Aronui Māori Market vendors, it ran on June Friday 20 and Saturday 21 - turning the lakefront into a vibrant place to spend the Matariki long weekend. Aronui Chairwoman, Mercia-Dawn Yates said the drone show is a powerful way to share mātauranga Māor i: 'I'm incredibly excited to be showcasing our stories in such a powerful and innovative way. Using modern technology as a vessel to share mātauranga Matariki allows us to honour our traditions while reaching new audiences, ensuring our knowledge continues to shine brightly into the future. Mānawatia a Matariki.'
Otago Daily Times
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Digital art and music combined
Live music loops, improvisation, and taonga puoro combine with digital art in "Mai Te Uira", a unique collaborative performance, which comes to Dunedin next week. Touring through New Zealand for Chamber Music New Zealand, "Mai Te Uira" brings the work of multidisciplinary artist Kereama Taepa (Te Arawa, Te Āti Awa) together with musician, producer and innovator Tiki Taane (Ngāti Maniapoto) . The show will be presented at Dunedin's Glenroy Auditorium next Wednesday, June 18, at 7.30pm. Grounded in a karakia (prayer) that references the atua (spirit) and whakapapa (ancestry) of their artforms, Mai Te Uira explores the transformative nature of innovation. Featuring animated digital art by Kereama, Taane taps into his own deep well of creativity to create live loops and improvisations in response on stage. This collaboration is the result of a partnership between The Dowse Art Museum and Chamber Music New Zealand.
NZ Herald
05-06-2025
- General
- NZ Herald
Q&A with Ockham Book Award-winning Rotorua author Ngāhuia te Awekōtuku
Curator, critic, activist, the first female Māori Emeritus Professor from a university – and now the winner of New Zealand's top prize for general non-fiction. Rotorua's Ngāhuia te Awekōtuku (Te Arawa, Waikato, Tūhoe) won the award for her memoir Hine Toa: A at the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards last month.
The Spinoff
23-05-2025
- General
- The Spinoff
Reading the lost diary of the first indigenous woman to study at Oxford
A hundred years ago, the formidable guide, scholar and cultural authority Mākereti Papakura was documenting village life, politics and high-society visits in Whakarewarewa. Now, her whanaunga June Northcroft-Grant revisits those diary pages with fresh eyes. This year, more than a century after she enrolled at Oxford University, pioneering Te Arawa scholar Mākereti Papakura will be awarded a posthumous Master of Philosophy in Anthropology from the University of Oxford. The recognition honours her extraordinary contribution to ethnography – one that challenged colonial norms by documenting the richness of Māori life from within. Born in Matatā in 1873 and raised in Whakarewarewa, Mākereti was a cultural authority, a beloved guide and the first known indigenous woman to enrol at Oxford. Her thesis, published after her sudden death in 1930 as The Old-Time Māori, remains a landmark work. For her descendants and the people of Tūhourangi – Ngāti Wāhiao, the honour is a long-overdue affirmation of a life lived boldly across worlds. And for one of her whānau, reading through her 1907 diary reveals just how alive, political and purposeful that life really was. As a child, I was captivated by a black-and-white photo in my parents' old album. It showed an enigmatic Māori woman wearing a headscarf and a large hei tiki, staring out with knowing eyes. My father Henry, who was raised in Whakarewarewa from 1915 by his kuia Rakera, told me she was his mother's cousin: Mākereti Papakura. He called her Whaea. She had lived in England, spoke 'like the Queen,' and once returned to the village in the 1920s for a brief visit. To my father, she was a glamorous figure – worldly and impressive. I was in my forties when I rediscovered her story. I remembered that Mākereti had left a diary behind in her sister Bella's home, Teawaimanukau. Reading it as an adult was something else entirely. The names she wrote of – Apirana, Maui, Te Rangihiroa, Tawa – were no longer just names. I knew who they were, what they meant to us, and to Aotearoa. Her diary, written in 1907, reveals a vibrant life at Whakarewarewa: hosting visitors from across the world, guiding tourists through geothermal wonders, and sharing meals and conversations with some of the most influential Māori thinkers of her generation. Sir Apirana Ngata, Sir Maui Pomare, and Sir Peter Buck (Te Rangihiroa) feature regularly, not as distant historical figures, but as friends. Alongside them, captain Gilbert Mair (Tawa), a close family friend, appears frequently in her entries. Together, these young leaders formed what became known as the Young Māori Party – a visionary collective working to uplift Māori health, education, land development and cultural pride. Friday February 8, 1907: Tawa only in Ohinemutu – arranging Porimi's funeral. Spent evening & had dinner with us… Brought some lovely peaches. He is a dear old father to us. Letter in Herald by W.B. Te Kuiti. A beautiful article written by an educated man and one who understands the Māori race. Kia ora W.B. Te Kuiti A Ake! Ake! Ake! One entry records Te Rangihiroa and his wife coming to live in the village. Others note her deep affection for her sister Bella, her grief when sending young nieces to boarding school, and the small joys and outrages of daily life. From lighthearted mentions of local observers satirising her haka, to fury at a policeman trying to stop villagers from bathing in their own pools, her voice is vivid. Sunday June 30, 1907: Constable came out and said Māoris were not to bathe in roadside bath and he took down the names of the people there. Like their impudence to talk and interfere with things on our own private grounds. The diary also captures moments of national significance. During Ngata's campaign for parliament, Mākereti records the excitement, the vehicles used to shuttle voters, the gatherings and the performances. Wednesday December 4, 1907: Great excitement over our own election for Apirana Ngata. We had a motorcar to convoy our people backwards and forwards… Big lunch at Wahiao for all the tribes and our own people. Everything a huge success.' And then, this mysterious note: Tuesday November 19, 1907: A day never to be forgotten. No explanation follows. But in the back of the diary is a name and address: Richard Staples-Brown, Brampton, Oxfordshire. Four years later, Mākereti would marry him. They later divorced. And she, ever determined, went on to enrol at Oxford University to study anthropology. She was in her fifties, living modestly, struggling with illness, and racing to finish her thesis when she died suddenly in 1930. Her friend and fellow anthropologist, Thomas K. Penniman, kept his promise to her. He helped ensure her manuscript, The Old-Time Maori, was published posthumously. In a 1936 letter to Bella Wiari, he wrote: 'Those of us who loved her and admired the Māori people are anxious that her work should be published without any mistakes, so that both the younger people of Te Arawa and the people of the world should know how fine the old Māori civilisation was, and what it has to contribute to the world.' That sentiment still rings true. Reading her diary over a century later, I see not only the voice of a pioneering scholar and cultural guide but the enduring wairua of a woman who loved her people, her village, and her world.
