Toi Ngāpuhi expert Bernard Makoare explaining patterns to local carvers at a Whaiwhatawhata Marae wānanga funded by Creative New Zealand through the Te Awe Kōtuku programme. Photo: Suplied/Xavier Forde
An independent evaluation of the Mātauranga Māori Te Awe Kōtuku programme (Te Awe Kōtuku) has shown successful support of mātauranga Māori.
The programme was introduced in 2020 to deliver short-term relief and medium-term support for the arts, culture and heritage sector following Covid-19.
Completed by Aiko Ltd, the evaluation examined how the programme made a positive difference to the lives of ringatoi Māori and supported the reclamation, protection, preservation, and transmission of mātauranga Māori.
Joe Fowler, Pou Mataaho o Te Hua Deputy Secretary Delivery & Investment at Manatū Taonga, said the evaluation highlights how Te Awe Kōtuku supported Māori communities to safeguard at-risk artforms.
"It's incredibly rewarding to see how the Mātauranga Māori Te Awe Kōtuku programme will have long-term benefits for Māori and New Zealand for years to come.
"The programme enabled many communities to revitalise or rediscover their mātauranga, which will mean that the next generation can carry this knowledge into the future."
Creative New Zealand Senior Manager Māori Strategy and Partnerships Paula Carr said the programme provided vital support to protect and sustain critically endangered Māori artforms where there are very low numbers of senior, experienced active practitioners with the required mātauranga and technical knowledge.
"We worked in partnership with tohunga and mātanga to develop programmes that have made a significant difference in regenerating at-risk Māori artforms by looking at how we can better ensure sustainability of artist's careers and succession planning in these areas."
The Creative New Zealand programmes were delivered in regions around Aotearoa, from the Far North, Rotorua, Whakatāne and Waipā Districts to Whanganui, Ōtaki, Marlborough and Waitaki in Te Waipounamu, and Rēkohu Chatham Islands.
"The Awe Kōtuku programme provided much needed support to start the process of retaining mātauranga toi that will be beneficial to future generations of New Zealanders. Although the time-limited funding for the programme has stopped, the importance of this kaupapa remains," Carr said.
Benefits from the programme, according to the evaluation:
- Protection of mātauranga that is at risk of being lost
- Increased access to and participation in mātauranga, including the reclamation of mātauranga that had been dormant for generations
- Improved health and well-being for whānau, hapū, kaumātua, rangatahi
- Strengthened connections to cultural identity and pride
- Building the capacity and capability of a new generation of practitioners
- Digital innovation that both preserved mātauranga and helped to uncover new knowledge and understanding
- Celebrating the contribution of te ao Māori and the depth and breadth of mātauranga
While the Ministry for Culture and Heritage oversaw the Te Awe Kōtuku programme, it involved government and cultural agencies with specialist expertise around mātauranga and taonga Māori, and their preservation and conservation.
These agencies worked in partnership with arts practitioners, Māori-led arts organisations and collectives, marae, hapū and iwi to deliver the initiatives across the motu.
The agencies involved are: Creative New Zealand Arts Council of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa, Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga, Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage, Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision, Te Matatini, Te Papa Tongarewa Museum of New Zealand and Te Tari Taiwhenua Department of Internal Affairs.